With the recent changes in society and how we work, it’s not as uncommon to have a home office as it used to be. With the higher number of online or remote jobs and the ability to keep yourself focused and without distraction, home offices are becoming a more viable option for work. However, since you now have your own space, how can you decorate and organize a home office on a budget?
There are many easy ways to decorate your home office without spending a lot of money, including using wallpaper, adding some lights, or adding some pot plants. However, one essential aspect of decorating an area is organizing it; things like baskets and shelves can be functional and decorative.
If you want to decorate and organize your home office in a way that makes it more appealing without breaking the bank, the ideas below can help you get started. It is essential to remember that in a workspace, clutter is the opposite of what you want, which is why organization and decoration go hand in hand.
There are a few ways you can decorate your home office on a budget; some are minor things you can do to add more character, while others may require more work. Whether you’re looking for home office ideas or want to make the space your own, these ideas will fuel your inspiration.
One of the most critical and least utilized aspects of a room is the walls and the way they look. The type of paint you use can change the mood of your room and can either be a distraction or help you be more at peace and focused while you work.
One of the ways you can change your walls on a budget is by painting some of the walls a slightly different color than the current color or adding some wallpaper. However, it is essential that you not use wallpaper that is too “lively” since that can cause a distraction. Usually, pastel colors will work best for a home office.
Another great way to enhance the look and feel of your home office is to add some pot plants. Depending on the type of plant, this can be a great way to decorate your home office on a budget while also giving the room some more life.
Some of the best plants you can utilize in your home office include succulents, ferns, and other plants like lucky bamboo or ZZ plants. Not only are these plants usually relatively cheap to buy, but they also require little maintenance and can stay healthy without the need for expensive extras.
Lamps are a great way to add some flavor to your room while being functional. Whether you want a large standing lamp that can light up your entire home office or a smaller desk lamp specifically for your main working desk, they can be easy to install and effective, and you can even use the ones you already have.
If you need to buy a lamp, there are also plenty of affordable options you can find online or in retail stores, and many of these look unique or add some more character to your office. In addition to the budget-friendly aspect, when used correctly, lamps don’t add much to a room’s clutter, making them perfect for staying organized.
Also see: How To Optimize Home Office Lighting
This home office idea can help you decorate and customize your office while also allowing you to stay more focused on the task at hand. Since most of the world has adopted smartphones, staying focused on work can be tricky, especially since even checking the time can make you pull out your phone and get distracted.
However, by adding a styling desk or wall clock, you can add some more decoration to your home office while also allowing yourself a little less temptation to pull out your phone to check the time. If you regularly work on your computer or laptop, this may not be as effective since you can look at the time there, but a clock can still be an excellent addition to your office, especially if it’s unique.
If you enjoy keeping the ones you love close by or want to keep yourself inspired while you’re working, there is nothing wrong with adding a photo or painting to your wall or desk. It is not uncommon to have a small framed picture of your loved ones on your desk, and since they are usually relatively small, they don’t take up too much space.
Alternatively, a great way to stay motivated is to keep an image of the goal you would like to achieve on your wall. Whether it’s a photo of your end-of-year holiday destination or your dream home for which you’re working to afford. Some inspiration is a great way to stay motivated and add some budget-friendly decoration to your home office.
To decorate your home office properly, you must ensure that everything is neat and organized. However, keeping a work area well managed can be a bit hard on a budget; luckily, the tips below can be both functional and beautiful ways of upgrading, decorating, and organizing your home office without costing much money.
One of the most effective ways to organize your home office on a budget is by adding wall shelves. With the addition of shelves, you have more space in your home office, and keeping things together becomes much more manageable. Not only can shelves be an exciting way to organize your workspace by employing different shapes and colors or making boxes, but you can also add decorations.
The added space that shelves can give you allows you to store all of your work things in separate areas, and if you’re looking to spruce it up, you can also add more plants or a bookend if you have one that suits the space.
Drawer cabinets are a handy organizational tool for anyone with a home office. Though you don’t need to use it for files, you can store other things you don’t use often enough in this cabinet to keep your desk clutter-free.
You also have a lot of free reign with this piece since you can choose a more modern look and buy an affordable cabinet from a store near you, use an old cabinet you may have stored away, or even go hunting for the retro-looking cabinets at yard sales. Again, this cabinet does not only help you keep your home office organized on a budget, but it also allows you to add more character to your new space.
If you want to level up your home office, your desk will likely be one of the things you use the most and spend the most time at, and that is why getting the right one is essential. Whether you want to buy one used, buy one new, or build one yourself, desks usually don’t cost an arm and a leg unless you want to go for the fanciest models.
With this in mind, there are plenty of desks available both online and in stores that cost less than $100, and they are more than suitable for getting your home office started. If you have a lot of work papers or tools, getting a desk with attached drawers may be a decent way to go, though there is nothing wrong with the more minimalist look if you prefer it.
Though they may not look the most exciting, keeping your projects arranged from the most time-sensitive to the least or keeping all of your tasks together is an excellent use for file holders.
Desktop file holders often come with pull-out drawers that you can use to categorize and prioritize specific work and also reduces the need to search all over your home office for a particular paper. Perhaps even more importantly, they are inexpensive and can be stored on your desk or your shelves, making them a tremendous budget-friendly home organization tool.
If there is one issue many of us have, especially if you have a smaller home office, it’s figuring out where everything is supposed to go and keeping things organized. One way to make your life a lot easier is to use labels to help you keep track.
If you have a cabinet, labeling the different drawers can be a great way to stay organized and keep things together, and the same goes for desktop file holders and even your desk drawers. Don’t be afraid to use some labels; this will help you tremendously in the future and is a great way to keep different projects organized or track where everything is when you need to find something specific.
Working with a smaller budget can be discouraging, but not everything you need in your home office needs to cost tons of money. There are plenty of methods to organize and decorate your home office using things you may already have or can buy for next to nothing. Whether you want to focus on making the space your own or want to organize your workspace, these ideas are sure to get you inspired.
