Not all of us have the luxury of designing our perfect office space like our friends at Google. However, what we all can do is tailor our space to our specific needs. While this freedom over your space is empowering, it can also be overwhelming. Below we outline some tips and tactics to aid your at-home office space “renovation”.

Use Your House’s Limitations as an Advantage

Our house square footage and layout is something that you probably can’t or don’t want to change. Instead, look at your home layout as an advantage. Those small nooks, perfect for a desk or storage. Have a large floor plan? Get excited to spread out.

For Small Spaces: Convert Unused Areas

Not every home has space for a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, AND office. If this is the case for you, look around your home and try to get creative. One strategy to check out is converting your closet into an office. If you can find other storage, putting a desk in your closet or nook can be a lifesaver.

However, in small spaces, be aware of how much stuff you have. Try to minimize your stuff to the bare essentials to make your workspace seem more open. There is nothing like a cluttered workspace to make you dread going to work.

For Large Spaces: Limit Visual Distractions

In large spaces, it’s easy to fill every square inch without realizing it. However, this can be extremely visually distracting if you’re looking at your piles of mess every 5 minutes. A minimalist approach will help you save time and money while creating your home office. The less non-work-related stuff you have in your workspace, the less distracted you’ll feel.

On top of that, a large floor plan also allows you to have multiple workstations. Look into creating one space for computer work, one space for calls or meetings, and one for breaks. This will help create separation in your day.

Selecting the Right Decor

Decoration and colors play a huge role in your home office environment. Choosing the right pieces can help transform your office into a productive or relaxing space, depending on your preference. The following is some decor inspiration.

Include Some Green for Better Productivity

Whether it’s a living plant, faux plant, or just images of a botanical garden, including the color green in your workspace has great psychological effects. In fact, Exeter University ran a study that found that people who had plants in their offices were 15% more productive and showed better memory retention.

Add Photos to Personalize Your Space

Personalization plays a large role in work productivity. At the end of the day, you want your workspace to feel like yours. Putting photos on the walls or your desk can help make you feel connected to loved ones.

Think About The Psychology of Colors

Many studies have found that rooms with different colors produce different responses in people. Whether you select neutrals, bright blues, or hot pink, your office will have its own feel. The following are the effects of some popular home office colors.

  • Red: to create stimulating effects and improve attention to detail
  • Blues and Greens: to create stabilizing effects such as calm and creative feelings
  • Bright Colors (yellow, orange, and purple): all have different effects and should be used in moderation
    • Yellow: often inspires enthusiasm, but also sometimes irritability
    • Purple: studies have found that it can produce depressive effects for men
    • Orange: excitement and warmth (however, this can also become overwhelming)

Overall, your want your home office to feel like you and keep you productive. In whatever way you decide to move or redecorate your workspace, keep these tips and tactics in mind.