Ideas for Your Home Office
Everyone has a different set of needs for their work space, so many design ideas are by no means one-size-fits-all. However, that doesn’t mean that creating the perfect office space is impossible, far from it.
So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the idea of creating a space that will allow you to work from home, look no further. We’ve compiled a list of suggestions that will help you create a home office that is equally functional as inviting.
Create Focus Areas
As you envision the design for your office, make sure to take into consideration all of the activities you’ll complete in the space. More than likely, you’ll need to incorporate a desk to use while tackling paperwork. But to complete a wide variety of tasks, separate focus areas can be useful.
In addition to your main workspace, think about incorporating an additional seating area for holding discussions or meeting with clients. Alternatively, if there are multiple family members who need to share the space, keep things organized by giving each person an individual place to work from.
Incorporate Plenty of Storage
Keeping an office organized can be a struggle for many. Especially, if you’re someone who has a tendency to become buried under an unruly desk, so it’s crucial to incorporate plenty of storage solutions into your design.
If you have the space available, cabinets or built-ins are ideal for storing larger items. Open shelving is an easy way to mix functional items and decor elements as well.
Choose A Neutral
One of the fundamental insights of color theory is that the colors that are chosen to decorate a space can have a strong impact on our moods. Blue, for example, is often interpreted as soothing, whereas yellow has been shown to elicit anxiety.
Since an office space is a place that you want to be able to stay focused, it can be useful to set big punches of color — and the emotional responses they bring — aside. Instead, focus on choosing a largely neutral color palette that will allow you to put the bulk of your attention on the task at hand.
Accent With Personal Items
As much as it’s important to be able to focus within your office, it’s also important to create a space in which you’ll be happy spending time. Don’t forget to incorporate a few decor elements and pieces of wall art that highlight your personal tastes.
One of the easiest ways to do this (while still creating a cohesive design) is to allow your personal items to dictate your accent colors. Do your best to match the bold hues in those personal items and incorporate them sparingly throughout the room.
Bring In The Outdoors
Research shows that the presence of natural light in professional spaces has an overwhelmingly positive impact on employee productivity and morale. It only makes sense that these concepts would easily translate to the home office environment as well, so find a way to incorporate the outdoors.
Whenever possible, make windows an integral part of your design. Think about aligning your desk below the windowsill and choosing non-intrusive blinds. Additionally, don’t hesitate to include other natural elements into your design. Fresh greenery will add color to the space and boost your mood.
