How to Decorate a Small, Home Office

Working at home? Check out these easy tips to spruce up a small, home office! From wall decor, to simple desk accessories and light fixtures, a few quick fixes are right here!

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How to Decorate a Small, Home Office

Like many bloggers, and these days, people working out of the office because of this unprecedented situation, I work from entirely from home.

For many people, the home office is the last place they think to decorate when they move into a new house, and the office often gets the least attention of any room, if no one works entirely from home. Gone are the days when the teens were holed up in the "den," glued to the huge desktop, AIM-ing with their friends until late into the night.

Whether you're working from home temporarily, a blogger like myself, or just looking to spruce-up your home this spring, let's discuss how to decorate a small home office!

Tip 1: Add a plant

​It's hard to overestimate the (surprising?) joy that a plant can bring to a small space. Starting in my lawyer days, I've had a little succulent farm that moves with me from office-to-office, and now occupies my home office. There's a reason succulents are so popular! They're inexpensive, easy-to-care for, incredibly sturdy, and, well, they're cute! Grab a succulent starter pack!

Tip 2: Art work

In a small space, the walls are one of the best (and easiest) places you can add decor without making the room feel too cramped.

Try a collage of personal snaps, each in their own frames, or a few larger images, which are affordable from Art.com and Amazon.

Tip 3: Cute storage

Any office needs storage! Go vertical with your storage - and who says cabinets and drawers can't be cute? Trendy glass bookshelves are a must. And a good place for those succulents to live and get plenty of sunshine!

Tip 4: Adorable desk chair

Like art work, one great way to spruce up your small office, without making it cramped, is to find an upholstered office chair, with fabric on the back! Many people forget that office chairs *can be cute* and don't have to be boring and black!

Julia & Elizabeth offers high-end desk chairs, available in a wide range of gorgeous fabrics!

Tip 5: Light fixture

Another quick fix is adding a new, cute light fixture to a small office. I have bought several cute light fixtures for our home from Ballard Designs, which has great new options every season.

Tip 6: Scents

Smells add style without adding clutter. When I'm feeling fancy, I light up an aromatherapy candle! And of course, even when it's not lit, a good, strongly scented candle adds decor and a bit of scent.

If you aren't using your office much, or don't like open flames, avoid a musty smell in your office by adding scented beads.

Tip 7: floating statement shelves

​Whether you're short on storage or looking to decorate the walls, floating shelves are a chic addition to any office - and easy to install! And yet again...a great home for those succulents! Should have called this post "where to put your succulents!"

Tip 8: Coat of Paint

Who said office chairs need to be black? And who said an office needs to be white? A nice, new coat of paint is a cheap and easy way to bring new life to a tired, drab office! Pick a brighter color for extra flare.

Tip 9: Desk Accessories

Spruce up your desk with fun accessories! A desk organizer, stapler, pen holder, and even some sticky notes will do the trick! Erin Condren has great desk-top accessories and planners, for those of us who still like to write things down!

Tip 10: Unique Mirror

The oldest design trick in the book is to make a room look bigger with a mirror! The same is true for a home office. If you're anything like me, hang it somewhere that you won't have to look in it while you work - not only distracting, but also a reminder that there's no "working at home" dress code! Why not give it a shot?

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy decorating, friends! And while you're here, don't forget to sign-up for the newsletter for travel, blogging, and lifestyle tips, delivered straight to your inbox, once a month!