Pinterest is a great source of inspiration, but sometimes the photos feel a little unrealistic. The first thing you should know about interior designs you see online is that those photos are always taken on good days. You’ll inevitably encounter some clutter in your office, but as long as you incorporate the right tips, you can create a space that motivates you to do your best work every day. Read on How to Achieve a Pinterest-Worthy Home Office.
How to Achieve a Pinterest-Worthy Home Office
1. Organize Everything
One thing all those images you see on Pinterest have in common? The rooms look neat, organized and barely touched. While it’s not realistic for your office to look perfect all the time, implementing an organizational schedule can keep your office neat and usable.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, around 54% of workers have experienced greater emotional exhaustion. At the end of the day, you don’t want to spend time tidying up your space. Instead, you want a system of organization that keeps your workspace neat every day, without worrying about accumulating too much clutter.
2. Pick the Right Furniture
Whatever you want to accomplish in your office, you need the right furniture to support your work. Look for a gaming chair that matches your aesthetic if you work at a desk — the ergonomics are unmatched so you can handle your day with ease.
If you enjoy crafting or have a side hustle in addition to your main job, consider adding another workspace into your office. A couch and side table might be enough to help you feel comfortable. If you want to take your office aesthetic a step further, find furniture that matches in style and color.
3. Customize Your Space
If you’ve just moved into a new home, consider renovating your office as your budget allows. The more work you do to your office, the more at home you’ll feel in it. For example, if you have flooring you hate, you can replace it with something that serves both you and the space.
Wide hardwood can make a small room appear larger due to the seven inches of space of each board’s width. You can also paint the walls a calming color that helps you stay focused.
4. Include Activity Space
Your desk shouldn’t take up the entirety of your office space. You need room to move around and take a break if necessary. While it might be too much to add exercise equipment to your area, you can keep some open space in the middle of the floor. Enough room for some quick stretches might motivate you to stay active.
5. Bring in Plants
If your office is decked out in neutral colors, bring in some plants for inspiration and stress relief. In addition to serving as pops of color, plants can freshen up your air and liven up your work.
Just adding plants to your office space might improve your satisfaction as an employee and increase your attention span. Plants can only benefit your office space, so look for a kind that fits well with your lifestyle. For example, succulents don’t need much watering and pothos plants are great for beginners.
6. Create a Vision Board
A vision board creates aesthetic interest and enriches your mind. You should create a collage of your goals, hopes and dreams — both lofty ones that could take years to achieve and simple ones that you could accomplish this year. It’ll keep you motivated while you work toward your goals.
You can create your vision board online and print it out or piece it together from photos, magazines and other items. It’s a unique touch that will add some flair to your space and keep you focused on your future.
7. Use All Your Senses
Nothing keeps your mind sharp like engaging all five of your senses at work. To create a more inviting environment, try to fill your office with things that make you want to be there. You’ll want something that you can touch, taste, smell and so on. Making sure you activate all these senses will help you feel more at home in your organized office — a place that has everything you need.
For example, in a traditional office setting, you may not have pleasant scents around due to others’ allergies and preferences. At home, you can diffuse any aroma you like. There are apps that remind you to stretch and be active for five minutes at a time, which can keep you from feeling cramped at your desk.
8. Let Art Inspire You
Once you have a general idea of the aesthetic you’re going for, you can find artwork that matches your vision. Instead of opting for mass-produced artwork, find something from a local artist or even create something yourself to liven up your space. Make sure the art you put on your walls inspires you and matches the rest of your decor. It’ll help ensure you’re happy with the look of your office space for a long time.
9. Rely on Natural Light
Most of the photos of Pinterest-worthy offices may have one thing in common — they’re all taken with natural light. Finding the optimal lighting is essential if you’ll be in your office after the sun goes down, but you should also find a way to make the most of the natural light in your home.
Getting enough natural light can influence your mood and improve your sleep by working with your circadian rhythm. You might feel more productive when you have natural light in your space.
Create the Office of Your Dreams
While it might not happen immediately, you can craft the office of your dreams by first researching the kind of photo-ready space you want in your household. Learning DIY projects and doing small things to elevate your space over time can help you achieve the office of your dreams without pressuring you to do it all at once.
Similarly, creating organizational systems and decorating smartly will have you enjoying every minute you spend at work. When you work in an environment you love, you might have greater job satisfaction — and you won’t dread Monday mornings nearly as much!
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