Budget Decor: Preparing Your Office Space For Creativity

No matter what your occupation is, a little creativity goes a long way towards helping you be motivated to complete your work to a high standard. Here are some tweaks you can make to your office space that will help you be as productive and creative as you need to be. It doesn’t need to be complicated, you can even check online for one stop office fitouts if your existing space is too far gone!

De-clutter

This is the thing that we all know, but need to be told anyway. Scattered papers and bulky storage bins are definitely not going to inspire you to work hard. You should also make sure you are fully stocked with office supplies and useful filing cabinets. Often times thrift stores have a great selection of filing cabinets, but IKEA is an affordable option as well. Hence, there is a huge variety of office cabinets of several beautiful designs and eye-catching colors available in the market so that you can choose yours according to your office space very easily.

This will help your mind focus on the task at hand and ensure that there are fewer things that you can use as an excuse to procrastinate!

Remove Distractions

Your office space needs to be used for work alone so having a tv or devices around that you don’t need is just a distraction waiting to happen. If you need background noise, try instrumental music, or downloading an app that will make white noise. The reason you don’t want to have any vocals in the music is because your brain is better at multitasking under these conditions.

Be Comfortable

It is always worth paying a little extra to get a decent office chair, the last thing you need to be thinking about is that aching in your lower back that mysteriously appears every time you start to get some decent work done. Health gurus even say you should ditch the chair altogether and use a standing desk. There are all kinds of health benefits to this, but ultimately it’s up to you to decide how you work best.

Nervous about standing desks? I personally don’t use one day-to-day, but I have in short burst and I do like them. A few friends of mine that use them religiously have nothing but good things to say. The universal advice has been to ease into them instead of going 6+ hours in one go. Use it for an hour, then two, then three…until a full day is easy.

Go With Nature

Adding a plant or two to your work space is a great way to decorate your office on a budget. Plants are also proven to boost morale and increase productivity, as well as naturally filtering the air and making your office space an altogether more healthy area. You can use flowers or hanging plants, it’s really down to personal preference. 

Use All Your Senses

The colors and smells in your office can affect your productivity as much as clutter and noise can. You should pick colors that are warm but not distracting and consider the use of some essential oils or scented candles. Citrus, lavender, peppermint, pine and cinnamon are all great choices of scent to keep you alert and relaxed.

Use Lighting

Poor lighting is a huge productivity killer, instead try to pick an office space that has plenty of natural light. Avoid fluorescents at all costs, the more unnatural the lighting the worse it will impact your mood and creativity. Ensure that you have plenty of lamps, and try to avoid heavy shadowing in your workspace when it is darker.  

The main thing is to be comfortable in your space, and to choose elements that are best for you. Not everything works for everyone, so experiment with the things you can change until you find what makes your ideal space.

*This article was contributed.