mikekomo

Make yourself more productive by creating a space you want to work at.

It's challenging enough to carve out your own little corner of the home in which to work, but that's only the beginning. If your desk is dull or cluttered, sitting down to work every morning becomes even more disheartening than usual, and if it's too disorganised, it might well be impossible.

Ask yourself, how do you want your desk to look, and make you feel? With a few simple alterations, your desk can become the workspace of your dreams, making your home office a hive of productivity. Here are some suggestions of how you can restyle your desk.

Vintage Desks

Let's start with the desk itself. Whether your productivity thrives in a stark workspace, or in organised chaos, nobody wants a desk with no personality. An antique desk has character, history and does not require a lot of styling. The desk is the focal point of any office, and a vintage desk carries that off easily. 'Vintage' is an umbrella term that incorporates a wide range of aesthetics, so there is bound to be a traditional desk out there which will fit your work space perfectly.

Monochrome

For an elegant, striking work space, keep your use of colour to a minimum. Many people find photographs and paintings inspiring desk decor, but keeping these in black and white creates a stylish montage that won't look chaotic in an otherwise organised work space.

Coordinate colour

On the other hand, maybe you want to employ colour to make your desk feel a bit livelier. If this is the case, then you should coordinate your colours so that it doesn't become too busy and distracting. This is an especially handy decoration tool if you only have a small space in which to squeeze your desk, as a brightly coloured desk top matched to the chair only needs a nice lamp, photograph or plant to become an attractive corner of the room.

Clear things up

One dramatic approach for decorating your desk is to clear it of absolutely everything apart from your laptop. Install some shelving above it for books, papers, office supplies etc., and paint those shelves, the desk, and the walls white. This will make everything appear clean and ready to work on, while the items on the shelves above will bring some colour and character to the space. This is an extremely efficient design choice, making even old files and stationary contribute to the overall aesthetic.

If you don't want to create such a striking effect, but have a large space to fill, you should still consider clearing all unnecessary clutter from your desktop and into surrounding drawers and cupboards; out of sight, but still within easy reach should you need them. Cover your desk instead with things that look nice, like a plant, or some handsome books, or a scented candle. Clearing away clutter helps to make your desk into a sanctuary.

Go retro
While most modern tech is wireless and streamlined, purchasing one or two retro items, like a rotary dial phone, or speakers designed to look like an old fashioned radio, is a charming way to introduce some whimsy and colour to your workspace.

Go for glamour
If you don't have a lot of available space, and are instead forced to have your desk in the corner of a bedroom or living room, choose a vintage desk with a bit of glamour; something that brings something aesthetically pleasing as well as functional to the room. Splurging on a gorgeous material, like marble, will mean that your desk will look elegant when not in use, especially if you install drawers to tuck away all your work materials after hours.