The way you decorate your workspace can influence your mood.
Office decor isn’t frivolous. What you include or exclude in your office environment can impact everything from your workflow and productivity to your motivation and mindset.
A messy desk cluttered with paper and random office supplies is sure to distract or lead to procrastination. While a tidy desk decorated with your office essentials can prime you for a productive day. Your favorite photos and posters will motivate you to do your best. While a streamlined space can harness your focus and concentration.
Decorating your workspace will transform your productivity, without breaking the bank. Whether it’s giving your current office supplies a stylish upgrade or investing in a couple of items, you can redecorate your office space while also sticking to your budget.
And the best part? Redecorating your office space won’t feel like work. It’s a chance to get creative and add your personality to your space.
Below are all the fun ways to decorate your workspace.
Things to consider before decorating your office space
Before going out and buying a whole new set of office furniture and supplies, think about how you’d like to decorate your space. A little planning up top will help you stay on budget while also allowing you to design your space with more intention.
What is your current office set-up? Are you working from home or in a cubicle? Do you collaborate with colleagues or work independently? Keep your set-up in mind as you explore the different ways to make the most of your space.
How do you want to feel in your office space? Do you want to feel more productive and focused? Or do you want to feel more energized? By understanding how you’d like to experience your space, you’ll have a lot more clarity about the colors, accessories, and tools you want to incorporate.
Consider your five senses. Your senses also play a big role in how you experience your workspace. Think about the fun ways you can make your space more appealing to your sense of sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing. Painting your walls a cheerful color to make it visually appealing. Using a white noise machine to block out noise. Having healthy snacks on hand to keep you energized. A pleasant smelling candle. Or a pen with a good grip. These are all ways you can cater to your senses.
What is the purpose of your office space? Do you want privacy and the ability to hunker down and focus? Or do you want people to gather and brainstorm? A private workspace would feel more like a cocoon. While a meeting space would include design elements like a round table and a whiteboard to allow for collaboration.
What is your office environment? If you work in a formal, corporate environment, then it’s probably not the best idea to install a hammock in your cubicle. However, a creative office environment will have more leeway. And if you work from home, do you have roommates or family members who also use your office space? Make sure your office decor makes sense for your office environment.
Fun ideas for your office space
- Have fun with color. Color is a simple way to make a big impact in your workspace. A bright notebook and a set of colorful pens will add cheer to your desk. A pretty paper tray will add a pop of color to your cubicle.
- Follow the rule of three. To create visual harmony, follow the rule of three: pick three colors for your office color palette. So if your color palette is blue, white, and yellow, then you can incorporate these colors throughout your space, like a blue lamp or yellow rug and white desk.
- Get organized with fun accessories. A clean and organized workspace will make your work (and life) easier. Getting organized is a big task in and of itself, but you can make it much more enjoyable with pretty office tools. Combat paper clutter with a colorful paper organizer. Wrangle your office supplies with a catch-all tray.
- Personalize it. Just because you’re working doesn’t mean your workspace has to be boring. Inject your personality with travel mementos, like postcards and tchotchkes. Or include framed photos of loved ones to make your space feel more homey and warm.
- Make it video friendly. Whether you Zoom from home or in a cubicle, you’ll want to make sure your background is put-together and not distracting. Neatly arrange the books on your shelves and add a pretty vase for a visual statement. And keep your cubicle tidy with binders and organizers.
- Make it inspired. A corkboard with your favorite images, photos, and quotes will put you in an inspired mood. Add a vision board to your wall so that your goals are always a priority. Keep a gratitude journal on your desk to start or end your day on a positive note.
- Upgrade your office supplies. Swap your generic looking office supplies for ones that will look nicely adorned on your desk. An elegant deskpad, a stunning pen, and vibrant highlighters will make your workspace a place you actually enjoy working.
- Include your must-have accessories. Keep clutter at bay by only having your essential office tools on hand. Think about your daily routine and workload. What office tools do you need to get things done? Do an “audit” every six months to identify the supplies you never use and recycle or donate them.
- Use visual reminders to stay organized. A desk calendar will help you manage important dates and deadlines. Post-it notes will signal to you to do your tasks. And a compact notebook will remind you to take notes and update your to-do lists.
Feel free to start small with one or two decorating ideas. Work is hard enough and stressful as it is, you don’t want decorating to feel like hard work as well. So take some time thinking about how you’d like to decorate your work space–and have fun while you’re at it.
Written by JiJi Lee
