Home office decor ideas to boost productivity & keep you motivated

Working from home has become more than just a ‘trend’.  As the world we live in becomes better integrated through technology, working at any time and in any location is getting easier and more convenient and is a practical option with numerous benefits.

Just two years ago, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported 1 in 12 Australians were working from home. As more businesses offer employees flexible working arrangements to suit our changing lifestyles the need for a productive home office environment is essential.

From flexible working hours to an attractive work/life balance, those that do regularly work from home agree they are more productive and far less stressed. Need the ultimate home office to stimulate motivation and work inspiration? Here’s a few ideas for work spaces that will move you to get the job done effectively and keep procrastination in check.

1. Functional and decorative.

For an at home office space to fuel creativity, your design and home office furniture matters. For an office space to work it needs to be functional and decorative. First, you need to choose the right space to set up; it may be a spare bedroom or a formal living room you don’t use. If possible use a room with a door so you can still ‘leave’ the office and separate your personal and working life.

Assess the area you have to work with to determine the size of the desk. If space is tight, make your furniture mobile so you can roll your desk out of the way when it’s not in use. Home offices with an elegant atmosphere are a sum of all their functional and decorative elements. For functionality and productiveness, consider creative details like custom-built shelves, colourful and green plants to fuel inspiration, paintings on the walls, an inspiration board and other enhancing materials to personalise the space and get you through those dull work days.

312 Danks Street, Middle Park, VIC.

2. The right colour choices.

Colour can play a huge role in your productivity levels so be wary about your choices for your home office space. According to colour psychologist Angela Wright, colour effects your behaviour and brain activity – impacting on how productive you are with work.

Blue tends to be the most productive colour, but because it stimulates the mind it may not suit every job type. Opt for blue with a touch of orange to balance out the colours in your space. Green is great for balancing too and promoting calmness, whilst yellow is ideal for creativity. Your colour choice and what works best for you will depend on what you need to be productive in your line of work.

3. Keep distractions away.

One of the downfalls of working from home is there tends to be more distractions. You don’t want to get caught up watching TV, preparing dinners for the week or chatting on the phone to your best friend. Whilst it won’t be possible to completely separate your work and personal life because your office is in your home, you can make sure you create a specific ‘work zone’.

When you’re working, try to keep only work stuff in sight. If you have set up your space near the lounge TV, you’re probably going to get distracted. This is why creating a space specific to work is best. You should examine your office regularly too for possible distractions that may find their way into the area.

2 Cheviot Road, Portsea, VIC.

4. Adequate light and comfort.

Low levels of light are notorious for giving you bad headaches, not to mention they’ll induce sleep too. On the flip side you don’t want anything that’s too bright. Keep your work space well-illuminated with a mix of natural lighting, general and task lighting. Natural light is perfect for enhancing the look and feel of your work place and boosting productivity levels, so where possible set your space up near an open window.

Comfort is key when setting up your office space too. There’s nothing motivating about being hunched over a desk all day in a terrible chair, but you don’t want to slack off curled up on a couch for too long either! Opt for furniture that is comfortable, functional and practical to get the job done.

6 Barkly Street, Camberwell, VIC.

5. Eliminate clutter with smart storage and design.

Smart storage designs are key to forming a productive and inspiring office. As soon as you have clutter everywhere, your mind is busy worrying about it or there’s simply no room to effectively work. Opt for a desk that has great storage options or make your own space with floating shelves above to give you instant storage solutions.

Vertical files are perfect for jobs that require a lot of paper storage and are ideal for home offices that don’t have much space. Like floating shelves, these vertical files can be added to the wall within arm’s reach at the same time as keeping your office tidy and organised.

58 Park Road, Middle Park, VIC.