The sudden shift to remote work in 2020 made me realize I needed a home office makeover on a budget. If you are like me, working remotely from a small apartment, or have limited space, you have come to the right place. In this post I’m sharing my home office makeover and five tips for achieving comfort and function in even the smallest space without breaking the bank!
Before the pandemic, I worked from the counter, couch, or bed. My desk at the time was a magnet for clutter and it occasionally doubled as a vanity in our master bedroom. I never sat at my desk and didn’t have a need for a real desk chair.
Here is the “way before” picture. As you can see the desk was on the same wall as my standalone wardrobe and I had attempted to use a cube organizer as a bookshelf. It wasn’t working for me.
1. Define Your Home Office Space:
If you are incorporating an office into another room in your home or apartment, I recommend designating an office space within the larger space, whether it’s one wall, one corner, or even a cloffice. IKEA has some great home office solutions for even the TINIEST spaces. In my home office makeover, the small change of moving my desk into the corner of the room made a big impact. Rugs are a great tool to help further define a small space and they can be layered.
2. Maximize Your Vertical Space
When working with small spaces, it is so important to maximize your vertical space. Hanging these shelves above the desk helped further define the space and made more room for office accessories and books. Another great solution is a tall bookcase like the IKEA Billy bookcase. I used two of those in my husbands office. His man cave makeover is coming soon, I cant wait to show you!
3. File, Don’t Pile
The filing cabinet is something I use for long term storage. I use the acrylic desktop file organizer for more frequently accessed files. For those of you who have an office in your bedroom, I’m sure you can relate that there is nothing worse than going to bed while staring at work papers! I recommend using a drawer or basket to hide papers at the end of the day. And on that note, make sure you power down/cover your devices so you don’t have lights flashing at you while you try to sleep at night.
4. Create Comfort and Function During Remote Work
Once your home office is set up, make sure you have the tools you need close by to make it functional. Other than office accessories, make sure you have a power strip, phone charger, good lighting, and a calendar. I added a bulletin board where I can hang pictures and cards. Embrace Hygge and make your space cozy and comfortable! Bring in a plant (real or faux). Add texture with a blanket, rug or pillow. Freshen up the space using candles, a diffuser, or fresh flowers.
5. Know When to Save and When to Splurge
For those of you working remotely like me, there is a lot of uncertainty of when things will go back to “normal.” I didn’t want to break the bank for this makeover knowing I could be going back to the office. But in order to work more efficiently I needed to make my space more comfortable. I shopped my home for things I already owned. For new items I shopped my favorites, Home Goods, Target, and IKEA. I was also lucky to receive some gifts/décor from friends and family (thank you!) My one splurge item was the desk chair. I feel strongly that sitting 40+ hours per week warrants having an ergonomic chair and I’m really happy with my purchase.
Here is the end product, I am really enjoying my new space. Regardless of when I go back to the office, I know I will continue to use and love this space! If you are in need of a home office makeover on a budget, please get in touch with me. I am currently doing virtual consultations and contactless appointments.
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