How to Renovate your Home Office
☀ We've got to make our WFH desks work better all year round, to maximise productivity and minimise indoor blues.
It's essential to create a desk space that boosts your productivity levels, especially when working from home multiple days of the week. In this blog, we’ll give you several tips for your home office renovation, to help you design a custom space that’s just as functional as it is aesthetically-pleasing 💅We’ll cover how to prep for this project by clearing out the room or area you plan on using, and setting a realistic budget to work to. Then the fun starts and you can choose colour scheme, lighting and furniture 🪑We’ll also explain how you can add some personal touches with wall art, photos and plants, as well as how to enhance your new desk and storage units with our contemporary hardware ✨ Start with a blank slate ⬜
If you have an empty room waiting to be transformed into your work from home office, you can crack on with designing the space exactly as you want it. For anyone re-working a dingy room, start off by having a good ol’ sort out and remove any unnecessary or out-of-season pieces of furniture or decor 🖼Now you can starting planning the room to best suit your needs. What are your non-negotiables? Do you spend long hours at your desk? You'll need an ergonomic chair and a spacious desk that doesn't deprive you of daylight. Does your job involve plenty of paperwork or physical supplies? You’ll need to make sure you have enough storage, whether you go for shelving, desk drawers or industrial storage lockers. Set a budget 💰
As tempting as it may be to indulge in a spending spree for your dream home office, a budget will give you a clearer idea of how much money you can afford to spend. What you don’t want to do is splash the cash on a single piece of furniture, such as a desk or chair, and find you don’t have enough to kit out the rest of the room 😬From the get-go, you’re going to want to factor in costs including:FurnitureStorage optionsLightingSoft furnishingsDecorative accessoriesDIY equipment
There are plenty of cash-savvy ways to save on your brand new home office. You can find great second hand furniture deals on sites like Facebook Marketplace and eBay, as well as by hunting in your local charity shop. Pieces that are scuffed or gathering dust can be easily upgraded in a weekend with a lick of paint and contemporary new hardware.If you don’t already have certain DIY equipment to hand, ask your friends, family and even colleagues if there’s anything you can borrow before you consider buying brand new tools. It’s worth shopping around for your paint too, as you can usually find top deals on samples 🎨
Choose a colour scheme 🎨
One of the biggest parts of any creative home project is deciding the colour scheme. When it comes to your home office, you’ll want a mix of bright and neutral colours that both uplift your mood and have a calming effect ☀Studies into the influence of colour have found that people are more productive in blue rooms. You could go for a sky blue wall paired with a comforting rug, or pair richer blues with cool greys to create a geometric pattern on the wall 🔷Green is said to encourage renewal and rejuvenation, while bright yellows and oranges are invigorating. A recommendation? Pink and green. This combo is tried and tested, and will ground your office whilst keeping it playful. If you’re someone who’s easily distracted, you may prefer to stick with light neutrals and incorporate pops of colour subtly in your choice of accessories, like coral lamps and leafy green plants. Flowers and plants are known to lift your mood, and are a great way of bringing the outdoors inside your workspace 💐This part of the project all comes down to what colours you’d like to be surrounded by on a day to day basis. Ask yourself:Does this inspire me to do my best work?Do I feel relaxed but still able to be productive?Do my colour choices reflect my own personal style?
Embrace natural lighting ☀
Natural light from a generously-sized window is ideal, to make the most of daylight hours. Aim to position your desk in the area that receives the most natural light. This could be facing the window or alongside it. If your only option is to place your desk with your window behind you, invest in blinds or shutters to avoid glare on a sunny day 🌤If you're lacking natural light, or want to keep your space extra well-lit, try introducing some artificial light into the mix. Quality electrical lighting can actually help reduce eyestrain on those cloudy days.
