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We’re coming close to an entire year of working from home, and many of us are starting to see the real value of having a home office. Whether you’re new to working from home or you have worked your entire career remotely, there are plenty of DIY home projects to boost your work area.
No matter the size of your space or your budget, there are ways you can create an office space that works for you. If you’re interested in continuing to work remotely once the pandemic is over, here are some tips for maximizing your space. Keep in mind that many of these suggestions can be done individually, but others might require using a home improvement service.
Small Budget
Achieving your Pinterest-worthy home office is still possible even with a small budget. The focus here is to assess what is currently working in your space, or how you can upcycle to make it work better for you and your needs. On a tighter budget, it is more important to have functional items in the space over aesthetically-pleasing, but cluttered, items.
Depending on your room setup, it could be beneficial to situate your desk in front of a window. Natural lighting has a calming effect over artificial lighting, which can be quite harsh and cause eye strain. Plus, having a window with outdoor views will help decrease stress throughout the work day. If there are no windows in your space, consider switching out your light bulbs to ones that produce a soft, bright white light. You can even take this one step further and switch out your current lightswitches to ones with dimmers, allowing you to control how much light enters the room.
There are also tons of do-it-yourself storage options such as using wood to create shelves, repurposing peg boards, and repurposing magazine holders into organization files. Ikea is well known for its affordable storage and organization pieces that are perfect to fit a smaller space. A label maker could be useful here to help visually separate different documents and items into their proper homes so you can easily find what you’re looking for.
Large Budget
A larger budget leaves more opportunity for bigger projects that can truly remake your home. If you’re interested in increasing the value of your home, it might be worth it to find out how much your home is worth before starting any large projects. It could be helpful to discuss your vision with an interior designer or realtor for guidance as well. Also, keep in mind that a larger project (DIY or professional) may take longer to complete than a smaller project, which may affect your normal work schedule.
Depending on your home, you might want to consider converting an unused room, like a formal dining room for example, into a den or office space. Depending on your needs, you could install a bookshelf or two to help keep things organized and simultaneously incorporate vertical space into the design. Meeting chairs and lounge chairs are also something to consider if you plan on meeting with clients in your home, or if you would like a different seating option that isn’t directly at your desk.
Next Steps
Once you determine your budget and decide on what projects you’d like to tackle, then comes the fun part—doing it! Make sure to communicate to your landlord or HOA the changes you’d like to make before starting any projects so that you have their approval and possibly any necessary permits.
Creating a home office grants you flexibility to make it functional yet trendy enough to work for your needs and tastes. It’s great to have a space to separate work life from home life so that you can fully unwind and relax after a long day at work. If you’re inspired to tackle another DIY project after your home office, check out our gardening ideas that will completely transform your outdoor space for more tips!
