9 home office refresh ideas

If you're anything like me, your home office hasn't been a place of ease and excitement lately. My home office lives in the second bedroom of my apartment and houses many musical instruments (my partner's, not mine), and often becomes a place for guests to lay their heads when in town (in fact, my father this week).

It's a total hodgepodge when it comes to functionality and aesthetics. It is honestly the space in my home that could use the most design love. So when I have the time and energy, here are a few things on my list to make it a little easier on the eye, address the storage needs we have, and give me the design high I crave for in my own space.

wall mounted organizer (1)

I have an array of notebooks, folders, and random papers that get in the way or lost because I don't have a dedicated home for them. Since my partner and I share a dining table as a desk, there's not a drawer that I can shove my stuff into. Which I don't necessarily mind because I enjoy seeing things that I want to revisit. I'm thinking of some sort of converted shoe storage, color coded leather pockets, or an elevated version of the doctor's office magazine rack.

corkboard (2)

This is something I should have done ages ago. It supports the last point of being able to have things visible. Especially when I'm working on projects that involve swatches. Paint, fabric, whatever it may be, they're nice to look at and even better to reference throughout the day with ease. But also, as much as I love to listen to my partner play music on occasion, I wouldn't mind a little more sound absorption between rooms and so grabbing a massive corkboard secondhand will do wonders for my reading time in the adjacent room.

a new rug (3)

I've recently been working on a model home and when sourcing furniture I found this Kaibab rug that I find quite fun. I'm only now reading that it was inspired by Zion's National Park which only makes me like it more, since I was raised in Utah. It would give the space some much needed life and would be a major upgrade to the small 5x8 rug I inherited when moving in with my partner. Since the room isn't carpeted, it will also improve acoustics, so bonus points for that. If you're new here, I care a lot about the acoustics of spaces. I likely would get it in an 8x10 since it's a smaller room but haven't confirmed with my measuring tape. When I initially saw the material composition, I was a little skeptical. But I got a sample and I feel much better about it now. It's not the most plush, soft rug I've ever touched. But it's much better than a traditional jute rug. The wool component gives it a bit more softness and honestly, it's not a space that I envision cuddling on the floor very often, if at all.

office chair (4)

I got an office chair about a year ago that I thrifted and love. I'm not planning to replace that baby BUT I've gotten quite a few requests for office chair recommendations lately from the Off the Grid community (I was just on the podcast)! So I thought I'd give a little assistance here. I'm loving this Observatory Chair. It's adjustable, doesn't have arms that interfere with crossing your legs (am I the only one who does that?), and you can choose to be mobile with wheels or stationary. I'm personally a fan of the design and color. Plus, for $125 it would be my first choice if I was in the market again. I'll also put you onto Desky's chair, desk, and monitor calculator if you're struggling with the ergonomics of your current setup which I think is why there's so many questions about this. Here’s the big catch though. I absolutely want your chair to be comfy but I find myself sitting in my chair for too many hours at a time. So if a chair isn’t comfortable after 1-2 hours of sitting, I actually think that’s a good thing. It encourages you to have some movement throughout the day by forcing you to get up. I know I feel much better the days I keep myself accountable to this! So if you’re unable to sit in your chair for 3+ hours at a time, I think that’s a net positive for your health.

signature candle (5)

I enjoy a good candle but it’s usually enjoyed during wind down time once the sun has set or when guests are over for dinner. Which means I have a confession for my design psychology instructor from the days of design school (and someone I look up to very much), Amber Dunford. I don’t utilize candles when I’m working. One thing I learned from her (and dove deeper into when I got my first degree in psychology) was how important our sense of smell is. It’s the sense that is most closely linked to our memory because of where it’s processed in the brain. This is why so many people avoid washing clothing after a loved one passes away. It can quickly connect us to people, places, or time. So when taking her course, she encouraged us to study with a certain candle or chew a specific type of gum and then to bring it when taking the test because it will encourage your brain to recall that same information better. And as someone who works from home, creating ‘on’ and ‘off’ times can be difficult. I want to try having a dedicated candle to light that communicates ‘this is work time’ and then blowing it out can be a signal that it’s ‘no longer work time’. I recently got introduced to a great company, Keap Candles*, and am trying to decide between their Timur Moon and Wild Figs for my work scent (as silly as it might sound). I think the citrus of the former lends itself well to an energized work day but the latter’s fresh fig is a bit unexpected for my regular candle selection.

smart bulbs (6)

I know there’s quite a bit of discourse right now around warm lighting. And I totally get it, I’m a warm light lover myself. However, what isn’t always brought up is that sometimes cool light has a time and a place too. If you have smart bulbs, you can get the best of both worlds and hack making certain tasks easier by moving between different color temperatures. Warm light (2700K) is often much better for creative tasks when you’re dreaming up new things. Whereas cool light (3500K and up) really enhances the ability to task switch and be more productive with administrative work. It’s not solely used to make people miserable in workplaces, sometimes it does actually assist certain kinds of work. So if this sounds helpful or something you want to experiment with, find a Phillips smart bulb or the like!

plants (7)

I love biophilic design. It’s something that I really connect to and I think only is getting more important in our technology driven society. And since I’ve proven to myself that I can keep a plant alive this year, I want to bring that into my office space! Plants turbo charge our mental performance while also improving attention, focus, memory, and productivity. So when you consider all of that, it’s a total no brainer to have these living friends with you while you’re working.

apothecary cabinet (8)

I’m not sure when the time will come but I’d love to incorporate an apothecary cabinet into my space. To return back to the samples that I collect over my projects, I often don’t get rid of them after a project in case I want to use it again or reference them for something in the future. I think many creatives, especially those with physical mediums, have a lot of… random stuff that can be difficult to store in a useful way. I’m not sure if I would want something wall mounted or more of just a regular, old cabinet but there’s a few on Etsy (1, 2, 3, 4) that are serving as temporary inspiration for me right now. If I’m able to find a solid vintage or thrifted one though, that would be my preference.

not your average wall sconce (9)

I was recently asked for a lighting suggestion for someone who doesn't have enough desk space for a table lamp with her set up. And my recent trip to Copenhagen gave me such a great idea! Let me introduce you to the

. I think these are equal parts fun and practical. Need a certain area to be better lit? Just adjust the arm! Don’t want to hardwire something? Well, most come as plug-ins! Want extra personality? Swap out the lamp shade! I’m always a fan of introducing a wooden element and found that I really enjoyed using this in my recent Copenhagen Airbnb.

I’m sure that’s plenty of suggestions to get you started into adjusting your space to feel a bit better for you while you’re working. However, if you’re the ambitious type, don’t underestimate a good cable management system. As much as we all dislike seeing a lot of cords, I think we often put it off because it’s not always a fun thing to do and we underestimate the visual impact it will have.

When recently surveying the Off the Grid community, 50% of the respondents said that their home office is functional but doesn’t feel great. If you’re someone looking to feel better in your space, find this guidance helpful, and want a designer to talk through an upcoming change in your home office, consider booking a Sample with me!

*Keap Candles is the only affiliate link in this article where I have a financial incentive if you decide to make a purchase through clicking the link. They’re a lovely small business that is challenging their relationship with big tech, use all natural ingredients, and have sustainability as a core value in their business. Although I’m new to their products, I highly respect how they do business and their ethics. If you decide to make a purchase through the link, you’re supporting both of our small businesses and we thank you.