Your Home Office Oasis

9 Steps to Creating an Inspiring Home Office Space

I am a writer by trade, I write for my day job, but I also write books in my free time. As a writer, I am always looking for ways to be inspired. The main reason I wanted to move into a new home was so that I could live somewhere that would inspire me to write, which we did. Our home is nestled among the trees and we have a pretty little lake in the back yard. It’s so beautiful! So, when it came time to designing my new home office, the one thing I absolutely wanted was to bring the outdoors inside.

I thought about imaginative ways to create my very own office oasis. Our home had an open, sizable loft with huge windows overlooking the lake and nature. I just knew this setting would make for a perfect office space! I’m sure when most people think about inspiring spaces, a home office is not typically what comes to their mind. Instead, you’re more likely to consider a spa bath, or master suite, or screened in porch as a sanctuary, but for me, it was my office.

Can an office really be a sanctuary, you ask? Ohhhh, yes it can, and I will show you how. The truth is, there are very few rooms in our house that I feel reflect me personally. The master bedroom and bath are shared with my husband, as well as every other room in the house. Some people have their man caves, garages or she-sheds, but for me, it’s the office that is mine all mine and I wanted my space to reflect my personality and inspire me to want to write. So, here is what I did:

9 Steps to Creating my Office Oasis:

1 Layout the room so that you have a view.

In other words, do NOT put your desk up against a wall (unless that wall is a wall of windows). There is nothing that kills inspiration more than staring at a wall!

2 Create a neutral color palette.

The windows in my space were so beautiful that I didn’t want to distract from the beauty they brought in, so I kept the walls and floors natural, which complimented the greenery outside.

3 Keep things simple.

Pick a desk that is not too menacing. Having a ginormous desk usually distracts from the beauty of the room and puts the focus on the furniture. Clean lines and simple designs, that’s my mantra.

4 Make sure you have a comfortable chair!

I cannot stress the importance of this point enough. If your body is uncomfortable, again, your attention will be divided between your work and your sore back. Invest in a chair that is right for you. You will not regret it.

5 Remove the clutter and release the calm.

It is nearly impossible to think when your eyes are distracted by a plethora of knickknacks. Remove the “things” that are not useful or beautiful from your sightline to increase visual acuity so that you remain focused on the task at hand. Try using these ingenious storage items from mDesign to add beauty and function to your office:

• Bamboo drawer dividers are just perfect and pretty. They are visually appealing and of course, keep your drawers neat and organized.
• Think outside the box when it comes to office furnishings. These fabric drawer chests come in a variety of colors and sizes to fit your needs. They provide an alternative to traditional office storage and their capabilities are nearly endless, plus, the top can serve as additional desk/counter space. Add a small desk lamp for ambiance and extra lighting.
• Place a few wall mount wire shelves throughout the space to add color and beauty. Add a few succulents or other small plants alongside note cards or small notebooks. Who said an office must be inodiated with paper?

6 Lighting sets the mood.

Whether it’s a romantic dinner or filing taxes, lighting is key. Believe me, you don’t want to file your taxes in mood lighting any more than you want to relax in fluorescent lighting. If you have an office with plenty of natural light, that’s great, but if you’re like me, it’s usually dark after I get home from work and have time to retire to my office.

Lighting has a profound effect on the mood and functionality of the room, from creating an ambiance to reducing eyestrain. To get the most of out of your office, layer your lighting to create a comfortable space that can be easily adjusted throughout the day. From window treatments that help you adjust the natural light to overhead lighting and lamps that fill the room and illuminate your tasks. Check out this adorable mid-century modern  end table with the perfect style!

7 Make filing appealing.

Long gone are the days of metal two-drawer lateral file systems. Today, in a culture that believes that less is more, filing systems can be just about anything. Why is that? Because we are no longer a paper-driven society. Most of our documents are kept in virtual storage cabinets, reducing the amount of paper we have in our possession. Below are a few ideas to help you achieve a minimalistic style for your office:

• Utilize storage cubes and cubbies. They are awesome because they hide the clutter yet allow you to properly store and label its contents
• The same is true for these hanging shelf baskets. These ingenious little items provide storage where we would have never thought possible.
• Wicker or seagrass baskets are truly a must. They are simple and beautiful. I use these in every room of my house, including the office.

8 Bring in Comfort with a Rug.

If your office is located in a room with any type of flooring other than carpet, add an amazing rug. Make sure the size of the rug is appropriate to the room size, not too small and not to big, but err on the size of too big. Usually an 8x10 rug at minimum would suffice (not taking into account the room size). In larger sized rooms – it's best to go with a larger rug and have all your furniture sit on the rug because who hasn’t caught an office chair on the edge of a rug before? Super annoying, right?

For an office, your chair should have plenty of room to scoot around. Keep your rug mimicking the lines of the room. For most offices, this means going with a square or rectangular shaped rug. Again, if you can see the legs of furniture, keep “four on the floor” (or in this case, four on the rug) whenever possible.

9 Accessorize!

And last but not least, try adding modern accessories to create visual stimulation. These mid-century modern plant stands go very nicely with the end table mentioned above. They are simple, clean, and easy to use. Place several groups around the room to make your environment feel more cozy.

If this wasn’t enough inspiration for you, check out our friends at Lipstick and Brunch who also did a home office makeover! Checkout how they used our clear plastic bins and many other mDesign favorites!

Joyce Colovas is a content writer at mDesign
and an avid lover of all things fun and fabulous!

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