Whether you work from home full-time or sporadically, it's important to have a home office where you can be productive

Our real estate agents know that a home office that's functional and appealing optimizes your workflow and encourages creativity.

After working from home for a while, has your home office started to feel stale? Refresh your workspace by following these tips.

8 Ways to Update Your Home Office

• Optimize Your Space
  Before you focus on your home office's style and aesthetics, make sure that it has everything you need for a functional workspace. Is the chair comfortable to sit in? Do you have ample desk space? Does your office have enough storage to keep your supplies and paperwork organized? See that your home office has all the furniture and organizational supplies you need for a productive work area. Add accessories that make it more comfortable for you to work, like a monitor riser, lower back pillow, or footstool. 

• Declutter
  Unfortunately, home offices frequently serve as a dumping ground for items that we need to put away or for all our extra work clutter. Go through your home office and put up or get rid of anything that you don't use for work. If you've been using your home office for storage because your home lacks storage space in other rooms, make a note of this, but save that project for another day. Next, go through your supplies, materials, and paperwork. Get rid of anything that you don't use or that you have more than enough of. Consider scanning paperwork and storing digital copies to cut down on the amount of filing storage you need. Once you're left only with things that you use for work, organize everything so that it's easy to find. Depending on how many items you need to organize, add labels so that you always know where things go. If you're short on drawer space, floating shelves are an excellent option for housing books, notebooks, and work equipment. Use bins on the shelves or on your desk to store smaller items. 

• Add a Fresh Coat of Paint
  Next, incorporate color into your home office so that it doesn't feel dreary. One option is to paint your walls so that the whole space gets a makeover. Choose a shade that you find tranquil and that can help you focus, like a pale blue hue or soft yellow color. Or, add a rug with a fun pattern or bold colors to enliven your office. Curtains are another simple way to introduce more color into the space. 

• Incorporate Office Supplies and Essentials
  If you have old, ugly office supplies, upgrade a few items with pieces that are decorative and functional. For example, swap some of your notebooks for new ones with cheerful patterns or coordinated colors. Upgrade your old scissors and pencil cup with new, stylish pieces. Look for fun pens and pencils that add a whimsical touch to your office space. 

• Personal Touches
  There's no reason that your home office can't have a few items that make you happy. In fact, adding pieces that you love makes it more pleasant for you to use your home office. Frame a few of your favorite pictures and hang them on the wall or arrange them on your desk. Or, frame a poster that you love and mount it by your desk. Consider adding a few nature-inspired elements, like a vase of fresh flowers or a potted plant. Devote one shelf to a small collection of items that you love. A couple of candles or an oil diffuser allow you to quickly add a calming scent to your home office. 

• Rearrange Your Furniture
  If you're feeling bored with your home office, rearranging your furniture is a simple, effective way to change the entire look of the room. Try to arrange your furniture so that you're facing a window. The natural light instantly brightens your workspace. You might use your home office for multiple types of work. One idea is to arrange the furniture so that you have different stations for your various tasks. 

• Add Additional Lighting
  A home office needs more than a single overhead light. Try to have multiple layers of lighting so that you have ample lighting for all your work needs. Multiple light sources also add depth to your home office. For example, add a floor lamp so you have additional lighting around your workspace. You may also want to add a task lamp to illuminate paperwork or a specific area of your desk. Don't forget to add ambient lighting! Flameless candles or a salt lamp effortlessly refresh your home office. 

• Hang a Mirror
  If your home office doesn't have a lot of natural light or if you think the space feels cramped, hang a mirror across from the window. A mirror makes the room look larger and it reflects the natural light that does enter the room.

Want a home with more space for your home office? Contact us today to start your search!