For me, I need an office space that is organized, free of clutter, and stylish to be able to focus on my projects and feel inspired during the workday.  I recently refreshed my office organization and decor and wanted to share my 5 tips to refresh your office space to make it your own!

CLEAN OFF YOUR DESK

Throughout the day my desk gets cluttered and it drives me crazy.  I’ll have a laptop (or two), multiple notebooks and calendars, random pieces of paper, pens, lip balm, beauty products that came in the mail for review, an iced Americano from Starbucks–you name it, I’ve got it!  I’ve been making a conscious effort to keep my desk clean as part of my office aesthetic to make it more beautiful, but also to keep my sanity and keep me focused on the task at hand.  To declutter your desk start with taking a pause at the beginning, middle, and end of your workday.  In the morning I’ll take a moment only bring out what I need for the day (laptop, notebook, cell phone) and start with the basics to get going.  Around lunchtime, I’ll evaluate my desk situation and see what needs to be tidied up.  Did I start applying hand cream and lip balm during a conference call and forget to put them back in their drawers?  Put it away.  Did I open a piece of mail and toss it to the side?  Recycle it or file it if I needs to be stored.  And at the end of the day, I check in with my desk space again to see what else needs to be decluttered and put things back in their home.  It seems like a lot of effort at first but after a few days, this turns into habit and you’re clutter free!

UTILIZE STORAGE SOLUTIONS

I love boxes, baskets, and containers to keep things organized and in their place (can you tell I’m type-A?).  My office has a coat closet in it and from the start I thought it was the biggest waste of space.  I went to The Container Store and designed a shelving unit (similar to my shoe shelving unit in this post here).  Because I was able to reconfigure this extra closet space, I’m able to hide the “office stuff” out of sight to keep my office looking pretty while still being a powerhouse place to GSD!  It bothered me seeing my printer on the floor next to my desk so I moved it into the closet and ran an extension cord so it’s always on and ready to print.  I also include various boxes for electronics (camera, lenses, random cords and adapters), packing materials, and extra office supplies.  There is a bit of a gap on the sides of the shelving unit and it’s a great place to slip in cardstock which I use for flat-lay photos.  If you plan on using The Container Store to design shelving for your home or office, I suggest you time it with their 30% off sale to take advantage of the discounts!

ADD ART THAT INSPIRES YOU

This has been the most important tip for me to turn my office into a place that I didn’t like spending time in to being my number one place to hang out–adding art that has a special meaning to me.  I know I’m not alone in this but I used to feel pressured by what was the “blogger girl” decor on instagram and thought my office must look like this too!  (Does everyone remember that pink lips with a gap tooth print that was all over Etsy??)  I found myself collecting things that weren’t special to me but rather was the ‘decor du jour’ and I didn’t feel a connection to my space.  I found these two prints (the windmill and the Morocco prints) on Minted and immediately had a connection to them.  I’ve been traveling my entire life and being able to look at these prints that looked like places I’ve been or places I wanted to go, they helped bring beauty and a special touch to my space to make it uniquely mine.  I love that on Minted you can customize your prints to the specific sizes you want and add the perfect frame style as well (hello gorgeous rose gold frame!).  It’s also cool to see independent artists’ work being featured where maybe you wouldn’t have previously found it.  I love being able to add special touches of art–next project is to find art for the rest of the house!  Minted’s Anniversary sale is starting next week (running from March 29-April 4th) and you can take 15% off sitewide with the code EIGHT!

LET THERE BE LIGHT

Before, my office had blinds and they let in really unappealing light that was either too bright or weird shadowed-light.  I love bright light filling my space so I pulled out the blinds and opted for sheer curtains (these are Nate Berkus from Target) that give me a balance of privacy and tons of natural light.  I haven’t turned the lights on in my office since so it’s a win win!  Pretty natural light and saving electricity!

PAINT THE WALLS

One of the easiest and cheapest ways to makeover your space is with a can of paint.  My office has these whimsical shingles on the walls (would make an amazing nursery one day!) but I didn’t like the sage green color of them.  I went to Home Depot and picked up a can of Behr Ultra Premium paint in the color Painter’s White and transformed my space into a bright and cheery place that I love to spend my day in!  Don’t forget to tape your edges and lay down drop cloths to protect your floor!

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