Working from home provides a certain amount of freedom that you just don’t get in a corporate environment. However, as great as working out of a home office can be, there are definitely some hurdles.

Individuals who work from home often feel the effects of isolation. A recent United Nations study found that remote workers experience high levels of stress and even insomnia. These two health factors could easily have a negative impact on your productivity.

It’s crucial that you fight cabin fever by getting out of your home and away from your desk on a regular basis. But there are also things you can do to your office to help boost your motivation.

That’s right. With a few designs modifications, you can turn your home office into a more inspiring environment and increase your output.

Let’s look at some great small office decorating ideas.

Lighting Solutions

The way you light your office has a huge impact on the way you feel, both physically and mentally. Obviously, you need ample lighting in your office, but if you’re using fluorescent lights, they could be doing more harm than good.

There are a number of possible side-effects of fluorescent bulbs. They may cause headaches, eye strain, and may even increase stress.

Instead, try to utilize as much natural light as possible. It’s important that your office has windows and that you’re opening the shades or blinds to let light in. You may even want to keep the door to your office open as well.

If you don’t get much natural light, you’ll need to make some changes. A dark office could potentially cause depression or fatigue, which will affect your productivity.

Consider ambient overhead lighting and avoid harsh fluorescent bulbs.

Try a Minimal Look

Minimalism is one of the small office decorating ideas many people use today. Aside from an attractive aesthetic appeal, this design trend helps boost productivity.

Clutter in your workspace often translates to clutter in your mind. If your office is packed with things like unneeded furniture, stacks of old mail, or household items, it’s time to purge. Remember, this your office, not a storage space.

Go through your office and only keep the things you absolutely need. This will open up the look and feel of the room and allow for additional design ideas.

Organize all essential work materials and label shelves and file cabinets so you have easy access to everything. This will help streamline your workflow.

Invest in a work desk and ergonomic chair with a sleek design. You’ll quickly find being in your office much more pleasant.

Apply a Scent

The great thing about working from home is you have complete control of the atmosphere in your office. You have the freedom to look, sound, and even smell the way you want.

Essential oils are great for enhancing your mood and keeping your productivity up. Try placing an oil diffuser on a table near your desk and use your favorite oils while you work.

The sound of a diffuser is also very calming and helps add to the vibe you’re going for. There are countless diffusers on the market and most are quite inexpensive.

You could also add a few candles to your workspace to create a nice scent and peaceful atmosphere. If you like incense, burn some when you’re feeling unmotivated.

Color Counts

Small office decorating ideas wouldn’t be complete without discussing the colors used in your office. Color has a profound effect on your mood and can even help with productivity.

It’s important to note that any color change you make, especially painting your walls, should be subtle. Avoid bright and overwhelming tones.

If you have bland walls in your office, you may want to consider a soft blue or green color. These colors help promote focus and productivity. They also create a sense of well-being.

Aside from painting your walls, consider adding more color with wall art. Pod Exhibition display boards of a matching color work great if you have clients in your home office to discuss concepts.

Adding a plant will bring some natural colors to the room and also create a welcoming vibe.

Create Separation

When working from home, you need to create a certain amount of separation between your office and the rest of your living space. This helps create a distinction between work and relaxation. There are some small office decorating ideas that can help with this.

First, try making your office look completely different from the rest of your home. Add design elements like framed pictures or even a piece of furniture that stands out from the rest of your home.

It also helps to change up your office from time to time. You probably spend a lot of time in there, so it helps to keep it fresh. If your office has a stale and dull look, it can hurt your productivity.

Rearrange the position of your desk and surrounding furniture every three to four months. It may surprise you how much this affects your attitude when starting work each day.

Pay Attention to Air Quality

Remote workers often spend most of their time at home. It’s easy to forget that air pollution comes into your living space and gets into your air conditioning system.

Make sure you keep a clean filter on your AC unit at all times. Bad air quality leads to illness and fatigue, which wreaks havoc on your productivity.

Consider adding a desk fan or a small air filter to your office. You should also open the window from time to time to let in some fresh air.

If your office doesn’t have one, consider installing a nice ceiling fan. This helps with air circulation and may even improve the aesthetic element of the room.

Which Small Office Decorating Ideas Will You Use?

Whether you’re freelance or work for your company remotely, there’s a good chance you spend over forty hours a week in your home office. It stands to reason that it should look and feel exactly how you want it.

Using your favorite decoration ideas discussed above will help boost productivity and create a general sense of well-being while you work.

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