The Empowered Home: 5 tips to turn your sad home office into the ultimate haven of productivity

Do you LOVE your home office? I mean, do you want to hang out in there even when you’re not working, you love it so much? Or is it a necessary evil right now- something you cope with because this is the only place you have to create. If your desk is eclipsed by your kids’ homework papers, craft supplies and random mail from last month, then keep listening sister, these 5 tips were created just for you!

• FUNCTION. First and foremost, it’s about how you use the space. If we can get your home office performing for you functionally, adding in the pretty is no problem. So ask yourself, what kinds of tasks do you need to perform in your home office? Maybe you’re a consultant who takes a lot of video calls, you do group coaching with your clients or staff, or you create FB or instagram videos to share with your audience, so you need a cool backdrop and lighting. Or you’re a crafter who needs a sewing space and room to store materials. List out all those needs right now.

• MEASUREMENTS. Observe how much space do you have to work with. Measure the length and width of the room and the ceiling height. Make note of any windows, outlets or floor/wall vents that might be in the way of where you want furniture, and create a quick and easy floor plan so you’ll know where the furniture fits best. Use an app like Magic Plan or go old-school with graph paper to make it super simple. 

• MOOD. How do you want the space to feel? You can figure that out by determining what kind of spaces inspire you. Take an hour or less and surf pinterest (set a timer if you want!). Add to an existing board for your home office or create a brand new one. Then, give yourself a day or two after gathering images and do a review of your inspiration photos. Ask yourself things like: What kind of home office would reflect your brand, make you feel energized and ready to dive in to the work you love? What colors are in your pinterest inspiration photos? Is the space open or more of a small nook? What commonalities exist between all of your pins? You should start to see your personal and brand style emerge from this exercise.

• FURNISHINGS. Now that you know the parameters + feel of your space, it’s time to talk furniture. Common items are a desk and chair, yes, but here are a few other items you might want to consider adding: Bookshelf or additional storage (we love using vertical space in a smaller room so you can maximize every inch), a large project table (in addition to or in place of a desk), an area rug to give the space more warmth and personality, Baskets or bins labeled with the name of the user (if you’re sharing with kids or your partner) to keep things tidy and organized. After you’ve made this list, go on a search for these items, putting them into your previously created floor plan to make sure they all fit before purchasing, and refer back to #3 if you need some inspo on furniture style

• IMPLEMENT. If you’re painting your room, getting new flooring or modifying electrical to add some lighting, do these things first. Then order your furniture, lighting, rug, and any other accessories. Put it all together and enjoy that breath of fresh air and inspiration every day you work from home. 

And as always, Live Refreshed! ~xo, Amy