Is your home office hidden under piles of files and random objects you dont know where to put?
Maybe your home office is a tiny space in the corner of the bedroom or you’ve been working from the kitchen table?
What ever the reason, I’m glad your here 🙂
I’ve compiled a list of 100 home office decorating tips to improve your home office design, organisation and productivity.
Home Office Decorating Tips for Organisation
Vertical Wall Storage
1.For small home offices use the wall space rather than sprawling your office outwards. Here are some ways to utilise the wall space above your desk.
Types of vertical wall storage:
2. Pin up boards
3. Open shelving
4. Tackable wall panels (use foam padding on a board and cover with fabric)
5. Try using a magnetic knife strip for scissors, paper clips, bull dog clips, metal rulers.
6. Hooks mounted of the wall in front of your desk for headphones cables and cords. Consider bathroom towel hooks which can come in trendy designs and large enough for long cords.
7. Magnetic memo boards.
8. Magazine racks mounted to the wall
9. If you prefer writing lists and reminders by hand consider this old school yet stylish idea; mount a large paper roll to the wall and let the ideas flow!
10. If you’re feeling craft try DIYing wall storage made from old books
11. Wall mounted bar with sliding hooks for hanging space
12. Create a chalk board wall with chalk board paint
13. Install a peg board, then you can chop and change from open shelving or hooks to test what works best for you.
Desk Organisation Tips
14. Tuck the keyboard away with a roll away, under desk keyboard tray
15. Use under desk cabinets that tuck away in used space.
16. Stack up some stylish paper trays in gold or rose gold
17. Hide monitor cables with an under desk power board basket
18. Tidy up cords and chargers on the cheap with this bulldog clip hack.
19. If on a budget, another zero cost storage hack is using cereal boxes to make drawer dividers. Cover with fabric or wrapping paper for a hidden pop of colour.
Home Office Ergonomics Tips
20. Some monitor stands can be attached directly to the desk to free up more desktop space (and of course set the monitor at the right height so you stop getting neck pain and headaches!)
21. Are you a chronic leg crosser? Ease up the stress on your hips with an adjustable height foot rest.
22. Bling up your desk with this marbled, geometric pattern wrist wrest.
Clearing the Clutter
23. Minimise clutter- a clear space creates a clear mind. We all know this tip in theory but I’m the first to admit I have to trick myself into dealing with clutter. I put my headphones in, put on a motivational podcast and grab a bin to clear out all the paperwork and random stuff that collects in my office.
24. If tackling the whole office mess at one is too overwhelming, pick three small things everyday and throw them out or put them in a box by the door. If you haven’t needed them by the end of the week then they go to the bin, you will feel liberated 🙂
25. Hide items that look dishevelled when out in the open with cubbies and decorative boxes.
26. Keep a donation bin and electrical recycling bin for chargers, excess office supplies and that mouse you don’t like using but has lived in your drawer for the past 2 years.
27. Label maker. These are surprisingly addictive and will bring out the Martha Stewart in you haha! Label all the boxes, cubbies and boxes to find everything quick & easily.
28. Floor to ceiling built in storage:
29. Consider cabinetry that spans the floor to ceiling, cabinets that stop at standard height make the room feel smaller. Having the cabinetry run all the way to the ceiling draws the eye upwards and makes the space feel larger. It also allows plenty of room to hide away all your office needs if you’re working in a multi-use space like the living room.
30. Start going digital. Subscribe to online storage such as drop box or google drive and stop accumulating more paper!
Clever Cabinetry
31. Make it easy to file everything away with filing cabinets or labelled baskets. The more you have to think about where to store things the less likely you are to put them away. Labelling baskets is great for getting other family members involved in clearing the chaos too!
Hopefully this will stop the “MUM! Where is the ……? “ question some of us get 10 times a day.
32. Organise drawers with sectioned trays like in the kitchen utensil drawer. How much time do you spend looking for ‘that’ pen? These draw dividers help group pens, pencils and markers so you can find everything quickly!
station. It can be rolled back in to
cupboard, out of site when not needed.
33. Create a printing station. Assign a cabinet to the printer, paper, cartridges and cords. Make it easy to find everything you need and hide everything away just as quick as you found it.
