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As wonderful as working from home can be, staying motivated in your place of comfort can be hard. Luckily, creating a home office that inspires creativity and helps you reach peak productivity can be pretty easy—plus, you don’t need a spare room or a lot of square footage either! Be resourceful with the space you already have as you plan your home office—make use of a corner of your living room or a spare closet, for example.
Next, focus on what you’ll need for your work environment and ask yourself questions like: What technology will I need to incorporate? How quiet do I need the office to be? From there, you can find the pieces that’ll provide you with the most function and you can get to work on the fun part—decorating.
Whether your goal is to go Marie-Kondo minimalist or boho chic, here are 13 beautiful home office design ideas.
1. Make a Statement With an Accent Wall
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An accent wall (aka a feature wall) is a single wall in an enclosed space that differs from the others in color, material, or features. While some accent walls may have practical functions, they can also truly transform a space by adding a unique visual element. You can add some drama with an oversized print wallpaper, go natural with reclaimed wood, add some functionality with a large dry-erase board, or get artsy and paint a mural.
2. Choose a Desk that Suits You (And Your Needs!)
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Before choosing a desk for your home office design, measure the square footage you’re working with. If you’re carving out an extra space in your living room to double as a home office, consider using a small writer’s table that can double as a console table. If you have a spare room, you can create a stylish and functional environment by using an antique media cabinet as a desk.
Home Office Desk Types
Corner desk: Used to make the most of tight quarters, they come in a lot of styles and sizes.
Credenza desk: Pair this desk with a simple computer desk for a ton of desktop surface area and storage.
Floating desk: Floating desks (aka wall-mounted desks) usually have a drop-down desktop or a built-in storage system with a space for laptops. These types are best to help free up valuable floor real estate.
Folding desk: For a more portable office space, folding desks are the way to go since they’re designed to easily collapse.
Ladder desk: This type of desk has integrated shelves above the desktop and can fit in almost any space. Ladder desks are perfect for those looking to add a home office into a room that already exists.
Standing desk: These types of desks can help offset and prevent health risks. Not only can standing desks help improve poor desk posture and get rid of chronic body pain, but they can also keep you energized and focused throughout the workday.
Traditional desk: This desk type is like a basic table, but typically includes shelves or drawers for storage.
3. Add a Pop of Color
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Decorating with neutral colors is a safe and timeless look for home office interior designs. However, just because minimalistic and monochromatic design trends are in vogue doesn't mean you can't experiment with bright colors and fun hues. If you’re scared of going too bold, start smaller. You can energize your home office by integrating some vibrant paint, colorful textiles, and unique accents into your space. Think of a brightly painted accent wall, rugs, accessories, and wall art.
4. Do-It-Yourself Decorations
Photo: Ekaterina / Adobe Stock
From space-saving hacks to gorgeous décor, there are hundreds of DIY home office decor ideas fit for every space, style, and budget to keep your space looking its best. To add some character to an empty wall, you can create a gallery wall, make an inspiration board, or hang wall art you’ve created. For easy organization and inspiration, you can cover recycled metal cans or glass vases with fabric in a few pretty patterns and add in your desk tools.
5. Invest in Stylish Desk Supplies
Photo: stanislav_uvarov / Adobe Stock
Stocking up on trendy desk accessories rarely ranks high on the priority list for many people, but investing in some staples that are as stylish as they are functional can be a great way to personalize your home office. With the time you spend at your desk each day, why not make it nice to look at?
Instead of all black-and-white notebooks and plastic pens, consider getting a customizable notebook that’ll allow you to better organize your note-taking. To spruce up your tech, get pieces that double as cute trinkets such as a small USB-powered humidifier that looks like a succulent. If you’re concerned about clutter, buy a sleek desktop organizer, or use a collection of baskets in a variety of shapes, sizes, and textures to use as storage.
6. Hang a Bold Painting
Photo: artjafara / Adobe Stock
Since home offices aren’t always in a common area, it can be a great place to take design risks with art. The best part is that there’s no shortage of creative ways to dress up your office walls and bring an extra dose of character to your remote work setup.
If you’re into photography, consider printing and framing your favorite photo for a more personal touch. For a modern home office aesthetic, you can hang a trio of geometric artwork, or you can hang a single large-scale abstract print. You can also get creative with mismatched frames that have unique patterns or colors.
