Top Tips for Styling a Home Office
Having a designated space in your home that inspires you to think clearer and work harder has never been more important than it is in 2020. While some may have an entire room in their house suitable for designing a home office, others may only have a tiny nook and will instead be focused on compact office decorations. Regardless of the space you have available, your home office style should suit your personal taste — just like the rest of your home. Whether you opt for modern or rustic, art deco or Hamptons-esque, the most important thing is to create a space that motivates you and an area you enjoy spending time in.
We know that motivation looks different for everyone, so KAS has put together a list of the best office decoration ideas to help curate your home office style — whatever that may be! We partnered with Style Curator’s Gina Ciancio to showcase her own home office restyle using our top tips so you can see exactly how it’s done.
1. Pick your colours carefully
It’s no secret that colours can have a big influence on your mood, so this is an important consideration when designing a home office. While it’s great to keep your workspace light and airy (and light colours are a great way to do this) be sure to incorporate some brightly coloured hues into your office decorations to keep your spirits high. Blue and green tones are known to positively affect mood and productivity, and bright colours like yellow can provide an additional boost to your innovation for creative types. An easy way to make sure you nail the colouring in your home office is to pick one accent colour to decorate your desk, like Gina has done with our Round Large Flat Vase in Aqua.
2. Make your home office comfy with soft furnishings
While your home office shouldn’t resemble a pillow fort, adding a throw rug and a cushion or two is a great way to bring your personality into your home office design. Soft furnishings make your workspace more comfortable too, especially in those cooler months! We’re loving soft neutral colours for soft furnishings like our Zulu Cushion and the Chevron Throw to add warmth without detracting from your accent colours. As well as ramping up the comfort factor of your home office (making you less likely to migrate to the couch before lunchtime), soft furnishings are an easy way to add dimension and texture into your home office styling. If soft and muted colours aren’t the vibe you’re going for, KAS also has a wide range of brightly coloured soft furnishings to suit your home office style.
3. Don’t clutter the space
Having a cluttered workspace is one of the biggest no-no’s when it comes to office decoration. Think like a minimalist and select only the essential items to be out on display. If your desk has shelves or draws, then this might be a piece of cake. For those like Gina whose workspace is more of a trestle-table style, it’s crucial to be very selective in picking the items that will be out on display. Use tubs to store stationery that matches your décor — as Gina has done — is a great option for keeping your home office area as clear and decluttered as possible.
4. Consider your vertical space
This tip is especially important if you have a limited area to design a home office, or if you’re simply wanting to decorate a desk. Get bang for your buck and expand your workspace by adding a shelf at eye level. Directly above your desk is a great space to do this as it can help to reduce clutter on your desk and provide you with extra space to show off your office decorations. Use your shelf (or shelves) to display artwork or store your phone so it’s out of arms reach and less likely to distract you.
5. Position your desk where it will get the most natural light
When designing a home office, one of the first things to think about is the positioning of your desk. To minimise eye fatigue throughout the day, position your desk in the orientation where it will receive the most natural light. Whether you’re working from home from 9–5 or just planning on using your home office space to pay the odd bill on a Saturday morning, having your desk positioned in an area where it gets the most natural light is key to avoiding eye strain, as well as decreasing the negative effects of blue light.
6. Add a touch of foliage
The final step of your home office styling should be adding a touch of foliage to the space. If the space is light enough (and you have a green thumb) a small indoor plant is a great desk decoration. Head to your local nursery and take the time to speak to an expert to find a plant that’s the perfect size for your space and will be able to thrive. As a bonus, you’ll also be able to take advantage of the health benefits that indoor plants provide. If living greenery isn’t for you, using dried florals like the ones Gina has used are very on-trend this year. There’s a wide variety of options when it comes to dried florals and foliage, so you can select the style that suits the rest of your space.
Keep these six easy tips in mind when designing a home office. Remember that simple is often most effective for stimulating your productivity so choose your accent pieces and soft furnishings carefully.
Our range of throws and pillows are great for adding extra comfort and style to your home office and finishing the area off with one of our vases or ceramics is a fantastic way to elevate the space and add a pop of colour to your home office style.
Need more home styling inspiration? Check out our style guides and at home tours!