Plenty of natural daylight can help you get away with darker furniture 🖤
You’ll want artificial light to be indirect to eliminate dazzle or shadows. You can achieve this by using lampshades, which soften and scatter light. An upward shining floor lamp will bounce the light off your wall and ceiling, while a desk lamp will be handy for illuminating specific tasks 🔦Top tip: Do you find your home office to be particularly dark? Hack your way to a brighter and more inviting space by painting the walls a lighter colour and adding a skylight 👌Get the right desk 💻
Creating an at-home office that keeps your mood uplifted and productivity high can often come down to getting your desk right. Make your desk work best for your space, by taking some inspiration from our desk ideas below.
Corner desk 🪑
If your job involves plenty of paperwork, using multiple devices at once or access to a printer, a corner desk will keep everything organised and accessible. If you position your desk in the right corner, you can get the best of both worlds – wall space for hanging up plants or notes, and a nice view from your window 🌲Writing desk ✍
For a minimalist feel, you can position a writing desk in the middle of your home office floor. This will work better if you have a laptop, rather than a big monitor. Then, you can surround your desk with inviting plants.Wall-mounted desk 🧱
Are you short on floor space? A wall-mounted desk is ideal if you’re incorporating an office into an existing room, such as your bedroom or spare room. Take advantage of its vertical frame and add shelves or cubbies for extra storage. Facing the wall may feel like you're distant from the sunshine, but just select a light colour for your built-ins and keep the blinds open. 
A wall-mounted desk with plenty of storage, topped off with WATT ✨
Standing desk 🧍♀️
A standing desk will keep that spring in your step, whilst also benefiting your health. By standing at your desk for even a few hours a day, you can improve posture, reduce back pain and boost your energy levels. A lot of standing desks are adjustable too, so you can alternate between standing and sitting throughout the day.Alternatively, you can save on the cost of a brand new desk by upcycling an old one. With sanding, a lick of paint and some of our furniture hardware, you’ll have your desk of dreams in no time. Whether you want new handles for your cabinets or stylish knobs for your drawers, shop easy-to-install designs on our site 🙌Add decor 💐
To ensure your home office design is a reflection of your personality, introduce fresh decor to your space. That'll encourage you to sit at your desk and get cracking with all-important tasks. If you're a lover of the outdoors, try sitting smaller potted plants on your desk, and let larger leafy friends sit in the corners of the room. Try natural materials 🌴
Experiment with texture and natural materials, by introducing hand-woven hemp rugs, wooden panelling and textured finishing touches, like our SWIRLED Handle in a bright Brass. Patterned wallpaper can also help you beat the indoor blues. Go for a leafy pattern to help you feel less distant from the outdoors.
Wind-down by the window 💺
Don’t feel like you need to be chained to your desk all day. If you couldn't quite fit your desk near your window, why not create a cushioned window seat, where you can stay comfy whilst catching up on your emails, taking calls or even just have a quick power nap – we’re not judging 💤Dress your walls 👗
An underrated home office idea? Hooking up decor. A mirror is a great way of creating the illusion of a larger space and reflecting natural light throughout the room. Make the most out of wall space by installing hooks to hang up mood-lifting prints or memories, like a colourful framed print or a sunny snap from that recent trip 🖼If you love patterns and have a specific vision for your room, add a layer of intrigue with nature-inspired wallpaper. For a more unique look, consider painting a mural or using chalkboard paint to write inspiring quotes or reminders 🗒
Don't forget about storage 📦
Spring cleaning is a breeze if you have plenty of storage space to tuck away clutter. Consider investing in some extra drawers, storage containers or wicker baskets. Alternatively, you could free up your floor by installing wooden floating shelves. That'll make plenty of room for displaying your favourite books and succulents 🌵
Minimal and practical, LOVELL fits right in with this snug office space 👌
However you plan to use your home office, there are countless ways to create a space that'll boost your productivity and keep you inspired throughout a long week of work.Looking to better plan and visualise all these colours, patterns and textures for your home office? Moodboarding can help you do exactly that. See our post on how to create a moodboard for your next renovation project.Want to see more home office inspo? You’re in luck! Our talented and generous community of homeowners have shared their #PlankProjects on our Inspiration Gallery 🤩
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