Whether your home office is the space where you run a business, the conventional telecommute, or just a place for paying bills and organizing your schedule, you deserve more than a metal desk and extra chair stuffed into a spare corner.
An office which clearly reflects the design and comfort of the rest of your home is ideal.
Here are some great tips for creating a charming, practical work space.
Location, Location, Location
You'll likely spend many hours in your home office, so do not limit yourself on space. Also, think about traffic flow and your ability to withstand distractions.
Do you work best in the middle of activity, or should your office be put away in a quiet space? If clients will visiting, a private space with a good amount of seating is a must.
Don't Sacrifice Form For Function
Your desk, shelves, and storage should serve you, not the other way around. Think of your workflow and what items you need at your fingertips prior to investing in furniture, and then look for pieces that are both stunning and functional.
Home office furniture should complement other rooms in your house instead of screaming "soulless cubicle." If your home has traditional décor, warm wood and soft, comfy chairs or a loveseat are perfect if you have the space. A contemporary home office can feature artistic pieces or modern metal furniture.
Invest In A Great Chair
You spend hours sitting in your office chair; a great, ergonomically-correct, comfortable seat is worth every dollar.
Paint The Walls A Color You Love
Forget traditional office colors. You need a color that gets your work screws going. For some individuals, that's a bright, cheery color such as orange or lime green.
Some need a calming shade such as botanical green or sea foam blue to get in there work mode. Find out more about how specific colors can affect your mood.
Give Yourself A View
Try and position the desk where you can stare at something more compelling than a blank wall when you glance up from the computer.
A window's natural light is perfect, but if you're in a windowless space, hang a decent looking picture above the desk, or position your chair to face the door.
Organize Vertically and Horizontally
Using space efficiently is crucial. Here's a great suggestion: try and hang floating shelves on the walls to get papers and office equipment off the desk, and use vertical file folders on the desk to keep important papers within arm's reach.
If you are the types of person that makes piles, get a nice basket to tame your mail, notes, and papers. If you rather have a clean desktop, designate one drawer for your "to-do" papers. Wooden or metal cube storage is a fun alternative to bookshelves, since each space can be used for books, knickknacks, or baskets of odds and ends.
Be Good With Technology
There's not much you can do to make the computer, printer, and phone, look more elegant but you can hide cords that shouldn't be seen. Begin by making sure your equipment is close to outlets and quite easy to access if you need to unplug.
Give The Office More Light
Make sure your office has ample light to cut down on eye strain and headaches. If possible, try and position the computer monitor so there's no glare from a window or overhead light, and put a small lamp on the desk for task lighting.
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