If you work a fulltime job from the comfort of your home, chances are you’ve dedicated a separate spot for the work you do every day. Most likely in a room of its own, you are very likely a person that has, or wants to have, a home office. And yet, like almost every other part of your house, have a desire to make your home office really stand out and wow not just guests, but even you whenever you enter it for a long day of work.
Having a home office that isn’t ugly is not just grounds for slight bragging rights, it also ensures a much better mood overall for you. Being in an environment that not only is pretty to look at and calming to be in, but also something you worked on yourself and feel proud of, will definitely have a positive impact on the quality of your work produced in that office. So, let’s take a look at some fun and interesting ways you can make your home office an office you can be proud of.
Customize It According to Your Personality
An office doesn’t have to be a serious place that is all about discipline and order. Sure, those things are needed for a healthy work environment, but an excess of those things will result in a dull office that you dread stepping into each morning. Just like how you have decorated and furnished your living room and your bedroom according to personal taste, so should you give the same attention to your home office.
In doing so, not only are you making your home office a much more engaging and fun place to work in, but also making it stand out in the best way possible; by making it an extension of your personality and thus reflecting yourself in its layout. From posters of franchises you are a fan of, to small models of characters or items you like placed on your desk, these little touches will bring joy during your work sessions and also earn a positive remark from anyone who happens to get a tour of your office.
The Furniture Speaks Volumes
The furniture that you decide to deck out your home office with will speak volumes about your personality alongside making your office stand out on its own. A selection of furniture that drastically contrasts and clashes with each other will be disastrous to the vibe your home office exudes. Great care needs to be taken when deciding the furniture for your office, for the sake of visual appeal as well as enhancing your mood whenever you’re in the office.
To properly furnish your office, you will have to pick a theme that complements your profession. We won’t be arrogant enough to suggest the end all be all’s of different professions, but we will be happy to provide a couple of examples. Let’s say you’re a web designer, or work with some other software-related stuff, your home office would look at home with a simple desk that contains your laptop, a simple ergonomic chair, and a few shelves of colorful items you are fond of. Whereas if you’re an editorialist, or an author of sorts, a more wooden and darker approach to the desk and chair would seem appropriate to some, with heavier furniture overall and bookshelves filled with books. These are stereotypical representations of two very different home office themes, but the takeaway from these is that you need to pick, stick to, and master a theme if you are to make your home office truly special.
Elegantly Planned Lighting
If there is one thing that instantly ruins the mood no matter which room of a house it is encountered in, it would be poorly planned out lighting. For a home office, a lighting source that is too bright or too dim will completely ruin the look and vibe of the whole place.
When planning the lighting of your home office, there are a few things to keep in mind. For one, do not just rely on a singular source of lighting. Ideally, there would be a window to let in natural light during the day, and at least two different lighting sources for nighttime. Of these two lighting sources, one would be found on the desk, while the other would light up the room. This configuration would allow for different levels of lighting appropriate for evening and late-night work sessions. Also, the light source on the desk being one with an adjustable light level would also be preferred.
Seating for Clients
This step can be skipped if your job doesn’t involve having to interact with customers. But, in case it does, then you would obviously have to place more than just your own chair in the room. Depending on how many clients you expect to be in the office during peak rush hour, plan accordingly and place an adequate number of chairs or couches to allow all visitors to be seated with a clear view of your desk and you behind it.
Manage Appliances and Wiring
In the same vein as lighting, another thing that can completely and immediately ruin the look and feel of a room is mismanaged placements of appliances. If you need a printer and an internet router among other office appliances in your home office, you will have to place them in a way that is practical but also visually appealing. The biggest problem when it comes to doing this is wiring.
Messy wiring is a huge turnoff for almost everyone out there who may some day visit your home office. Not to mention the clutter will make working in that office a frustrating process, in addition to just plain looking bad. You will have to manage the cabling and wiring of the whole office as best you can, ensuring all wires and cables are hidden away to the best of your ability and that they are also neatly organized instead of being a jumbled mess that is hastily tucked away. Going wireless with as many appliances as possible is also a good solution.
Have Ample Room
Why does clutter make a room look bad? Because it gives it a cramped and untidy look. What else gives your home office a cramped look? Literally being so. When you decide to make a home office for yourself, pick a room that can accommodate all your necessities in addition to still providing you with ample room.
Your home office is going to look like a death trap if everything is packed together like sardines in a can. Go with smaller furniture if you have to. Cut down on shelving and storage units of your room is too small. This is one moment where aesthetics kind of do trump functionality. Nobody is going to think highly of your home office if it feels like stepping into a cage.
Conclusion
Those were what we feel to be the most important factors to consider when setting up a home office you wish to make unique. If adequate lighting, personalization, space, and the other mentioned factors are not paid attention, your home office might just end up looking like any other depressing cubicle. We’ve got a lot of other helpful articles on home offices as well to help you make the best home office possible. Check out our post on small nook home office ideas for further help regarding the ample space issue, or this guide to going paperless in your home office to further declutter your home office.