Christine Markatos Design Spotlight: Inspiring Home Offices

May 10, 2020

Now more than ever it is important to keep feeling inspired, both in our personal ventures and in our work life.  It is easy to fall into repetitive routines when working from home, and refreshing your home office is a great way to shake things up to get the creativity flowing.  A home office has to be really functional and should reflect your personal style and be representative of who you are like the rest of your home.  Starting from a place of functionality is important, so here are the basics to build the foundation so you know you are off on the right path to an inspiring home office.  

Create a Space that Inspires Productivity

Designing an office that you actually enjoy being in is a great first step toward a productive workspace, so keep things that you love in mind when setting out the concept for your home office.  Mix in personal items like favorite treasures you’ve collected or coffee table books you love to take inspiration from.  Add a pin board where you can   stay organized and also to pin items that just inspire you like beautiful images or quotes.  Other organization tools like desk accessories and filing cabinets both keep your workspace neat and can be attractive to set the tone for your office.  Try facing a window if possible, for a beautiful view of nature and some fresh air to keep you alert and productive while busy with work.

Choose the Right Paint Color

There are two different directions to go when picking paint color for an office, and either way it’s a very important decision to set the mood of the space.  Opting for a soothing light blue will create a serene and calm atmosphere to help with focus.  But if you thrive in a more upbeat environment, a bolder hue might be the perfect way to get your creative juices flowing and keep you on your toes.  Either way, pick a color that brings you joy and gets you excited to be in your office.  If you can’t commit to much color, painting an accent like bookcases is a great way to add in a pop of color against whiter walls.   

Maximize Storage Space

Oftentimes the office is one of the smaller rooms of a home, and thus it is extremely important to utilize the space to its fullest extent and maximize your storage.  Under-desk filing cabinets are a great way to create extra storage space without taking up any more floor space in the room.  Bookcases or floating shelves are another great way to gain space vertically if you don’t have a ton of space for lower cabinet storage.  If it’s a room with a closet, take a trip to the Container Store and deck out the closet in order to maximize your shelf space and stay organized.  

Purchase Functional, Comfortable Furniture

While it’s important to create a beautiful space to inspire your work flow, this is not the place to opt for style over function.  Especially if you spend so much time sitting at your desk, a good comfortable ergonomic desk chair is a necessity to keep you productive and your body healthy.  A large desk with an expansive tabletop is another important element when picking your furniture, the more desk space you have the more organized you can stay.  And beyond those essential elements every great office should have a comfortable seating area for visitors or even just taking breaks to recharge and get inspired.