10 Interior Design Tips for a Stunning Home Office on a shoestring budget
Written by guest contributor, Tess Cain.
One of the many benefits of working from home is that you can have your own home office.
Despite popular belief, working remotely is not a synonym for lying around all day, but it is certainly less stressful. There’s not as much pressure and you work at your own pace.
It also means that you get to organize your home office by yourself and however you wish. It’s your home office, your rules.
Nevertheless, there are some practical interior design tips that can help you make your home office stunning and welcoming.
1. Plan out
Ask any interior designer, and they will all tell you that you should make a good plan of action before you start redecorating.
Now ask yourself: How do I envision my perfect working space? What do I want?
Surely, you have thousands of ideas piling up already. Why don’t you put it into words and pictures? Do online research and find some home office inspirations.
You can even create a mood board using the Pinterest app that will guide you. Don’t feel embarrassed to ask your friends and family how they picture your office. You can brainstorm for some ideas together and then design a theme accordingly.
remember: ‘’by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.’’
2. Storage
Good storage is a necessity if you want to have a practical and functional office. Not only will you have a safe place for all your work documents, but it will also allow you to have a well-designed home office. There will be no piles of papers getting in your way all-day.
If you are worried that your office is not big enough for file cabinets, I would suggest opting for vertical storage units because they will make the space look bigger.
3. Good lighting
Having good lighting can make a big difference to an interior, so place your desk next to a window and take advantage of the natural light as much as possible.
Imagine yourself at work with a nice window view and sun rays on your desk. That’s the dream!
I would suggest installing good lighting systems that won’t kill your productivity even when the sun goes down.
4. Add plants
Plants are another way to brighten up the room and to bring some positivity into it. They have healing and relaxing powers, so you should add ‘plants’ to your mood board right from the start.
Green is a color that goes well with everything; another reason why plants will never go out of style.
Health, productivity, and well-being are essential ingredients for every stunning home office – plants will provide you with all of those.
5. Wall colors
The home office is not your typical room, so while you are deciding on the color scheme for it, you should consider taking a slightly different approach than with your other rooms.
You want your office to feel warm and cozy, but still not too much because you don’t want to be tempted to nap all day.
Green and blue are usually used for painting resting areas, while red and yellow go well with conference rooms where you want ideas to come to life.
According to interior designers all over the world, the best color scheme solution for offices is a mix of natural colors and wooden elements. If you want a peaceful ambient in your office, this is the combination for you.
6. Colorful rug
Your home office will become very chic if you put a colorful and creative carpet in the center. It can serve as a great starting point for matching the entire room with it and connecting the pieces together.
Before you choose your furniture or your decorations, explore the carpet options first. As soon as you find that perfect rug, the rest of the room will speak to you.
7. Mirrors to make the office look bigger
Mirrors are a great interior design tool, especially for small offices. They can help you take full advantage of the natural light and at the same time, make the room look bigger.
Consider placing mirrors across a window so that the natural light can fill up the room.
8. Organization is key
Every interior designer will tell you that the organization is key. Apart from being creative, you need to be practical or else your office will become a mess.
Choose furniture that will not only be stylish but also functional. A high-quality desk and chair are a must, so choose wisely. After all, that’s where you’ll work all day.
Keep your desk well-organized and clutter-free. Office tools such as binders can help you with that. Essentially, cleaning every day after yourself comes a long way.
Your messy cords can be arranged using special cable kits or even better, hidden behind your furniture. The less visible the cables are, the better!
9. Resting, meeting area
Meeting areas might be essential if your business requires you to meet with clients and team members. However, even if that’s not the case, you should still try and make a special resting area for yourself.
Your home office should not only be welcoming for others, but for you too, so save some room for a small sofa and some cushions. Trust me, you will feel and work better in a space like this.
10. Add inspiring elements
The finishing touches are what will make your office stand out from the crowd. It shouldn’t look like every other office, but it should be a mix of you and your lifestyle.
Choose your accessories depending on your life aspirations. You have a favorite inspirational quote? Frame it and put it in a visible area so that you get a boost of energy every time you see it. There’s a piece of art that inspires you? Get a framed replication and enrich your home office with it.
Final thoughts
The first question you should ask yourself when you enter your freshly done home office is:
Is this me? Does my home office represent me?
Feel free to ask your friends the same question. If both you and your friends think your office is you, then you did a good job.
If your home office makes you feel like you are not even working, then your business and life will blossom. And isn’t that the point?
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in Life Outside of Design Studio and has been updated for accuracy and completeness.