Decorating your home office: The dos and don’ts

Your home office is one of the most difficult places to decorate in your entire house. Finding the right balance to promote efficiency and a generally good working environment with making it a comfortable and pleasant place to work is incredibly tricky.

Most of us chose to work from home for the comfort and convenience it provides, but somewhere too homely does not promote the correct environment for working well. However, what’s the point of working from home if it’s strictly professional?!

The very nature of the home office can be difficult to achieve, but if you follow a few simple dos and don’ts, you’re sure to have an area where you’ll love to work, in no time at all!

Do choose a light space

No amount of decorating can create what a well-lit space can provide. One of the worst aspects of working in an office can be the lack of access to a window, so make the most of your home by choosing a south or west facing room to get as much natural light throughout the working day as possible.

Don’t treat it as a room add-on

Unless you’re incredibly short of space, or use your computer solely for social purposes, avoid ‘adding’ an office element to a current room, especially in the bedroom, living room or kitchen. These areas are full of distractions and blur the work-home lines too much.

Do make the most of your wall space

It’s very easy to forget about your wall space, but this is realistically the area of the room where you can have the most fun. A statement wall behind or facing the desk is an easy-to-achieve look, while artwork provides inspiration and mirrors promote light and space in smaller rooms.

Don’t neglect your chair

Your office chair is the most important piece of furniture you’ll need to buy when setting up a home office, so do not underestimate the importance of getting this right. Design is certainly important, but comfort should be the number one factor here as you’ll be sitting on it all day, every day.

Do think about storage

It’s easy to forget how much admin can be involved in working, and as such you may choose design over function. There are plenty of beautiful pieces of furniture that can provide great design for your office, whilst also fulfilling your storage needs.

Don’t forget to have fun

One of the true joys of working from home is being able to create a space that works for you, and that in itself is the primary thing to remember. Have fun with the space and create something that you can’t wait to work in every morning.