34. Colour code your filing to find the section you need quickly.
35. Add a pull-out shelf to low shelves to make them easier to use.
36. Maximise storage with skinny shelf units that slot into awkward narrow spaces.
37. ‘Disturb me at …am/pm’ signage. Are you getting constant knocks at the door and kids running into the office while you’re working?
Rather than the ‘Do not disturb’ sign try making it obvious when people can interrupt. Set focus and break times so your family knows when you should be coming out of your den and giving your brain a break!
38. Customised wall calendar
39. If working in a shared office have your own designated storage spaces. Getting my husband to put away his mail…. or throw out his mail… or even open his mail is like pulling teeth! But he knows mail thats left out for week will be put in his storage space for him to sort out. Sorry for the rant lol!
40. If your working is a spare bedroom, make use of the wardrobe with a hanging closet organiser. Go for a clear version so you can see what’s stored in each pocket.
Home Office Decorating Tips for Design
Small Study Spaces
41. Turn an alcove into an office, utilise that awkward space in your home by building in a custom desk and shelving.
42. If you just need occasional desk space a fold down work desk is a good option.
43. Study nook. Office set ups don’t need to take up a lot of space. Install a bench-top into a nook with some open shelving that can double as a versatile storage area if it no longer needs to be an office.
How to Create a Home Office When You Have No Space
45. When you have no room for an office think about alternative areas like this home office set up under the stairs. 
46. Home office in a closet.
Feature Walls
48. Decorate your office space without creating clutter by using wall decals.
49. Colour blocking feature wall art.
paint the wall or apply wall paper so try these
geometric colour blocked wall decals from Amazon.
51. To add colour and texture to the space consider create a feature wall with wallpaper. There are natural look patterns like exposed brick and wooden panels or modern geometric designs. There are beautiful designs available in peel and stick type wall paper so its super easy to apply.
wallpaper glue needed.
These are peel and stick designs available from Amazon
52. Colour for focus and motivation. A study published in Sage journals investigated how colour can level out emotions and change our mood. Green has a calming, relaxing effect. Warm tones arouse the senses as opposed to shades of blue which assists focus.
53. For a functional feature wall create a cork board wall.
Furniture
55. Choose an office chair that serves you and your body! A good office chair supports your lower back and adjusts to the right height.
56. This filing cabinet disguised as a bench serves as an extra space to sit.
57. Minimise the amount of furniture you need to buy by making a desk from two cabinets. Make sure the cabinets are around standard desk height (28-30 inches) and lay the bench-top across the two. Benchtops can be bought ready made from Bunnings and Ikea.
58. For a minimal space solution, mount a box desk to the wall.
small box on the wall so are great if your desk needs
to fit in your bedroom.
60. Re-arrange. If your workspace is feeling stale try re-arranging the layout. Move the desk so your not facing a wall or move the cabinets and shelving to the other side of the room so you are forced to get up and stretch your legs.
61. To help plan the layout of your home office and check if new purchases will fit in your space try the free floor plan and office design app from Ikea.
62. Allow enough space around your desk to access drawers and move your chair freely. Allow 1.5m behind your desk.
63. If your home office is part of the living room use folding room dividers to separate your space
64. If you’re renting you are probably limited to installing storage and shelving on the walls. Use a tall organiser that leans against the wall instead like this 5 shelf wall ladder.
65. Hide cords. There isn’t a lot we can do to hide our tech (ie monitors ) but hiding cords makes the room feel clearer.
66. Organise your books by colour. This is a no-cost design tip. If you have open shelving and your bookshelves just never seem to look like the display rooms at Ikea try this tip.
67. Decorating an office with no windows? If you don’t have any windows the lighting is really important. Set up the 3 types of lighting (described in *this post*) so that you can adjust the brightness and focus to your needs. Large mirrors will also help bounce the light around the room and make it feel more spacious.
68. Add décor that makes you happy; photos of places you’ve been and motivation to get to the places you’re dreaming of going.
70. For small desks use a clamp on light to maximise the free space.
71. Add a floor rug to soften the space and bring the seperate furniture together.
72. Functional & beautiful décor. Your office space doesn’t need to be bland, add a decorative desk light or inspiring artwork.
73. Add a feeling of luxury. When you sit in a velvety office chair with a classy desk it just wont feel right working in your track pants 🙂
74. Letter boards. Make your own inspirational or motivational message.
Windows
75. Window film. If you have distracting neighbours try applying a window treatment that lets the light in but blocks out the distraction like this frosted window film.
