How To Create A Home Office You’ll Love

 

When I first broached the subject of a minimalist lifestyle to my husband, he put down his foot and said “No!” but the underlying message I read from him, all of the said and unsaid things was a longing for an organized and minimalist home. He just didn’t see minimalism as a good thing.

I finally asked my husband what it was that he didn’t like about the idea of becoming minimalist. His fear was a stark, empty white house with none of the comforts of home. But minimalism is less about having an empty house and more about having a comfortable and maintainable home.

A comfortable home is one we WANT to come home to. When every space is packed to the max and clutter is everywhere, it’s not a place that your family will feel refreshed and rejuvenated. Our lives are already fast paced and brimming with activity without barely being able to keep atop the clutter waiting for us at home. But how do you get an organized minimalist home?!

Minimalist Tip: minimalism is not about having nothing, it's about having less.

In this post, I am specifically going to be focusing on creating an organized minimalist office space in your home but these same tips and tricks can be applied to every room in your house!

With this simple and straightforward approach to decluttering, you will have a peaceful home with plenty of space to live and order to calm your restless and busy mind.

How Can an Organized Minimalist Office Boost My Productivity?

Whether you work from home, or just pay bills out of your home office. Never underestimate the power of creating an orderly and inviting space. When you are the only one to see or spend time in your home office, it may be tempting to be a little lax with the organization. I encourage you to keep your home office as clean as you would an office that you share! You want a space that works for you, inspires you, invites you and refreshes you. Not one that gives you a headache just thinking about it.

Stress Decreases Productivity

Studies have shown that clutter causes cortisol levels to rise in women. No wonder the mere thought of entering a cluttered room makes your anxiety skyrocket! Cortisol is your body’s built in alarm system. Our brain can’t focus when there is too much stimuli that it can’t sort and this puts your mind into a state of unrest which causes your cortisol levels to shoot up, making it an unpleasant reinforcement.

Minimalist Tip; Reduce your cortisol levels with an organized minimalist office

An Organized Minimalist Space Decreases Stress

Embracing an organized minimalist approach in your home can help you to create spaces that you actually want to spend time in. Spaces in your home that will motivate and inspire creativity. By freeing up your mind to produce new ideas rather than trying to make sense of the overwhelming mess around you.

George Washington Carver wisely said;

Since new developments are the products of a creative mind, we must therefore stimulate and encourage that type of mind in every way possible. George Washington Carver

One way that we can do this is to create a clean and orderly space so that our minds and bodies are at rest giving us time and energy to be productive rather than constantly battling the clutter and anxiety brought on by too much stuff.

Start By Choosing A Space for Your Office

The first step to creating a home office is to designate an office space. This could be the corner of your bedroom, the other half of the play room, or in my case the guest room. Maybe you actually have an entire room for your office space. Wherever it is and regardless of how much space it is, assess the spot. Quickly envision what your dream office space is and compare it to the space you have. Once you’ve decided what your office goal is and the space that you have, you can marry the two and find a happy compromise.

Questions to ask yourself when assessing an office space:

How much space do I have?

Do I have an entire room to work with or just a corner of a room? This will help you decide how to lay it out and how much furniture you will use in it.

What kind of space is it?

My office space is in a guest room, my husband will also be using my desk at times, maybe not so much pink? Keep in mind what else the room will be used for so that you can match a theme if you choose to.

What are the bare necessities that I need to do my job and how will they work in my chosen space?

Minimalism is about only keeping things that add to your daily life. Extra stuff distracts and takes precious time to care for. Keep this in mind as you fill your office with the necessities.

What is important to me?

Are there colors or pieces of decor that make you feel alive or that you want to work into your space? I love the color white. Or the absence of color? It’s so fresh and rejuvenating. I also love inspirational quotes (I put together a set of 18 printable 4×4 inspirational cards that you could add to your office space here), plants and my himilayan salt lamp. These are things that I will try to work into my space.

Minimalist Tip: Create an end goal to keep you on track.

Choose Your Non-Negotiable Office Furniture.

Start out with a completely empty space, wherever that space is. Next put in your largest and most non-negotiable piece of office furniture. This will most likely be a desk.

Although, I have a couple cute comfy chairs, I have found that I am much more productive sitting at a desk rather than in an easy chair. It’s a psychological thing for me. But if you want to try something else for your office space, you should most definitely go for it!