7. Incorporate Some Greenery
Photo: Yakobchuk Olena / Adobe Stock
Decorating your home office with plants is a great way to embrace your love of nature while adding a bit of natural beauty to the room. Plus, plants naturally purify the air, and they have therapeutic qualities that can help improve mental health.
First, you’ll need to figure out what types of plants you’ll want. Working on your green thumb? Consider getting some greenery that’s low maintenance such as a pothos plant or majesty palm. If you don’t have a lot of natural light in your office, then select a low-light plant like a snake plant or prayer plant.
Of course, you can never go wrong with classic plants like a fig tree, a vase of fresh flowers, or a small succulent to add a nice dose of color to your home office. However, if you’re looking for some plants to match the aesthetic of your office, then select a potted plant based on the color scheme. If you’re going for a relaxed tropical look, then consider getting lots of lush green plants like a peace lily or elephant’s ear.
8. Add Accent Light
Photo: Photographee.eu / Adobe Stock
Selecting the right accent lighting for a home office is usually a task that’s overlooked. However, it’s important to consider what light type and even what light bulb color will work best for your home office. Why? Bad office lighting can significantly reduce your energy, alter your mood, increase eye strain, and impair your ability to be productive.
Accent lights are a helpful and stylish way to combat a lack of natural light. To get the most out of your office, layer your lighting to create a comfortable space that you can easily adjust throughout the day. For small offices where floor and desktop space may be limited, narrow sconces work wonders and lend a more relaxed mood when put on a dimmer. If your office is a large spare room, aim to illuminate the entire space not only with overhead lights but also with task lighting and table lamps to avoid excessive glare.
9. Play With Scent
Photo: Atlas / Adobe Stock
Incorporating scent to your décor is a soothing, chic, and versatile way to add some personality to your home office. Additionally, scents can be used as an aid to maintain focus and help provide clarity. You can choose a soy candle that comes in a beautiful glass to place on your desk or you can explore alternatives to traditional candle jars such as an essential oil diffuser, incense, or room spray.
10. Think Outside of the Box With Organization
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Prioritize good storage solutions for your home office no matter how much space you have. To keep your desktop uncluttered, use the wall space above your desk. You can hang supplies and folders from hooks on an easy access grid. This gives you a stylish place to organize supplies without taking up too much space on your desk. If this approach is too exposed for your taste, then hang shelves and use decorative boxes to store office supplies. For more of a statement piece, you can reuse vintage furniture like a bar cart for more of an art deco look to store everything from stationary to folders.
11. Enhance Your Space With Vintage Pieces
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China collections, antique vases, pretty artwork, handmade furniture—don’t forget about heirlooms and antique pieces you have. Use vintage items to add a personal touch to your home office décor. From creative shelf displays to inventive furniture repurposing, family treasures can be re-invented in modern settings. Plus, vintage pieces come with their own stories and can help you feel connected to your roots when you need to feel grounded.
12. Pick a Room With a Nice View
Photo: doucefleur / Adobe Stock
When creating a home office space design, consider the natural light already available in your space. Having the option to view to see the beautiful outdoors can give your office a peaceful vibe. Having windows that allow natural light into the room provides for a light and airy feel that can make any space appear larger than it might actually be.
If you don’t have an office area with many windows, that’s okay. You can still get the same effect in your office by keeping your wall color light and airy with gauzy curtains or lightly colored shades.
Pro Tip:Consider your desk placement carefully when there are a lot of windows in your office. When your laptop’s screen faces natural light, it can make it hard for colleagues to see you when you’re video chatting.
13. Put Your Collections and Accomplishments on Display
Photo: ksyusha_yanovich / Adobe Stock
Instead of hiding your hard-earned collections and accomplishments in the back of your closet, exhibit them in your home office. To keep things looking cohesive, focus your display in a single area of the room rather than dispersing them throughout. Why? Grouping similar objects together in a space makes a striking display. You can take the classic route and hang your collection on the main wall in your office. Or, if you’d like to save your empty wall for a gallery display, get creative and use an antique drop front desk to double as a desk and a place to display your collection in the glass front cabinets above.
