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35 Creative Home Office Decor Ideas to Beat the Pandemic Blues
Feeling isolated and disconnected from your usual work routines can take a major toll on your motivation. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis in the United States, at least one third of American workers have made the shift to working from home.
Since then, one study found that 70% of employers reported serious struggles with the transition.
If you are finding yourself responding to work emails from the couch and jumping on Zoom meetings at the dining room table, it is time to create a dedicated home office space and bring passion back into your profession.
Luckily, with a little imagination, you can have a functional and inviting home office put together in a flash!
Our list of 35 ideas for elevating your workspace will help you maximize productivity and create a better work/life balance for you and your family. The best part is that a home office setup can be designed to match your personal style, so you will actually want to show up bright and early to work every morning!
For employers worried about keeping their teams motivated and engaged, encouraging a home office setup is key.
You can help your team stay connected to your company’s brand by sending team members something fun like complementary peel-and-stick wallpaper that reflects your company’s personality. Walls Need Love can help you choose from a large selection of patterns, or work with you on a custom design. Bulk pricing is available and ordering could not be easier.
In this article we will cover
- How to handle working from home during the pandemic
- Making the most out of a small working corner
- Turning your spare room into a functional office
- How to organize and declutter your workspace
- Using clever color and pattern combinations
- Decorating a professional and appealing home office for your needs
- Coexisting with your new office-mates
How to handle working from home during a pandemic
If you’re like me, your vision of working remotely used to include an authentic Italian cappuccino and a view of the bustling market from the patio of an adorable cafe.
Not surprisingly, today’s work from home reality is a little less romantic.
The good news for both employers and their remote staff is that many people now claim they are more productive and feel happier when working from home. One of the keystones to successful at-home work experience is having an office space that is comfortable and organized.
A dedicated workstation keeps your work and your hobbies separate. It also helps keep everything you need for your workday within reach, so you save time and reduce distractions.
Luckily, the styling ideas below make designing your workspace quick and pain-free.
Credit: DEVN
Once you have your professional space ready to go, it will be easier to incorporate other strategies for increasing your productivity and staying connected to your team. Consider establishing a new morning routine, dressing for success, using a task timer, and attending virtual meet-ups with coworkers as a social outlet.
It is totally possible to thrive in your work from home situation, all you need is a little inspiration!
Credit: Bench Accounting
Making the most out of a small working corner
One common excuse for not having a professional workstation is a lack of space. Even a small dedicated space will help you stay productive and create healthy boundaries between your work and personal life.
1. Use shelves to create extra storage space
Ever wonder what to do with that tiny “den” in your cozy apartment? Tuck in a few shelves to create a desk with bonus storage space. Add a pop of pattern and cute chair for the perfect mini executive suite.
Credit: Walls Need Love wallpaper in “Clara”
2. Invest in ergonomic office furniture
Select a desk/chair combo that provides maximum comfort and ergonomics. Keeping your feet on the floor and your elbows in line with your wrists will mean less strain on your joints and healthier posture.
Credit: Walls Need Love wallpaper in “The Palms in White”
3. Create a physical boundary around your workspace
Improve work/life balance in a small space by creating a physical boundary for your small working corner using an area rug and floor lamp. Commit to keeping work within the “office” and save the couch for relaxing.
Simple small home office corner. Credit: Kari Shea
4. Take advantage of natural light
In a truly tight space, try moving furniture so your workspace can be next to the window. This will create an open feeling and offers the perfect position for a 20-20-20 break.
rearranging the furniture. Credit: Patric Perkins
5. Consider the view from your desk
If you have an extra bright corner in your home, take advantage of that great natural light (hello webcam lighting!) and tuck in a small desk.
home office solution. Credit: Roberto Nickson
6. Use vertical space to improve organization
If floor space is at a premium, go vertical with your storage to make sure you have everything you need for your workday. This is a great workspace idea for a bedroom office - perfect for college students completing coursework online.
A dorm-style office setup can be a perfect solution
for your highschooler. Credit: Norbert Levajsics
7. Keep the rest of the room out of sight
Situating your workspace facing away from the rest of your living room will help prevent distractions and keep you on track throughout the day. If the idea of having a blank wall behind your laptop makes you sleepy, add a fun patterned wallpaper to spruce up your view.
Credit: Walls Need Love wallpaper in “The Legend of the Jackalope”
Whether your work includes a laptop or a sewing machine, the same style rules apply in this small workspace.
Turn your spare room into a functional office
Most of us are not anticipating many guests right now and that spare room in your house or apartment might be a great space to create your work from home office.
8. Incorporate your home office into your workout space
If your spare room is currently your home gym, think about ways to make the space usable for both. Maintaining healthy exercise habits, especially during stressful and uncertain times, is an essential part of work/life balance.
Adding an L-shaped desk gives you more room to work.
