Home Office Basics Decorating to Suit Your Work Style

When deciding how to decorate you home office space, you need to take into consideration three aspects. Those are choosing the right lighting, choosing the right furniture and choosing the right decor. In a moment, we'll go over each one in detail to explain why choosing the right decor is a very important task. But first, have you ever sat behind a desk at work at almost immediately, you start nodding off? It's not because your chair is so comfortable. It's because your surroundings are very dull and even if there were bright colors around you, your office space lacked the pizzazz to keep your brain stimulated. So is true when it comes to your home office space.

It may have been your idea to start decorating the office but other things, like family responsibilities and downright exhaustion, prevented you from doing so. Do not despair! You can take small steps when beginning your decorating project and when you finish, you will have a home office to be proud of. Now, let's take a look at those three aspects of decorating.

Choosing the Right Lighting
Lighting is a very important feature of a room. Equipping your home office with dim and subdued lights is not a very good idea. I say that because you initially set up your office for working when you're at home. Needless to say, when the lights are low or dim, our brains begin to think of things other than work. Namely sleep! This is especially dangerous when you have a deadline to meet or need to work uninterrupted for long periods of time. What is a solution to this? When planning your now office decor, plan on purchasing bright lights. I'm not talking about halogen spotlights, but bright and effective office lamps that will provide sufficient lighting for your room. Three head floor lamps are perfect when used along with ceiling lights and are placed systematically around the room. For instance, there are four corners to most rooms. Placing the floor lamps in each corner will provide you with the extra light that you need. Also, placing a small desk lamp on your office desk will give you extra lighting to see your papers or books. Instead of curtains, use blinds!

Choosing the Right Furniture
Furniture is a valuable asset for any home office. Picking the right type of furniture is important, not only for your physical well-being but also for your home office style. There has to be a balance between comfort and style. Most office furniture companies help us by producing furniture that is both stylish and ergonomic. They build these types of furniture to help reduce operator fatigue. In the past years, some have sacrificed comfort for style and vice versa. Now you don't have to.

The office desk and chair are essential. Filing cabinets and bookcases are also chief components in an office setting. A helpful hint to remember is: Black doesn't always go with everything. Having all black furniture can cast a dreary and depressing atmosphere over your home office. Instead of black furniture, try oak or maple colored furniture or even some white materials. You can't really go wrong with choosing the color. You have to make your decision based on your personal preference and by the amount of time you anticipate occupying the office. If you plan on occupying it more than five or six hours at a time, then it may not be a good idea to get all black furniture.

Choosing the Right Décor
This is the fun part-choosing the décor to hang and place in your office. Let your imagination run wild! Not all offices have to have a fish tank. Instead of a fish tank, get an iguana tank. The possibilities are endless. Plastic and even live plants are an excellent addition to any office space. Plastic plants are highly recommended for every office as well as a few live plants. Caring for live plants have been known to ease stress in the work setting. Framed pictures are great to have something to concentrate and meditate on while you are not busy. They come in all sizes and depending on the size of the office, you can place as many framed pictures as you wish.

The objective is to decorate your home office so that YOU are happy and comfortable with it. True, there are so many ideas that float around, but it all boils down to your initial decorating ideas and the final idea that you execute to decorate your office.
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Rhonda Morin, owner of http://myinteriordecorator.com and author of The Decorating Bible, enjoys writing and teaching others how to decorate their homes their way online.
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Copyright (R) Rhonda Morin, MyInteriorDecorator.com. Article may not be reprinted without permission and may not be reprinted without author byline including the active links.

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