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If you're lucky enough to have the option to work from home, that's a huge perk of the job, but did you know how to make it even better? By creating home office decor that reflects your personality, fosters creativity, and supports productivity.
Whether you run your business from an apartment or just need some space to catch up on your long to-do list on the weekend, the office decor ideas below will inspire you to design your dream workspace — and hopefully, slay that messy inbox!
1. Free up as much space as possible.
This 400-square-foot home in Lincoln Park, Illinois, may be small, but this artfully decorated nook provides a spot for basic home office tasks. Hanging baskets keep a desk in the corner of the kitchen clutter-free. As you can see, taking advantage of vertical space can be a great way to do so.
2. Place in front of a window.
Natural light makes any task feel less boring, so set up your home office desk directly in front of a window to connect with nature while you work. We love the setup of this New York City apartment.
3. Incorporate bold colors.
Take some home office decor ideas from this colorful Michigan home office, which uses bold blues and yellows to make their home office a peaceful retreat rather than a mundane, everyday task.
4. Add functionality to unused space.
This Detroit home office takes advantage of a small landing space. By adding a slim white desk and a simple white chair, they found that the landing still had enough room to work productively.
5. Create a calm color scheme
Blogger Taylor Brown's home office is a beautiful mix of mostly black, white, gold and grey pieces, with modern accessories like our favourite rattan pendant light, IKEA's SINNERLIG, and a globe desk lamp. If you prefer muted colours, soft grey walls are the way to go. If you get bored of this chic, monochromatic look, you can add some drama with colourful accessories.
Add a pop of color to a wall or the area behind your computer, like blogger Christene Holder did in her workspace. You'll thank yourself later when you're not staring at a drab background all day. A little color can make a big difference in sparking inspiration and creativity. And if you want to really streamline your space, enclosed cabinets are a great choice. Holder combined drawers with a tall, almost pantry-sized cabinet in two colors.
Here are some easy things you can do to give your office a more sophisticated feel. Blogger Maria Vizuete limited her design to a black and white palette, and created a symmetrical arrangement with two chairs, two potted plants, and two mirrors behind them. Placing an extra chair in front of your desk makes it easy to hold meetings in your home workspace. And don't underestimate the impact of a few well-placed mirrors, especially if you don't have many windows. These large checkered mirrors on either side of your desk really brighten up the space and add visual interest.
Karen from Sanctuary Home Decor places her desk in front of a window in her office, allowing sunlight to stream in as she works on her blog and design projects. Try different layout configurations to find what works best for you and your work preferences. Your desk doesn't necessarily have to be against the wall; you might want to float it in the middle of the room or place it in a sunny corner.
Blogger Stacey Reisenmay's home office is full of open shelves, and her secret to staying as organized as hers is bins and baskets. You can use a mix of open and closed shelves of different sizes, as shown in the photo above, but make sure each item matches the palette (in this case, black, white, and brown) to create a visually cohesive look.
10. Create contrast in color and texture on your walls
Even if you don't want to paint all the walls in your office, adding colorful paneling can make a big impact, as blogger Danica Gadeken (Nadine Stay) shows us. We love the combination of hunter green with cognac-colored chairs. If your walls don't have this kind of decor, you can paint half a wall a contrasting color to disguise it.
11. Add some glamour with panels
Blogger Monica Benavides really transformed the back wall of her room by hanging a chinoiserie panel behind her desk to add some glamour. Whether you buy something special or get creative with a little DIY project, you can't go wrong with a striking piece of art like this. Pieces like this can be inexpensive and have a big impact, especially if you tackle the mounting and framing yourself. Plus, they provide a nice focal point behind your desk.
Blogger Christine Franklin designed a lovely workspace with a coordinated gallery wall and a lovely, traditional-feeling chair that pairs well with the modern wooden desk. An oversized plant adds charm to the corner of the room. Don't forget the final layer of life: greenery awakens the senses and may help reduce stress.
In Olivia Watson's office, she converted a bookshelf into a bag and shoe rack to make updating her fashion blog a breeze, along with a rolling rack filled with items for future #OOTD posts. Because there's so much stuff in this room, she opted for a lucite desk, a simple white chair, and a plain rug to keep the space from looking cluttered.
14. Set up a shared workspace
If you want to work side-by-side with your spouse or business partner, an arrangement like blogger Remi Ishizuka's is the ideal solution: she used a file cabinet to separate the two seating areas and maximize storage space. To create a unified look in a room, it's helpful to use the same furniture, such as chairs, desks and lamps.
15. Think outside the box
Hello, home office that looks straight out of an Anthropologie catalog. It's hard to pick a favorite thing here, but maybe the table. If you can't find a desk you like, try working at a dining table instead. This space by Ashley Rose of Sugar & Cloth features midcentury modern furniture that seats two, making it perfect for group work. Think outside the box a little when decorating.
16. Display your favorite prints
Having a calming piece of art above your desk can help bring a little calm to even the most stressful days. We love a good gallery wall, but this oversized print from Megan of Honey We're Home does just that. Plus, it's much easier to set up and won't compete with your gold shelving unit like a full gallery wall would.
Blogger Caitlin Covington worked with her friend and designer Kelsey Heimel of Kelsey Lee Interiors to create the space pictured above. Ornate decor like chandeliers may not be the norm in the office, but they instantly elevate a space and make sitting at your desk all morning feel a little more luxurious. We also love the addition of oversized shutters as window coverings; they add an extra layer of architectural appeal to the space.
Whether real or fake, plants can really liven up your indoor workspace and brighten up a room. And get that big Monstera you've always wanted; they're perfect for filling an empty corner, as this Washington DC row house shows.
If you have the space for a couch or loveseat in your home office, why not? Blogger Courtney Whitmore did just that, transforming her space into a multi-purpose client gathering room. Her decor is perfect for anyone who loves preppy, glamorous style. And if you're lucky enough to have a window seat, you can turn it into an extra seat for guests. Just add a seat cushion or a few pillows.
Blogger Chris Carey's open shelves make a big impression thanks to their bold black color. Don't be afraid to use dark colors on the walls and shelving units in your office, especially if your main furniture and decor pieces are light-colored. The only thing to keep in mind is how much natural light the room gets. If you don't have many windows, it can be hard to pull off dark colors.
21. Maximize your storage
Blogger Missy Ulmer's beautiful home office is filled with sunlight and storage. Walls of built-in shelves, cabinets, and drawers provide both visible and hidden storage, which is perfect for stashing away office supplies, papers, and other important documents. If you don't have the budget for customization, you can also bring in some bookshelves to create the look.
22. Choose basics in small spaces
Ashley Carpenter proves that you can create a home office even in an RV. The trick here is to keep the furniture and décor relatively minimal to avoid a cluttered look. This color-coordinated, bohemian space is the perfect place to dine on work, with just the basics—a desk, lamp, plants, and clock—but with plenty of style.
23. Remodel your basement
Brittany Hayes of Addison's Wonderland transformed her basement into a beautiful, spacious home office that's both functional and stylish. A basement office minimizes distractions and makes the most of an often neglected space.