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Approximately 26.7% of the US workforce will work from home all through 2021. Partially because of the COVID 19 pandemic and also because most people usually work from home.
Admittedly, home isn’t the most productive place to work from, given the many distractions and racket from kids, if you have them. However, depending on how you set up your home office, your home office may be your most productive space yet.
If you have to ruffle through stacks of paper, you’re probably doing it wrong. You need a complete home office makeover to upgrade your workspace and bring some organization into the mix. A proper home office redo should eliminate all the clutter and give your home office a gorgeous reboot.
If you’ve been mulling over giving your home office a makeover, then you’ve come to a tight place. This guide will go all-in on how you can redo your home office to make it a productive and peaceful space.
Organization Is Key
A productive workspace is well organized and free from clutter. The top priority when making over your home office is to have organization down pat. Luckily, there are tons of ways you can keep your home office organized, including organizational bins and drawers.
You probably already have a few of these items to help you organize your office. The problem is selecting the right ones that work with your office space and also fit in with the rest of the house. The best way to pick the right organizational items for your office is through elimination.
For instance, if you constantly have to rummage through most of your papers, keeping them organized on top of your desk may be a good idea. If this describes you, then you don’t have to get a filing cabinet. If you only use two or three pens, you don’t have to buy a cup holder.
Whittling down to only a few organizational items reduces clutter and frees up extra space to decongest your home office. Organize your works space to work for your particular case in the long term. Don’t get sucked into the organizational hype and get a lot of stuff you don’t actually need.
Don’t Forget the Lighting
Any office space with inadequate lighting is dull and listless. A dull working space doesn’t really do much for productivity nor your outlook towards life. That’s why you need to ensure that your home office has adequate lighting for increased productivity and cheerfulness.
Make sure your office gets as much natural light as possible, but make sure you have a lamp if the natural light falls short. While light is good for productivity, too much light could actually hurt productivity. Sterile fluorescents are terrible for your mood, which consequently reduces productivity.
A little ambient lighting never hurt anyone. If you want to have a short break, you can switch off the “work lights” and let the ambient lighting do its magic. For office lighting, less is more; as long as you can see your work, that’s all the lighting you need.
Make Use of the Vertical Space
Your home office is minimal space, but you can make the most of it. That means you can have all the décor and organizational solutions you want, and the secret is to elevate your thinking.
First, maximize the upper portion of your walls by hanging all the lovely artwork you have. Just don’t take too much from the rest of the house. Get a bit creative and playful with what you hang; after all, it’s YOUR home office.
Floating shelves are an excellent addition to any home office. Not only do they look good, but they’re also convenient. You can stack all your important books and files on these floating shelves and declutter your space.
Apart from floating shelves, you can also consider open cabinets to help with organization. Inside them, you can keep colorful books and a few tchotchkes for a bit of pizzazz. Anything goes when it comes to your home office’s wall.
Look at your home office walls as your canvas. Getas creative as you want and fill it with all kinds of fixtures and décor. However, leave a bit of open wall space; don’t overdo it.
Eliminate the Cords
Most home offices are notorious for having tangled cords all over the place. It’s not easy dealing with so much electrical equipment, but cord clutter is something your home office can’t afford to have. Cords are also an eyesore and only hurt the aesthetic value of your home office.
The good news is that you don’t have to deal with cord clutter at all. Getting rid of cord clutter is as easy as pie, and here’s how you do it.
- Use a Box- Fing a cardboard box that looks good and cut a hole in its’ back. This hole is where all the cables can go through.
- Use a Powestrip- You can mount a powerstrip on the back or under your desk. Plug all your electrical devices on the power strip away from sight.
- Use cable ties- For all the cables attached to the power strip, use cable ties to secure these cables. Also, use cable hooks to wrangle the cables that you connect to the power strip.
Doing the above helps organize and keep the cables out of sight. Eliminating the cables goes a long way in keeping your office organized, clean, and bright.
Make It Homey
Although it’s your office, don’t forget it’s also home. That said, try to make your home office as homey and as cozy as you possibly can. There are plenty of ways you can do so, like:
- Adding a plush rug on your floor
- Get a cozy and colorful throw for your office chair
- Add a few office plants and flowers to get in touch with nature
- Add an accent chair for décor and for your guests to sit
There are many ways you can make your office home, so don’t limit yourself. However, just like with your walls, don’t overdo it. Getting a 43-inch TV for your home office is more than overdoing it.
Define the Spaces
Define areas of your workspace if your office is part of a larger space like your bedroom. You can use wallpaper and paint to define your home office from other areas of your room. However, to up the ante, you can use room dividers and portable partitions.
Room dividers and portable partitions are more effective because they act like solid walls to carve out your home office. Apart from isolating your office space. They are also great for keeping distractions at bay.
Define your working area and your leisure areas so that the two don’t intertwine. Doing so helps you focus, especially if you have actual office partitions.
Try Different Layouts
Move stuff around and try different layouts for your furniture and décor. However, before you can start moving stuff around, you first need to declutter your home office. Once you get rid of all the clutter, move everything to one side of the room and start visualizing.
Alternatively, you can remove everything from your home office to have a blank canvas for you to work with. You’ll probably need a helping hand, so get your family involved to make it easier and more fun.
Picture the perfect home office, of course, work with what’s available. You’re free to grab a few ideas from interior design websites and magazines. Once you have something in mind, start actualizing the idea.
You can do this as many times as you want until you have the perfect home office. Don’t forget to leave a little space for movement.
Make It Yours
Your home office is exactly that- yours. As such, make it feel like your space in any way you can. This basically means go full throttle with the décor as long as it matches your style.
Another tip, make sure you keep inspiration insight. This means make sure the things that matter to you are visible, like pictures of your children or that award you got last year. Doing so can give you the extra morale you need when work gets a bit tiring.
Home Office Makeover Done the Right Way
You don’t have to scratch your head over a home office makeover. The above information should be sufficient to give your home the makeover it deserves without breaking the bank. That way, you can have a beautiful and productive space to make ends meet.
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