Re-styling your workspace helps it feel fresh — giving your office a little change of scenery can help renew your focus and approach your work from a fresh perspective.

Today I’m bringing you some of my best tips for revamping and styling your office.

Seriously amazing tips for office decor & styling!! | office ideas | Office Organization | chic office decor | home office design | Never Skip Brunch by Cara Newhart | #home #decor #office #neverskipbrunch

It’s perfect for January to help you start off the new year fresh, but can absolutely help you out anytime during the year if your space is feeling stale and same-same.

why you should restyle your workspace

I like to re-work my office decor and even layout every once in a while to keep it feeling new and fresh.

This helps prevent my space from getting old. Even subtle changes in decor or design elements can be enough to renew your mindset and create a place you look forward to working in for hours each day.

 

My office has had a HUGE transformation since the last time you saw it — then, I had just moved into our new house and set up a bare-bones space that was functional and chic, but left a lot to be desired.

I promise a full reveal is coming soon — I still have some details to perfect.

But for now, I’m sharing some of my top tips that have helped me transform my workspace and perfectly style my office.

 

Keep it Cozy

It’s easy for office spaces to seem stiff — with bookshelves, desks, and tables easily leaving the room feeling boxy.

This is probably on purpose so you stay awake to crank some sh*t out, but I’m not about it so we’re going to lean the other way.

Adding texture with fabrics and textiles can soften the edges and right angles and give the room a cozy feel that is more appealing to settle into and get productive.

Add some throw pillows with patterns or pops of color, a rug with great texture, some curtains to frame the windows, and even a throw blanket or a fur accent piece on your chair.

All these textile elements will help cozy up your space while still keeping the focus on being productive.

picking your patterns & pops

Of course, the prints and colors you choose will depend on which type of office you’re sprucing up — home or corporate — but you can find a pattern or style to fit any space even if you need to keep it a little more conservative to align with your industry or company.

 

Pick a cute pen cup

This is such a tiny upgrade, but it can have big impact.

Not only will a well-chosen pen cup add personality or interest to your desktop without the clutter, it’s likely in your line of sight for most of the day, so its a detail you’re sure to notice.

I chose a white ceramic cup with black pinstripes and a pop of yellow to brighten my space without distraction.

…and be picky about what you put in it

I also recommend placing just one of each type of pen, pencil, or tool in the cup, and keeping spares in the drawer.

This keeps it from looking overfilled and busy and also makes it way easier to grab your favorite pen vs digging through an overstuffed cup.

 

Let there be light

Light is probably the number one most important element in any space to convey the mood or vibe you’re going for.

Intentionally placed lighting can work wonders to refresh your workspace, especially if your current lighting situation doesn’t offer a lot of options.

I like having multiple lighting options to choose from, that way as the lighting changes throughout the day or when it’s dark at night and I’m cranking out some work, I can adjust the light not only so its easy on the eyes but also so that it fits the mood or feel I’m going for.

a good window

I strategically placed my desk against a window that gets indirect, but good light. This way, my desktop has a ton of natural light during the day, but it isn’t direct so that my computer is brightly backlit.

This might not be an option for you either because you don’t have a window in your office (because its a cloffice maybe?) or your window gives off super bright direct light.

In this case, you can use a reflector to cast the natural light around your room and over to your desk — which is hopefully a safe distance from the bright daylight.

Choose white walls, white curtains or a strategically placed mirror to reflect and bounce the light all over the room where it needs to go. Let’s strategically place some more light, shall we?

strategically placed lamps

I also have an overhead lamp that gives off soft, warm light and is fully dimmable — thanks to my Amazon Echo and the Phillips Hue System.

But seriously, get yourself a little echo dot for your home office — it will make you infinitely more productive — and even if you don’t rely on it to run your life like me with my schedule and to-do list, you’ll at least ask her to dim your lamp and play music or podcasts through the awesome speaker. (Not sponsored, I just for reals love her)

My desk lamp gives me an option for more direct light at night when all my natural light is gone. It also gives me light from a different height in the room (as compared to overheads or a lamp).

master this trick for super professional lighting

Different light sources at different heights are the best way to give yourself lighting options and create a professional feel for your lighting.

My rule of thumb is to give yourself at least three lighting that you can click on and off and combine for your optimal lighting situation.

 

Gimme all the Gold

So this one might be a bit of a personal preference — maybe silver is your fave — but I love how gold can both warm up and add chic vibes to a room all at once.

Gold is a warmer metal, so though its metallic it still feels cozy and comfortable vs silver which tends to feel more cold and sleek.

where to add some metallic accents:

For my office, I added gold accents via the desk drawer knobs and legs that I painted gold (I still need to do the chair lets, don’t look ?), my gold desk lamp, the inside of my hanging lamp shade, and a few gold accessories here and there.

 

Do Dual Desks

This mostly applies to people who do creative work where there are either bunches of brainstorming or some hands-on aspects.

