Working from home is becoming far more usual. In fact, in 2012 the Census Bureau reported that the number of Americans alone working from home had soared 41% since 1999, and the numbers of home offices are growing around the world.
The feng shui drawbacks of living at home are mainly one: your work can take over your life… and your home. However, a great office space that is delineated from the rest of your home can help you to know when you are “on” and when you are “off” . It can make your work life more organized, inspired and grounded.
And as I am brainstorming my own home office- and designing another office- as I type this, I can say that office spaces with personality and great flow immensely feed your creative production.
Color is a crucial element in home office decor. Not enough of the right colors and you will lose interest in your work at home. Too much color- especially the hot, stimulating colors of fire- and you will get antsy and unfocused. Unusual and personally picked colors (see above- divine!) can brand your work space glamorously.
Small, personal touches make the day flow more smoothly and make your work feel more important.
Oh how I dig unfinished wood, sort of rustic yet beautifully designed.
A clunkier desk can work with some personal details and objects that make you feel motivated.
A bit of whimsy and texture is like visual caffeine.
The Lucite chairs- while not an invitation to a long brainstorming meeting- really do lighten up the space and stimulate the imagination.
While this is most definitely an art-dedicated table, it is a great one! And a spark of personality (the paper star) is a delight, as is the light on the wall, perfectly casual and yet functional and well-designed.
Small touches to make an office feel, look and flow better can keep you feeling rooted in your work at home.
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And, if you want to dive in to your own personalized feng shui in a modern, practical way, Say hello to Feng Shui 101. Its the guide I made for you to create your own personalized feng shui at home, in the office, wherever you may be… in 8 weeks. It’s not filled with strict rules or what you “must” do. Its filled with information, questions, exercises and even videos and classes to help you confidently create amazing spaces with killer feng shui and live with more flow. Learn more about the 8-week feng shui adventure & grab your copy to get started right HERE… And, as always, please let me know what happens! xoxo Dana
Hi Dana –
What do you feel are the best colors to paint a home office. I work from home as a virtual business manager, so I am creative sometimes, but need to be productive and focused. I don’t know if it matters, but when you walk in my door, it is the farthest room to the left and on the same wall as the front door. I am having such a hard time with this. Thank you!
try the retrogation hardware silver sages. see if you like ’em. 🙂
My home office is in my apartment which is painted a great caramel/toffee color with white trim. The desk sits in the children/creativity quadrant but I feel everything is a little heavy and I’m certainly not feeling creative. As a matter of fact I have a hard time making myself go to my desk to work. Any suggestions?
Thanks
Its sounds like its very earthy. You may need some metallic stuff (even some metallic art on the walls) to lighten it up…!