How to Create an Inspiring Workspace at Home

With more of us now working remotely, learning how to create an inspiring workspace at home is a top priority. Transforming your home office or a corner of your living space into a motivational workspace doesn’t have to be expensive or hard work. Here are my top tips and tricks on how to make your home work space an inspiring and creative environment!

I’ve been working from home since 2008. When I first started my business, I worked from home at the kitchen table. Actually, there were a lot of good sides to this. First of all, it prompted me to keep my work space clean and I would always have to pack up my work stuff at the end of the day. Clearing the table for breakfast, lunch and dinner reminded me to take breaks and enforced a healthy work life balance. Admittedly, I am a very motivated and disciplined person, which is why this worked so well. However, as time went on, I really wanted my own fixed working area.

Over the next few years I moved between properties a few times, which meant that personalising my own home office wasn’t a viable option. However, I learned how to customise my own office area by adding accessories and furnishings to make my work space comfortable and welcoming. My goal was to have a white desk in a bright room with modern but minimal office accessories and furnishings. I originally opted for white or gold office supplies, such as staplers, pens, tap dispenser, pen holder and mouse mat. A couple of years ago, I moved into my current property where I now have my dream office space. Surprisingly, it didn’t cost a fortune and I was able to create a beautiful work space that I’m excited to return to at the start of each new working day!

Finding Inspiration for Your Home Office

Before you get started, I’d recommend thinking about what you want to achieve. Do you just want to add a few items to organise and decorate your working environment? Do you want to transform a small corner of your home into a functional work space? Or are you ready to go all out and invest in a new desk, chair, and office accessories to create a more permanent home office? Before I moved into my current home, I carefully planned out how I wanted my new place to look. Pinterest became a reliable source of inspiration for me. Seeing how people had customised their own personal spaces on all different budgets, made me realise how easy and affordable it could be. Prior to this point I really had no idea how to create an inspiring living space because I just didn’t know what I wanted. Creating Pinterest boards is a fun and free way to source ideas and tutorials that you can later utilise.

Top Tips for Creating an Inspiring Workspace at Home

Decide on a colour scheme and stick to it. Complicating colour schemes and patterns is a quick and easy way to spoil what you’ve created.
If in doubt, stick with a white or plain colour scheme. You can then gradually add colours and patterns into your decor should you choose.
Ensure that your workspace is clean and tidy. A clean workspace is much more welcoming than an unclean space.
Always remember to tidy away your home office space at the end of the working day.
Try to keep papers and files organised so that you don’t have paper lying everywhere.
The reason that home office pictures on Instagram and Pinterest look so beautiful is that they're kept clean and tidy! Also, the owners of these home office spaces have taken the time to carefully arrange desk props, books and other accessories. Creating a beautiful home office space is definitely achievable but only if you put in the effort to always make sure it is aesthetically-pleasing!
If you’re not in the position to revamp your home office space with new furniture and furnishings, invest in a few desk accessories instead. A pretty file holder, lamp or stationary can completely transform the appearance of your work area.
Beautiful stationary won’t make you write better. But it will certainly make you want to produce better work.
Incorporate different textures when choosing office supplies and furnishings for your workspace. This is an especially great idea if you’re sticking to a white theme. Although white looks stylish, clean and sophisticated, it’s nice to break it up with a marble effect mouse mat, a fluffy rug, or faux velvet cushions for your office chair.