Aside from your house, your office is where you spend the most time each week – so why not make it as pleasant as possible?
With just a few easy steps, you can take your office from a cold, corporate enclave to a warmer, cozier space where you actually enjoy spending time.
1. Add some color.
One issue many offices have is that their color scheme falls into one of two categories. There’s the cold, futuristic black, chrome, and/or white color scheme, which takes all its cues from the technology in the office rather than the living, breathing human who works there.
The other is the blandly neutral color scheme, which conveys that while a person does indeed work there, it’s not any person in particular. While they do usually use warmer hues and feel a bit more welcoming, there’s still nothing personal about them.
If your office fits into one of these two categories, you can change that very quickly. All you have to do is add some color into your space. A bright red pencil cup, a pretty green blanket thrown over your chair, a glossy blue vase – any and all of these small accessories can make a big difference.
For a real pop of color, try adding brightly hued flowers to your office. Whether they’re fresh or faux, flowers instantly make a space feel more alive.
2. Throw down a rug.
Patterned or solid rugs can make a huge difference in your office space. Not only do they cover up ugly institutional carpet or cold tiles, but they make the space feel instantly warmer and more welcoming.
Use a rug to establish your office design at large. If you have room, arrange a settee and small coffee table on top of a larger area rug. If your office is smaller, you can use a runner to highlight a walkway, or place an area rug underneath your desk.
3. Display personal photos.
Photos of your family, friends, or travels will make you feel more connected to your life outside of work, and serve as a reminder to prioritize your work-life balance.
But since you don’t want to plaster your entire office with framed photographs – that will look busy and distract you from your work – a digital frame is a great option.
With a WiFi Cloud Frame like the Nixplay Iris, you can create photo playlists, which let you display the photos you want, when you want. Family and friends can also send their images directly from a smartphone to the frame, which can give you a nice connection to the ones you love on those days when you have to work late.
For a warmer feel, choose the Nixplay Iris in Peach Copper or Burnished Bronze.
4. Adopt some plants.
If you’ve got any natural light in your office and calendar reminders on your phone, you can take care of a plant – even if you don’t exactly have a green thumb.
Pick a low-maintenance variety like English ivy, aloe, or pothos, and set a reminder on your phone for when to water. That way, you won’t come back over the weekend to a sad-looking, brown version of your formerly beautiful plant.
Another option is to grow some herbs in small pots on your windowsill, if you have one. So many herbs are lovely to look at, and produce pretty flowers if left to grow on their own. Pick colorful, decorative pots to add a pretty design element to your space.
5. Invest in real art, or at least real frames, for your office walls.
Prints are all well and good, but if you really want to take your decor farther, hang some original artwork on your walls. That doesn’t have to mean spending thousands for a piece – you can often find beautiful works, especially smaller-sized ones, at local galleries or estate sales.
If you have prints or photographs that you love, buy some real frames to hang them in. It will give your artwork a more polished, finished look.
Spending time making your office feel a bit more like your home away from home can make your working hours both more pleasant and more productive. For more decor ideas, check out our post “Gorgeous Home Accents to Spruce Up Your Home for Fall.”
Bea is Nixplay’s Social Media Manager. She enjoys drinking coffee, reading about wars, and writing stories. Send her a message at beatrice.bisais@nixplay.com.