10 Tips for Decorating Your Home Office

Decorating your home office can be one of the most important decisions you make in your home. This space is where the work takes place.

What do you use the office space in your home for? Are you going to a small corner once a week to pay bills and check your budget? Is this a workspace for you to operate a business from? The amount of time you spend in this area makes a difference regarding what you should do to make it the place where you get things done in your home.

1. Choose the Right Location

If your home office is used as a study location because you’ve gone back to school, you might be working late into the night many times during every week. That means you should have a place that’s away from the bedrooms, so you don’t bother the rest of the family. On the other hand, if your office space is used for your job, you’ll want a place with a window for seeing out and one that’s away from other family spaces, so you don’t become distracted during the day.

2. Your Office Furnishings Need to Work for You

When you’re decorating your home office, you don’t need to focus on pieces that you dig out of the garbage or that only have functionality but no style to them. If your home has a style you love, put that in your office as well. Of course, if you want to go a different way, and your office is a separate room from the rest of the house, you can create the décor you’ll enjoy. This is a great way to create the look you want to enjoy.

3. If You’ve Got a Window, Make Sure You’re Facing It

If you choose a room with a window for your office space, make sure you can see out of this window. You’ll want to position your desk and chair in a way that allows you to view the world outside. It can be discerning and a bit frustrating to spend all day in a space that doesn’t offer you a view of the sun shining, or the rain falling outside. Open your office to the world with your window view.

4. Give Your Office Plenty of Light

Are you going to spend hours behind a computer screen? Are you running a business from your office area? If so, decorating your home office requires you to consider the lighting in your space. If you’ve got a window, some natural light can help give you the best views and light source throughout the day. Once you consider the natural light coming into your office, it would be a good idea to have a few lamps positioned to give you the lighting you desire.

5. Paint the Walls the Right Color

If you’ve found a designated area of your home to be your office space, you should paint the walls in a color you’ll enjoy. This is especially important if you spend all day during the week in your office area. The right colors can make a huge difference when you’re in your space. You’ll enjoy the look and can be more productive when you’re in an office painted the right color for you.

6. Use Wall Space to Organize Your Office Area

Most of us only have a small space in our homes to dedicate to an office area. When you’re decorating your home office, you need to think about the shelf space you need and where you want to keep papers and files. One way to do this is to hang some floating shelves on the wall to keep everything where you need it. Those items that you only use once a week or monthly should be on higher shelves, while the items you use every day should be within arm’s reach.

7. Minimize the Cord Clutter

The cords of your computer, printer, phone, and other electronics are necessary to keep them working for you. It’s a good idea to organize them to where you need them so that you don’t have to see them while you’re working. The best way to do this is with some hidden organizers and hooks that can hide these cords under your desk or along the wall. If you put your desk in the middle of the room, try, and run the cords off to the side to get them out of sight.

8. You’ve Got to Have a Great Chair

If you’ll be spending a lot of time in your home office, you need to invest in a great chair. While decorating your home office, you should think of the color and style you want for your chair, but when it’s time to buy, it needs to be a chair that’s both comfortable and encourages good posture throughout the day. Your chair must be ergonomically designed and easy for you to enjoy all day long.

9. Bring Some of Your Home Into Your Office

Unless your goal in the office is to have a space that looks completely different from the rest of your home, it’s a good idea to bring some accessories from around the house into your office. This will give you some comfort, memories, and stuff that makes your office feel like part of your home. Of course, if you’re going for a completely different look, you’ll want to shop for the accessories that make sense for your office and its style.

10. Find Your Inspiration

What makes you want to get up and head to the office to work every day? Does it help to have some framed pictures of your family or artwork with motivational sayings? Depending on the type of work you do in your office, you might want items from around the world or a reminder of why you’re saving for the future. Find the right items to inspire and excite you to get things done and be productive while in your office space.

What are you going to do when decorating your home office? Is this going to be a space for your bills or for your entire workday? Put together a space that works for you and makes your life much nicer while you’re working in this area of your home.