If your home office is your full-time workplace, or if you only work from home a few days a week, in the evenings, or on weekends, having a work space that's organized and fosters creativity and productivity is probably your biggest goal.
Are you looking to upgrade your home office with a minimal investment?
Real estate pros and design experts shared tips and fascinating insights on how to improve your work-from-home experience for under $250.
Check them out and see if these ideas can bring some interesting changes to your work from home space.
1. Upgrade your walls
To spark your creativity, consider painting the walls a new color.
It can be a weekend project with a relatively small investment.
Or maybe you could try a more creative approach.
“Pick one wall and paint it a bold, vibrant color that matches your office décor,” says Ben Gold, founder of Recommended Home Buyers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Here's how to upgrade your home office with purchases under $250, according to experts. Shutterstock
Gold also recommends considering peel-off wallpaper to create a trendy accent wall without using paint.
2. Replace your office chair
Research shows that using the wrong office chair can have a huge impact on your musculoskeletal health long after your shift is over.
Considering both design and functionality, it may be time to buy a new chair.
“Replace your current desk chair with one that's colorful and ergonomic, or add brightly patterned cushions to your current chair to improve comfort and style,” Gold says.
He noted that while shopping online is a great way to get a good price, you might get better results if you actually try on the chair for size.
The wrong office chair can have a negative impact on your musculoskeletal health. Shutterstock
3. Add some greenery
Mina Lisanin, interior designer and founder of ML Interiors in New York City, recommends considering incorporating plants and succulents to bring vibrancy and freshness to your office.
“Not only do plants enhance aesthetics, they can also improve air quality and reduce stress,” she said.
4. Reuse existing furniture
If you need more storage space in your home office, save money by using what you already have.
“Find unused furniture elsewhere in your home and repurpose it into an office,” suggests Lisanin.
For example, she says, small side tables, bookcases and old chairs can all be transformed into functional office elements with a little creativity.
5. Update your lighting
One of the most important aspects of a home office is lighting.
Experts say a quick trip to a home improvement or hardware store and a small investment can brighten up your home office environment.
“Replace your old, boring desk lamp with an energy-efficient LED lamp,” Lisanin told FOX Business.
“Proper lighting is essential for a productive workplace, and LED bulbs save energy and last longer.”
6. Enhance your window treatments
Lisanin recommends dressing your windows with affordable curtains or blinds that fit the overall theme of your office.
The choice of fabrics and designs allows you to incorporate your own design preferences, and these upgrades can be completed in less than a day.
Experts say having plants in your home office “improves air quality and reduces stress.” Shutterstock
“Light and privacy can also be controlled with the right window treatments,” she says.
7. Customize your walls
Brinda Dhanabalan, design expert and CEO of All Cotton & Linen, Fremont, California, suggests elevating your home office with affordable wall art, decals and motivational posters that inspire creativity and productivity.
Additionally, using a whiteboard or corkboard is a good idea, she said.
“Hang up a whiteboard for quick notes and brainstorming, and a corkboard to pin up important reminders and tasks,” says Dhanabalan.