Credit: Walls Need Love wallpaper in “Pastel Flowers”
9. Avoid too much heavy furniture
Keep a rustic home office looking clean and professional by limiting yourself to two or three dark or heavy pieces of furniture and lighting up the rest of the space with a white patterned wall. A brick texture goes with any style. Get this look with Walls Need Love wallpaper in “White Washed Brick”
Rustic home office accents can create a warm vibe without
making your workspace feel cramped. Credit: Vadim Sherbakov
10. Turn your storage space into a workstation
Put your storage on display in your spare room home office. With a little reorganization, that corner full of unpacked books and forgotten hobbies can transform into an inviting workspace.
A surfboard can go from clutter to accent piece for a fun
and funky home office space. Credit: Robert Bye
11. Swap the guest bed for a work-surface
When thinking about how to turn a guest bedroom into an efficient and inspiring home office, choosing the right furniture is essential. Leave any items that can function in either an office or a bedroom and that doesn’t interfere with your workflow. Then, all you have to do is swap the bed for a desk and you have an instant office already styled just the way you like it.
Credit: Walls Need Love wallpaper in “Clara Black and White”
A vintage armchair and a wooden trunk can work in both a home office and a guest bedroom.
12. Incorporate a workstation into the guest room
If moving the bed out of the guest room is not practical, you can use the same tips for creating a small workstation mentioned above. When it is safe to head back to the office and host guests again, you will have a small desk space for them to use during their visit, win-win!
Elegant minimalist workspace design for a guest bedroom.
Credit: Hutomo Abrianto
How to organize and declutter your workspace
If your work from home space will be visible when you’re “off the clock”, make sure it is nice to look at! Keeping your home office organized is essential (especially in a small space). To create a professional and inviting work vibe, consider refreshing your existing storage with some easy DIY projects that are impossible to mess up. Need inspiration for office essentials? Walls Need Love has you covered!
Credit: Walls Need Love wallpaper in “Goldidots”
Decorating with matching office accessories creates a look that is put-together and intentional.
13. Dress up your old cabinets
Painting is not the only way to rehab old or unattractive home office essentials. Use peel and stick wallpaper stripes to add the perfect complement to your workspace style. Walls Need Love offers hundreds of options that are great for even the smallest projects.
Credit: Walls Need Love wallpaper in “Banana Leaf”
A pop of pattern is a great way to make your existing storage look custom-made for your home office.
14. Get creative with pattern accents
Just like that old filing cabinet, you can spruce up your home office by adding accents in unusual spaces like bookshelves or on the front of desk drawers.
Credit: Walls Need Love in “Clara Black and White”
Using self-adhesive wallpaper strips is a simple way to achieve your desired office style.
Use clever color and pattern combinations
15. Make your office stand out in your home
Your workspace should be visibly different from the rest of your home while still complimenting your existing space and reflecting your personal style. Using a monochromatic color palette or a combination of color and pattern can define your workspace and set it apart from the rest of your home.
Credit: Walls Need Love wallpaper in “Ab Outlines Black”
Geometric shapes and bold color combinations like black, white, and bright red create a modern workstation.
16. Play with contrasting patterns
Neurals do not have to be boring! With the right combination of geometric patterns and natural textures, your workspace can bring a variety of styles together seamlessly. Create a rustic, industrial home office with a combination of wood, stone, and angular patterns.
Credit: Walls Need Love wallpaper in “Geometric Textures”
A geometric black and white wallpaper with natural wood tone accent wall is warm and cool!
17. Add a mirror behind your desk for depth
Contrasting patterns create a funky style moment. Adding a mirror to your workstation ties the rest of the room into your home office.
Credit: Walls Need Love wallpaper in “Retro Palms Black”
A clean white brick office space with black and white wallpaper.
18. Try a subtle accent pattern wallpaper
Sometimes a small change can create a big style moment. Choosing an understated pattern to accent your home office workstation will make built-in furniture truly shine.
Olive green home office desk with an art-deco-inspired wallpaper
Credit: Walls Need Love wallpaper in “Pixel Diamonds”
Credit: Walls Need Love wallpaper in “Sketch Floral”
19. Elevate your executive suite with wall panels
If you have a luxurious taste and want a home office to match, consider adding textural interest with panels of wallpaper turned into pieces of art. Patterned panels also work as a sophisticated background for your favorite statement pieces.
Credit: Walls Need Love wallpaper in “Retro Palms Black”
Black and white wallpaper panels against a white wall create a sophisticated home office vibe.
Decorating a professional and appealing home office
Once you have selected your space, decided on a style vibe, and arranged your furniture, it is time to give the space personality. Your profession is just as important as your personal style when choosing your home office decor. Your workstation should reflect who you are and how you get things done. Have some fun with the process and get inspired by the ideas in this section.
20. Bring in personal items that inspire you
Save room in your workspace for decor that inspires and motivates you. Above-monitor shelving means for better home office organization and more space for decorating with pieces that spark joy.
camera collection. Credit: Annie Spratt
21. Decorate your workspace with intention
Styled creatively, a small desk can have a big mood. Balance art, photos, inspirational quotes, and greenery to make your home office look curated, not cluttered.
