Designing your home workspace

I work from home, so it's important for me to separate my spaces. I believe that changing up your space can bring another level of creativity and productivity.

So for those who work or study from home like me, here are my tips to help design your dream workspace.

Separate spaces

Start with separating spaces. For example, my design studio, pottery studio and stock are all downstairs, and my living space is upstairs. Thankfully, I can separate my spaces because this helps me clock out from each area. However, if this is not the case for you, perhaps a room divider or screen could help separate your mahi space from your living space.

Create a Moodboard 

Create a mood board that aims to achieve the vibe/style you want. Search' home office design' or 'studio office design'. Find styles you like and copy and paste these images into a doc or print them out, kei a koe (up to you). I find that Pinterest is the perfect platform for this. 

When creating a mood board, think about the feeling you want in your studio space (earthy, bold, calm, creative). Then, think about the colours, office furniture and layout that reflect the vibe you want. Below is an example of a mood board I created on Pinterest. The feeling I wanted was clean, contemporary and sophisticated. 

When designing your office space, think about your brand colours and vibe. If you are a visual person like me, display empowering artwork on your walls, prints and quotes. I try not to fill my walls with paperwork, pinboards with receipts, etc. That creates a ‘hectic’ admin office. 

Budget

When I design spaces, I usually don't spend a lot of money, well it depends on what's needed. I will troll Facebook marketplace, hunt Op shops and find the sales. You don't necessarily need to buy new flash stuff, but it's really up to you. If you don't have any money, that's ok too; you can change your space by decluttering, shifting furniture and giving the space a good clean, perhaps upcycle some old furniture or wall hangings to save on money. 

Small things that make a big impact.

• Plants are very beneficial for spaces around the home and office. Plants bring life into a space, provide earthy tones, and help filter the air. If you aren't a plant person, you can always start small. 
• Lighting. I love having a lamp or two in my space. A floor standing lamp is excellent for the corners of the room, and salt lamps are said to help change the air's electrical charge.
• Decluttering is a lifesaver. I can't imagine working in a messy environment. Block out time to declutter your space; I would highly recommend it because it is proven to help your productivity and prevent stress.
• Fragrances or smells can easily change a space. I like to have a candle in our office to bring some serenity. At times I will light our candle in the morning just before we start work. It’s my way to help set the tone right. A candle smells so good, makes me smile, happy, warm and helps to uplift the atmosphere. 

Our studio

Pictured below is our design studio. I went for wooden and black metal framed desks, black chairs, light grey walls and then filled the space with a grey couch, coffee table and plants. I am trying to achieve a clean and sophisticated feel.

With an increase in people working from home, it's easy to use every space in your home as an office; the bed, couch, kitchen table. But it's important to have a designated space to stay productive, reduce distractions and maintain a healthy balance between work and home life.

Design a space that makes you happy to turn up to work. If that means having artwork, candles, textures, positive affirmations to bring that sense of happiness to your space, then go for it. I genuinely believe that we become like the environments we surround ourselves in. So design yourself a space that will manifest success and greatness. 

If you have a home workspace, we'd love to hear any tips you might have for others who work or study from home too. Drop a comment below in our blog comment section and let's share how you created your dream home workspace.