76. Choose shutters than can be angled to let in the light without having the visual distractions
77. Or soften the office space with luxurious curtains
Home Office Decorating Tips to Improve Productivity
and motivation.
78. Add art that inspires your end game. Are you working to afford an amazing beach holiday or a big beautiful house? Find artwork that reminds you of your why and keeps you on track to meeting your goals.
79. Let there be light!! Having the right lighting will lift your mood and improve your productivity. Checkout the three types of lighting in this post “Living room lighting how to get the placement right”. Warm lighting makes people feel relaxed an d calm but for an office space cool, bright lighting is best.
80. Natural light. Position the desk near a window if possible, this will give your eyes a well needed break from the screen.
81. Stand up. Sit-stand desks don’t need to be bulky or expensive, an adjustable desktop can sit on top of your existing desk. This will help both physically and mentally by helping your focus and mixing up your posture.
82. Add a personal touch. Working from home means your office space doesn’t have to meet strict office place norms where you pretend you dont have a personal life! Let your home office or study reflect who you are. Get your favourite photo printed onto a canvas or accessories with quirky desk accessories.
83. Add a comfy chair. There are times that you just need to get out of that office chair! A comfy chair will give you the space to take 5 without leaving your space and getting distracted.
84. Mount a white board on the wall to tick off your tasks and stay motivated.
85. Or stay on track with a planner. These can be large wall style planners or small desk planners.
Get in the Zone with Music.
87. Feeling locked away in the office? Improve the mood and make the space more welcoming by putting on soothing background music. Dock your phone into the speaker and set pick a study playlist on Spotify. Having your phone out of sight on a bookshelf will also help minimise distractions, out of sight – out of mind.
88. If you find music is overstimulating try nature sounds like flowing water. This will dull the silence and create a sense of calm.
speaker from Amazon.
87. Create your bubble with noise cancelling headphones. If your home office is an extension of the kitchen bench or lounge room then noise cancelling headphones are a priceless investment. I have a pair of Bose QC Comfort headphones that I use when ever I’m in my work office to block out all the chat.
88. Wall outlet shelf for speaker. Minimise the cords trailing to your desk with a shelf above the power outlet.
89. Stimulate your senses. Essential oils can improve mental focus. Either try a blend specially for study or try individual oils targeted for anxiety (sweet orange), concentration (rosemary) or boosting energy (peppermint).
90. Temperature. The ideal room temperature for focus is between 72-74 degree Fahrenheit so set the thermostat for peak performance.
91. Suffering from eye strain? Antiglare screen cover are cheap and effective.
92. Add a space for Fido. Our pets lower our stress levels but did you know they can also increase your productivity? A study by Virginia Commonwealth University has shown lots of benefits to having your furry friend by you side while working so make a special space for them in your office.
93. Clear the desk, remove everything that distracts you. There are obvious things like your mobile but also remove that to-do list thats constantly reminding you of the other 10 things you have to get done this week…. Focus on one thing at a time!
acheivable tasks and put on a timer
… or use this retro hour glass.
94. Hour glass or timer. I’m most productive when I work for short, focused intervals. Pomodoro timer works by setting a timer count down with a specific task but this retro hour glass is far more impressive! Break your day up into short achievable tasks.
95. Switch up your study zone , have a couple of alternative areas in the house when your focus is lagging. A change of scenery can refresh the mind and snap you out of a flat moment.
96. If you don’t have greenery to look out to through a window then bring the greenery in. A UK study found that having plants in the office improved focus and productivity. Low maintenance plant like succulents and devils ivy are great for bringing calm to any space.
97. Don’t face the door! Minimise the distractions of what’s going in the rest of the house by setting your desk up so you’re not distracted by what’s going on outside of the room.
98. Slouching and sleepy? Get on the ball 😉 Try switching up your seating with a yoga ball, your core needs to stay activated keeping you from zoning out on the job.
99. Noisy apartment with thin walls? Dampen the noise and improve focus with thick textile wall hangings or padded pin up boards
100. Maximise the space under your desk, by finding drawers that fit under the desk you’ll free up space in the rest of your office
Hopefully you’ve found a few ideas in this article for your own home office. For more home office inspiration take a look at Working from home; Create a home office you love.