Credit: Walls Need Love wallpaper in “Black Leaves”
22. Treat your desk to a little plant love
No matter how basic your home office is, incorporating plants into your workspace will add color and textural interest. Bonus: live houseplants help clean the air, making your home office a healthier environment.
Credit: Walls Need Love wallpaper in “Scribble Dots”
23. Utilize multi-purpose items as decoration and organization
Add personal touches that play double duty, like turning your favorite mug into a catch-all for office supplies.
Credit: Walls Need Love wallpaper in “Pastel Flowers”
24. Change up your decor to keep your space fresh
Pull out a few books or pieces of art that inspire you and layer them to create a mini-gallery. A picture shelf is great if you like to change up your color palette now and then. Play around with the different colors for the perfect mood in your workspace.
Credit: Walls Need Love wallpaper in “Legend of the Jackalope”
25. Decorate for virtual meetings and video calls
Keep your rearview clean. Consider what you want others in your virtual meeting to see and what your style says about you. A pastel patterned wallpaper can add a pleasant and inviting backdrop (so we can stop with those distracting digital backgrounds!).
Credit: Walls Need Love wallpaper in “Pastel Flowers”
26. Make your background inviting for kids
On the other hand, if you are an educator or someone who is regularly on Zoom with kids, you may have a different definition of “professional”. Including fun patterns or hanging up art made by students can help keep kids connected and remind them of their typical classroom experience.
Credit: Walls Need Love wallpaper in “Jungle Cat”
27. Cater your decor to your clients
Are you a creative or freelancer who regularly communicates with clients or colleagues? You may wish to let your talent shine through by displaying your art, or other pieces that inspire, in the background (like this fabulous feather chandelier!).
Credit: Walls Need Love wallpaper in “Clara”
28. Add an erasable surface for brainstorming at home
If you and your clients are doing some serious remote collaboration, consider using a calming wall mural to accent your workspace while keeping the focus on your writable wall.
Credit: Walls Need Love wall mural in “Blue Lagoon”
29. Bring in a room divider to reduce distraction
A richly styled sitting room can still become a dedicated workspace with the addition of an ornate room divider that can easily be placed to look like an essential piece of furniture.
Credit: Harmonjot Kaur
Coexisting with your new “office-mates”
Whether it’s roommates, partners, or children, you may be faced with the additional challenge of creating a workspace that fits your needs and the needs of your home office-mates. For myself, a “his and hers” office in the spare room was the natural choice. With both of us having free reign of what goes up on walls in our respective half of the room. The downside to our seemingly perfect plan: My colleagues are watching the back of my husband’s head on video calls. Here are a few solutions to avoid struggles in a shared office:
30. Back-to-back desks keep shared space personal
A mirror image home office can be separated by shared storage and a distinctive patterned wall to create a clean and calming workspace for two. If a back-to-back setup creates a distracting video call background, try a room divider that can be set up and stowed away quickly.
Credit: @loomdecorthehavenly
31. Create a co-working space for roommates using a bench desk
Going side-by-side is a great option for any home with two or more people working in the same space. Co-working in a shared space can help recreate the office social scene, especially when you tie it together with bright floral wallpaper and a central, multi-use table.
Credit: Walls Need Love wallpaper in “Dicot”
32. Separate workstations with a learning space
Creating a comfortable and efficient workspace that promotes productivity is not just essential for professionals. As more kids continue virtual instruction into the fall, it is important that they also have a place conducive to learning.
Credit: brit.co
33. Create a space just for the kids
Many parents of younger kids are trying to balance work with having their children home all day. All. Day. Keeping the littles close by while you work can make for a hectic home office experience. Consider adding a “kid’s corner” to your workspace that is designed just for them. Adding storage for toys and a craft table will help make clean-up easier and gives kids a way to distinguish work-time and family bonding-time.
Credit: Johny Goerend
34. Define a learning station with patterned wallpaper
Consider creating a color/pattern boundary to define spaces made for kids using wallpapers that are distinctive but complementary. Keeping the design simple and kid-friendly will provide a welcoming environment that is fun for them and aesthetically pleasing for you.
Credit: Walls Need Love in “Outside the Lines”
35. Choose a uniform pattern for a shared family workspace
If you love the kid’s corner wallpaper as much as they do, consider creating a family brand by matching your spaces!
Credit: Walls Need Love in “Outside the Lines”
A few trendy styles that can work for you
Clean & Contemporary
Retro
Rustic
Minimalist
Boho Chic
Arty & Sophisticated
Summary
Don’t let the pandemic blues get in the way of your productivity! Working from a dedicated home office will improve your concentration by reducing distractions and setting healthy boundaries between work and personal time.
Explore what will work best in your space and remember to make it your own with decor that inspires your creativity.
We are in this together!