Some fun ideas to trade out your desk for would be

  • A table
  • An overstuffed chair
  • A blanket fort
  • A day bed
  • An entertainment center
  • A hammock
  • A swinging chair

Whatever your study place, find the perfect spot for it in your designated office space.

My non-negotiable office furniture are a

  • Desk
  • Desk Chair
  • Filing Cabinet
  • Book Shelf

Your list might look different. Move the furniture around until you have found the layout that you love and believe will maximize your time and space.

Add Your Core Decor to the Office

Do you have a  piece of art that you want to be the centerpiece for your office? Maybe a lamp that adds lighting and is decorative, or a plant. Hang your curtains, lay down your rug. All of these things add beauty and life to your space. These will fill out your office space and help you to decide if you need any ‘luxury’ furniture pieces.

Questions to Ask Yourself When Choosing Decor

  • What colors are my favorite pieces of clothing and what patterns? These will probably be colors and patterns that you will enjoy in your office space as well.
  • What do I love about this item?
  • How does it lend to my theme?
  • Do I love this piece or just like it?

‘Luxury’ Furniture and Decor

These pieces are not necessary for functionality or the main focal point but they make your space cozy and unique and compliment the main pieces.Think of them like salt in cookies, a little bit goes a long way! Their point is to compliment the main pieces of decor and furniture not fill every empty space.

Luxury furniture is the furniture that strongly lends welcoming vibes to your office. A comfy chair, or an end table, maybe a beautiful bookshelf. Whatever it is that you want to add, remember not to fill every open space, open spaces are good, they give your mind room to breathe. Add just enough to soften the edges without overfilling your space.

Minimalist Tip Don't let your decorations overrun your office.

Questions to Ask Before Adding ‘Filler’ Furniture

  • Do I love this?
  • Does it add or distract from my main pieces?
  • Do the colors and patterns compliment the core pieces?
  • Is it calming or is it too busy or distracting for the space?

Time to Organize Your Office!

The final step to creating an organized minimalist office is to add in the office tools that you need on a daily basis. This is the point where you can easily overwork the room by adding in unnecessary clutter and organizational pieces that will undo all your work, so use caution. Try to fill it with only the tools that you use regularly. If it’s something that you could do without, try to do without. If you can’t quite bring yourself to get rid of it, try packing it away for a month, if you find yourself looking for it frequently over that month, find it a home in your office, if not, pass it along to someone else.

For office organization, you can repurpose old items, or buy a few choice organizational pieces depending on your needs and what you have to work with materially and for a budget. For some really fun DIY office ideas check out this post by LifeHacks.

Minimalist Tip 2, if you don't use an office tool frequently, find it a new home.

To maintain your newly organized minimalist office, only get things that you will be using regularly, if you find yourself buying $50 of organizational tools for items you use only every couple of months, maybe it’s time to reassess your needs and your stuff.

Ideas and Inspirational Resources for Your Home Office Space

Having a final goal in mind is a great first step for any project and especially when trying to create an organized minimalist office. This looks like pinning images to a specific board on Pinterest or do it the old fashioned way and cut out from magazines or print images from the internet to paste onto a poster board. Simply, imagining it could work too, although at least writing it down on paper can give you a concrete idea of a goal to work towards.

Pinterest has endless ideas for almost anything that you type in and would be a great resource for a mood board. Also a quick and specific Google Search can be super helpful if there is an organization or decoration problem you would like to solve.

Conclusion

Although there is no right or wrong way to create an organized minimalist office, these guidelines can help you streamline the office building process.

To keep the tips we discussed in this post handy, pin the image below.

The Minimalist's Guide to Creating a Home Office You Love!

Or find my 9 Tips for Creating an Organized Minimalist Office Printable Checklist here to keep with you while you work.

Grab your copy of my FREE printable motivational wall art for Boss Moms here.

What are your best minimalist and organizational tips for creating a work at home haven? I’d love to hear them in the comments!


Anna is mom to two vivacious little boys who have taught her much about living a slower and more intentional life. Her passion for motherhood and homemaking inspired The Lifegiving Mom where she seeks to encourage other women in these roles. If you would like to become a more lifegiving woman and aren’t sure where to start, grab a copy of her FREE e-book Words of Life.  

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