Also, if your office is basically in a closet (its a cloffice and its chic ??), you probably don’t have room for two actual desks, but you can still apply this concept, stay tuned.

Having two desks will help boost your productivity by giving you a physical space to get in the zone.

I have a “tech desk” that is home to my computer and not much else and a second desk (actually a huge Ikea kitchen island that I made into a table, but we’ll get to that in the reveal) that is a tech-free zone for creativity, ideas, and distraction-free brainstorming.

why 2 desks will make you more productive

You might not struggle to stay focused, but as a creative, I have a 1,000 ideas going through my head and frequently drift off to start on the newest one when the last is barely begun.

I created a physical space that forces me to be focused and get in the zone —whether I’m doing computer work, creating content, or editing images at my computer desk or making things, brainstorming, and dreaming at my tech-free workspace.

 

Accent Wall for the Win

When a room has four walls that are the same color or texture, it feels like (and is) a box.

Adding in an accent wall helps to break up the space and make it look less boxy and boring. I fully embraced this concept and gave myself two accent walls — a black and white dotted print and big bold stripes.

get the look:

I used some peel-and-stick wallpaper that is removable just in case I get sick of it and need a change – but this is also perfect for a rented space that isn’t yours to fully redesign.

 

 

Pop it Like its Hot

As a self-proclaimed color & prints enthusiast, I love using pops of color to keep it fun and inspire creativity.

My pops in this space are some bright coral curtains I strategically layered behind some plain white ones for a bright pop of color that still looks sophisticated and not overly playful. You can get the full scoop in this post — How to Style Colored Curtains for a Luxe Look

 

Put your Best Mug Forward

Like a pen cup, a cute mug can cheer up your desk and your day.

But what I really mean by this tip is create a place for snacks. No one likes you when you’re hangry.

You need to stay healthy, drink that water, and nom on some healthy snacks while you work.

“Make sure your workspace caters to your health and supports you having healthy habits while you work”

For you, this might mean designing yourself a little tea station at your desk so you can pour yourself a cup of zen to make it though.

It might mean stashing healthy(er) snacks in your desk drawer.

 

Everyday Essentials

Keep only the essentials on top of your desk for a distraction free work zone — everything else can be stored out of sight.

Stow away those non-essential items out of sight but within reach — in your drawers, etc. 

Keeping minimal items on your desk will help eliminate distractions and keep you focused on your work, as an easily distracted person, this is a tried and true tip.

 

New & Noteworthy

This is probably another tip for you creative types, but also one most people can benefit from.

“Keep a notebook hand for good ideas that aren’t time sensitive”

Instead of opening a new tab to dive into that golden idea when it pops into your head, write that sh*t down and revisit it later when its the right time.

This will help you focus on your most high-priority tasks without feeling like your missing out on the next great thing.

 

Decisively Done Drawers

Don’t do it. Don’t throw that random thing in your drawer just to get it off the desk.

Keep your drawers organized to eliminate clutter and time spent rummaging through them.

If it isn’t a tool you will use on the desk, it doesn’t need to go in the desk.

That gem of a tip has finally clicked for me as a former junk-drawer queen, and you should see my desk drawers now — they’re spectacular.

Wait, come back, don’t go in there — the kitchen junk drawer is an entirely different story ?

Don’t forget to pin this post for later

Up next…

check out the big reveal!

Want to see the full space? Catch my Fun & Fresh Office + Studio Reveal  to get a peak inside the space an a look at some design strategies you can use for your own office design.

luxe colored curtains

Loving the chic vibe of these layered colored curtains? Hop over and check out How to Style Colored Curtains for a Luxe Look

Are you redesigning your office? which tips are you using to freshen your workspace? leave a comment below, or use #neverskipbrunch

Never Skip Brunch - Cara Newhart - Denver Blogger & Style influencer - Never Skip Brunch

P.S. This post may contain affiliate linking. While these links don’t cost extra for you to use, a percentage of all sales made through these links will help fund future Never Skip Brunch content. 

Seriously amazing tips for office decor & styling!! | office ideas | Office Organization | chic office decor | home office design | Never Skip Brunch by Cara Newhart | #home #decor #office #neverskipbrunch
Seriously amazing tips for office decor & styling!! | office ideas | Office Organization | chic office decor | home office design | Never Skip Brunch by Cara Newhart | #home #decor #office #neverskipbrunch
Seriously amazing tips for office decor & styling!! | office ideas | Office Organization | chic office decor | home office design | Never Skip Brunch by Cara Newhart | #home #decor #office #neverskipbrunch

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I'm Cara, the designer & diy queen behind Never Skip Brunch. I'm a color & prints obsessed DIY queen who's here to help you create a beautifully lived-in life through home design advice and chic DIY tutorials

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2 Comments

  1. I loved how you mentioned that adding texture with fabrics and textiles can soften up your office space. My wife is starting a new job soon and she is wondering how she can decorate her office to be cozier. I’ll be sure to let her know to add fabrics and textiles to her office.

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