Working from home has to be one of the best inventions of modern times, are we right? When you have a nice home office you don’t have to worry about morning rush, traffic jam, and whether or not someone from the office might or might not approve of your outfit. Home offices should be convenient and comfy, but they should also be well-organized and stylish. People are afraid to start renovating their home offices because they fear they would break the bank but it doesn’t have to be the case if you follow some of these tips we prepared:
Use the walls
Even though the majority of your work will be on your computer, there will also be plenty of papers, folders, and binders for you to keep around. If you don’t want to get lost in all your materials and want to keep things tidy, you could try installing a few shelves on the walls. Not only will the shelves save the space because they aren’t as bulky as filing cabinets, but they come at a fraction of the cost. Even if your home office is miniature, shelves will help you keep things organized and within reach.
Save time cleaning
Rugs and carpets are charming and can look really lovely on your floor, but every now and then you’ll drop or spill something that will stain them so you’ll have to spend a lot of time and money to clean it. Instead, you can cover floors as well as chairs with durable plastic mats that are not only useful but stylish. This way you won’t have to spend a lot of time cleaning but just wipe any spillage. You don’t have to cover every surface with plastic, but if you’re one of those people who can’t work without a cup of coffee and who spend their lunch breaks in front of their computer, plastic mats might be a good investment.
Light it up
Many people use their home furniture as office furniture, and there’s nothing wrong with that – it’s a nice and easy way to use the furniture don’t need in other rooms, but also to save some money. The problem lies in the fact that not all furniture is fit for an office. If your table/desk and chairs are dark and bulky, you’ll have a hard time maneuvering around the office, not to mention that it will make the room appear smaller and crowded. Paint the walls with light and bright colors – light yellow, plain white, and a touch of gray will look great and open the space up. A nice lamp on the desk and one in the corner of the room are functional and stylish at the same time, and they don’t cost a fortune.
Breathe some life into space
It’s possible to breathe some life into your space easily – just add more living plants! Not only will the room be more inviting, but you’ll want to spend more time there as well. It’s a known fact that living plants make the air quality in a room much better, and caring for plants helps lower your blood pressure as well as your stress levels. Not to mention that certain plants such as succulents or cacti require very little maintenance and that they can be planted so that they form little works of art.
‘Steal’ the décor
Why would you spend a lot of money buying decorative pieces for your office when there are plenty of things you can use in other rooms of your home? You can easily mix and match different pieces to get that special combination of vintage and modern that will make your office feel warm and cozy and not just like a showroom. Browse your attic and basement, but don’t hesitate to visit a few antique stores and flea markets in search of lovely new items.
Get thrifty
For those of you who are good with hands and aren’t afraid to get creative, there are many different things you can do to improve the look and the layout of your home office in an instant. For starters, you could use a simple kitchen basket to keep your surge protector underneath your desk, and you could just as easily use an old lotion bottle to make a phone case holder while it’s charging. Binder clips are an easy way to keep your cables from getting all tangled, and you could even paint them with nail polish to distinguish between printer cable and laptop charger when you’re in a hurry.
No matter which of these ideas you decide to implement when the time comes for your home office renovation, make sure you’re thorough and don’t make a mistake of putting off the work for later. Try to be as quick and effective as possible, because, as you know, time is money and the longer you take to get back in the office, the more money you’ll lose. The point is to save a few bucks here and there, so adopt these budget-friendly ideas and get the best results for very little money.
November 15, 2018