You’ve managed to escape dreary nine-to-five living, leaving behind the corporate ladder you hated so much for the exciting risk of building your own company. All you need now is a killer new home office to launch your takeover of the business world.
Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. It turns out you’ve swapped backstabbing office politics and the clinical claustrophobia of your old workplace for the chaos of your family home.
With space at a premium, kids running wild and the soothing distraction of the sofa far too close for comfort, the plan for entrepreneurial stardom isn’t going so well. What you want is a safe haven to retreat to, an oasis of organised bliss where you can finally get ground-breaking deals rolling.
The only way you’ll end up with a productive environment is by separating home from office. Ideally, you’ll have an entire room, but if not you need to clearly set aside an area for working.
Once you’ve laid claim to whatever space you can get your hands on, it’s time to get creative with interior decorating, beginning with the following three steps.
1: Create a tidy working space
Give yourself a fresh start by either buying a replacement desk or subjecting your old one to a facelift. It doesn’t have to be a costly process. All you need is a decorative laminate in a light colour, contact adhesive, and some patience – it’ll look as good as new in no time.
No matter how beautiful your desk, messy piles of paperwork will quickly have you avoiding it at all costs. Keep everything filed away in stylish storage drawers and organisers, or go the extra mile by embracing paperless working.
2: Employ the calming effects of colour
Colour has a huge effect on atmosphere and mood, so don’t rush through the process of picking out the perfect shade to create a calming office. Colours can affect one’s psychology and how they adapt to an environment. Home business owners work in the same home office day in and day out, and being surrounded by a positive hue can influence how many tasks get completed.
Blue is the most productive colour, but if you’re afraid of overpowering a small room then you can always stick to a white backdrop. Simply add accents of sea blue with your accessories for the best of both worlds.
3: Get the lighting right
Take advantage of the freedom to choose your own lighting solutions and wave goodbye to the headache-inducing fluorescents of your previous workplace.
Mood-boosting natural light is the ideal option, although it isn’t always possible to rely solely on windows. Instead, place ambient lights lower down for a warm glow, and use a table lamp when you need more focus.
After you’ve finished decorating and your home office is looking as beautiful and organised as possible, you’ll finally be able to concentrate all your efforts on making your business a flying success.
