Office Talk

{some clever ways to add color and personality to your office}

We talk a lot about how to best present yourself in an office or professional setting via attire, but, as of yet, we haven’t talked much about office decor. We are so grateful to one of our readers for suggesting this topic, as the way your office looks is absolutely a reflection of both your style and your professionalism.

This is an easy thing to overlook, but we’ve realized from personal experience that this is important not only from an aesthetic perspective, but from a well-being perspective, too. When you like your office space, you’ll enjoy coming into work more, too.

Here are a few tips for making your office look great and for feeling good about being in your office.

1. Keep Your Office Neat

This is a challenge for busy professionals, and for lawyers in particular. But nothing is more calming, centering, and productivity-making than a tidy office. If your office is not neat and well-organized, any tips about styling your office are useless. We try to make a habit of spending 5 minutes at the end of each day, and a half an hour on Friday mornings, organizing and cleaning up our office so it is presentable for colleagues and clients, and bearable to be in on a day to day basis.

2. Control The Lighting

A friend of ours suggested this years back and we’re so glad he did. Rather than suffering through dim or flourescent lighting that can plague many offices, turn those off and opt for some soft or bright lighting (at your preference) by bringing in a lamp or two. Choose a few different types of lamps you can strategically place around your office for style and for pleasant, non-headache-inducing lighting. And they don’t have to be proper “office” lamps, either. Choose some unique lighting to add interest to your otherwise plain office. For a great selection of all kinds of lighting, Ikea is our go-to. For example, this Klaab table lamp would be a brilliant addition to any office space.

(So few people do this, by the way, but it’s completely genius and will change the way you work for the better.)

3. Get some Statement Desktop Pieces

Without cluttering your desk, opt for a few statement pieces that will add interest and color to your office. Some of our staples include a unique business card display case like this handmade business card holder. A guaranteed talking point.

We also like to keep an assortment of nice frames (with pictures of family, friends, pets, etc. – as long as they are all professional) on our desktop. You can mix and match the frames for a home-decor-at-the-office feel, which will certainly lift your mood no matter how you’re feeling about your work on any given day. World Market has a great selection of inexpensive, colorful frames.

Since we believe strongly that success in any office environment depends on mentorship, collegial efforts, and making connections, we like to keep thank you notes on our desk as well. That way, anytime someone assists you in any way in your career, you can pop a thank you note in the mail with little effort. Choose bright cards like these notes from Tiny Prints and leave them out on your desk for an additional spike of color.

4. Time It

Much like with lights, we have rarely seen colleagues bring in clocks of their own, but it’s such a great idea. Clocks are a fun and inexpensive way to decorate your office, and functional, too. We love this colorful Watch Me Clock by Normann Copenhagen that we came across on Fancy recently.

5. Flowers

Office plants are so 1980s. When we picture desk-top plants in an office, more than anything we picture some dejected guy walking out of the office carrying a cardboard box filled with desktop items, and a limp plant hanging over the edge. Sad. We are big fans of skipping the plants and keeping a nice, bold vase at your desk instead. Each week, bring in fresh flowers and add some instant life to your office space. Nambe carries some gorgeous and truly unique vase designs.

What do you keep on your desk? Share in the comments below!

xo,

Team HOM

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