It’s likely that you’ve been getting a lot of use out of your home office… or perhaps it’s time to actually create a home office that isn’t the dining room table! To help make your home office a place you’ll be excited to “commute” down the hallway to each morning, we’ve curated these five DIY or ready-to-buy ideas.
Need a desk? Make one!
(photo credit Seth Smoot)
Are you ready to officially accept the WFH life and migrate from the kitchen table to a real desk? Well, you can actually make a super cool desk for cheap. Make the most of your space by building a “door desk.” Thirty-inch square bookcases are the ideal height for a desk and are the same width as a standard-size door. Place each bookshelf to align with the ends of the door (you can even use a repurposed door for rustic vibes). Make sure to apply some wood glue and then nail the door into the bookshelves to make sure it is securely placed and sturdy.
Get your (work) life together.
(photo credit Pottery Barn)
Even though the days feel like they are all blurring together, it’s helpful to add structure and organization into your routine. To keep everything at the front of your mind, invest in a daily organization system that includes a place for your schedule, papers and even your keys! This one from Pottery Barn is versatile and comes in white, black and livingston grey.
Organize your supplies and trinkets.
(photo credit: Better Homes & Gardens)
If you take a half hour to give all of your knicks and knacks their own home, we promise the small, but great sense of accomplishment is worth it. First, think of where you want to store these items. We recommend getting a crate or bin to put your supplies in, like this cute rustic tin one. Think of where your supplies crate will “live” in your space (on one of the shelves in your “door desk” is a great spot). While ordering your crate, get some mason jars, too. Give each supply its own jar, place each jar in your crate and put your crate in its spot. Let the good vibes of “being organized” wash over you!
Add some cabinet shelves to your desk.
(photo credit: Better Homes & Gardens)
For the items that you use often and don’t want to stow away into a bin, add a cabinet shelf to your desk. This will add some dimension to your organization, so everything isn’t splayed across your desk. It doesn’t have to be just for supplies, add a picture frame or a small vase of flowers, so you have something joyful in your line of vision throughout the day.
Add a plant!
Adding some life into your workspace will definitely help you press the “refresh” button. A house plant not only adds color to your space, but it also helps naturally filter toxins from your area. Not to mention, plants have also been found to help you focus. Dr. Chris Knight and his fellow psychologists at Exeter University say that employees perform better when household plants are added to their work spaces. In fact, after studying this concept for 10 years, the team concluded that workers are 15% more productive when there are houseplants around.
Here are some great ones to try (that are quite difficult to kill).
1) Philodendron Brasil
2) Marble Queen Pothos
3) ZZ Plant
4) Ponytail Palm
