How to Spruce Up Your Home Office Without Buying Anything New

Nowadays, more and more people are spending their weekdays working from home. While some have a dedicated room, others might be creating office space from the corner of their living room, dining area, or bedroom. Ultimately, you need a space where you can get work done, but giving that area a pick-me-up can really lead to more inspired thinking on the job. Here are some ways to spruce up your home office with the things you already have.

DECORATE

Giving your space a little life can lift your attitude and make working from home more enjoyable. Color, natural elements, textures, and shapes can all help enhance the look of your office.

Add greenery.

Indoor plants help clean the air and provide an instant mood boost, but you don’t have to rush to the nearest nursery. Pick flowers from your outdoor garden, trim ivy and bushes, or collect small branches. The fake plants sitting in a spare closet? Those work, too. You’ll be surprised how nice it looks when you bring the outdoors inside.

Hang a gallery wall.

Anything goes with a gallery wall. While a color scheme can help pull the look together, mixing and matching your kid’s artwork, favorite photos, and unused wall décor can make it imperfectly perfect. Frame what you can, but don’t force it.

Borrow from other rooms.

Raid your storage closet, garage, or shed, and shop your home for anything you can find to beautify your office space. Mirrors, lamps, decorative pillows, throws, and chairs can all contribute to a better-functioning workplace.

Turn paper into something pretty.

Adding framed paper products is a great way to give a blank wall some character. Recycle old magazines, wrapping paper, newspapers, and books by framing interesting pictures and prose.

ORGANIZE

Cleanliness is so important when it comes to your office. A clean, clutter-free space can help ease stress and increase focus. You can use what you already have to organize your area to the fullest.

Gather containers.

Spare baskets, boxes, vases, and mason jars can all serve a purpose. Use baskets and boxes to organize files. Vases and mason jars can be used for decorative plants and flowers, or to store pens, highlighters, and more.

Color file folders.

Color coding your filing system promotes efficiency and gives your space a pop. Get creative and use finger paints, markers, highlighters, food dyes, or colorful post-it notes in hues that appeal to you.

Compartmentalize.

Organizing your catch-all drawer can make all the difference. Tuna cans make the perfect small compartments to house your paperclips, thumbtacks, rubber bands, and spare change.

STASH

Sometimes moving things out of sight can make a significant impact. Don’t let your office space become the storage closet. Remove, toss, or sell the extra clutter to make room for useful things.

Hide cords.

Hiding cords or tacking them to the baseboard makes the room look cleaner, and it’ll be safer to move around too.

Group accessories.

Create a matching desk accessory set by painting or decorating mason jars, vases, and tin cans. Use the set to store pens and other quick-grab items on your desk while keeping your space tidy.