Make Your Home Office Your Inspiring Sanctuary

Creating your home office should be all About You!

This is your space, so make your home office your inspiring sanctuary – a place that comforts you, inspires you, and motivates you to be productive.

In other words – a place where you want to be – not where you HAVE to be.

When you are first starting your online business you may not need to have your own sanctuary at first.

But after a period of time you want to get in the habit of going to your “Office” (yes, mentally, it really does make a difference).

So this is just a short post with a few ideas that just may help you make your home office your inspiring sanctuary.

Where Should I Put My Home Office

Now this all depends on how much space you have.

But even if you don’t have a lot of room there’s always someplace you can set-up shop.

So let’s go over a few ideas to get your juices flowing and help you find your inspiring sanctuary.

And remember, a little imagination goes a long way!

 

Home Office Ideas for Small Spaces

Convert a Closet Into a Home Office

People have actually converted a closet into their home office, which is a brilliant idea if you don’t need that closet space.

Here are some links for converting a closet into a home office that can give you an idea on how to set it up:

• How to Make a Cloffice
• How to Turn a Closet Into a Home Office
• HGTV Turning a Closet Into a Home Office
• Houzz – How to Turn a Closet Into an Office
• Family Handyman – Project on Turning Your Closet Into an Office
• Next Luxury – 40 Best Closet Office Ideas

Laundry Room

Talk about not being disturbed! I know there wasn’t much traction going on in our laundry room when the boys were still living at home – well except me of course (I sometimes wonder if they even knew we had a laundry room).

Now not everyone’s laundry room is as big as the one in the above photo but if you have enough space to add a desk and a chair, then – voila – you have a home office.

You could put down a little throw rug, add some lighting and maybe even a plant to help brighten things up.

Check out these sites to give you a few ideas:

• How to Create an Office in a Laundry Room
• Laundry Room to Small Home Office Conversion
• Office and Laundry Room Combo
• 23 Incredibly Efficient And Multifunctional Laundry Room Ideas50 Laundry Room Ideas That Make Folding a Lot Less Tedious

Under The Stairs

Ok, yes, I’m going to say it – if Harry Potter could live under the stairs – why not a home office?

It’s just sitting there – wasted space – so make it your space.

Check these out:

• 25 Home Office Nooks Under The Stairs
• 22 Ideas To Organize A Home Office Under The Stairs
• How To Turn The Space Under Your Staircase Into A Home Office
• Home office under the stairs: Quick ideas for every home

Home Office in Your Bedroom

Having a home office in your bedroom is probably a great place to start if you don’t have any extra room any place else.

Check out these websites that have great ideas on how to go about organizing space in your bedroom to accommodate an office:

• 11 Tips for Successful Office/Bedroom Setup
• Bedroom/Office Ideas
• 21+ Bedroom/Office Ideas
• 27 Ways to Create a Stylish Small Home Office
• I Created a Tiny Office in My Bedroom, and Here’s Why You Should, Too

There’s Always Your Living Room

You could always have your home office in your living room but I guess that would depend on how much traffic your living room gets. For example, there’s just myself and my husband at home (yes, we are empty nesters) so there are times when I just sit on the sofa and work on my laptop.

However, if my boys were still living at home, that might be a different story.

So if this is something that you are comfortable with, check out these living room ideas for a home office:

• 10 Spectacular Living Room Office Ideas for Working in Style
• Work From Home: 9 Places to Put an Office in Your Living Room
• 25 Ways To Pull Off An Office Nook In A Living Room
• 7 Home Office Setup Ideas to get you Inspired
• Combination Family Room And Office Ideas & Photos
• Creative Home Office Combined With Living Room For Apartment

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Home Office Ideas on a Budget

First you want to try to use what you already have in your home. Take a look around to see what you can use.

And if you have to buy items, shop around for cheap bargains – like garage sales and second hand stores.

You can also DIY office furniture – like purchasing stuff at IKEA (great prices) and putting it together yourself.

Here’s some websites that you should check out for more ideas:

• How to Set up a Budget Home Office
• 8 Home Office Ideas on a Budget (+ pics of MY Home Office!)
• HGTV Chic, Organized Home Office for Under $100
• How to Set Up a Home Office on a Budget
• Home Office Ideas on a Budget
• Home Office Decor Ideas: 5 Budget-Friendly Must-Haves
• 21 DIY Home Office Décor Ideas to Inspire a Workspace Refresh

How Can I Make My Home Office More Inviting?

Paint

If you are able to paint your office area try to choose something that makes you happy. For example, green is calming and can increase concentration; yellow increases creativity; blue helps with focus, and so on.

Lighting

Natural light is the best and most uplifting but a lot of us don’t have that option.

You can add table lamps, desk lamps or floor lamps. Just don’t work in dim light, which sounds like a no-brainer, but dim lighting is not uplifting.

Storage

Filing cabinets can look unsightly, but paint can do wonders to them if you choose to use them.

You can also use magazine racks on the walls for easy access and add shelves where you can put decorative boxes that can hold your odds and ends.

Wall Decor

Avoid the boring walls that have nothing on them. This is your space so decorate however you want by adding prints, family photos, or whatever art you love and want to look at everyday.

One thing that you should try to have on your wall near your desk is a cork board, or something similar, that you can hang things on – things like post-it note reminders, your visual aides that you can look at everyday to remind you WHY you are doing this, or anything that is going to help you with your business.

Think of it as your motivational background!

Plants

So you know that green thumb people talk about? Well I don’t have one – which leads me to this – CACTUS.

Yes, that’s what I put in my office area and so far so good – fingers crossed.

But I wanted to add some greenery to the space and I have to admit, they look pretty good in there. I think I may expand and shoot for a Christmas cactus (yes I’m aiming high).

They really do make the office space more homey so try adding a few plants to your space and enjoy their calmness.

Your Inspiring Sanctuary Comes to Life

In conclusion, no matter where your home office is located, just make sure it’s your inspiring sanctuary.

Once again, this is your space!

Click on the above-mentioned links and browse through all of the ideas — then start creating.

Achieving inspiration and motivation is your goal — make it fun!

Have a wonderful day!