Inexpensive Ideas to Decorate a Small Home Office

You may elect to set up a small home office for a number of reasons, from starting a side business to needing a place for doing taxes and filing personal records. Finding a place for the office is half the challenge, but decorating the office so that it is comfortable to work in and integrates well with the rest of the house, all without spending too much, can be a challenge. Does this Spark an idea?

Eclectic Decor

Buying a full set of office furniture, including a desk, filing cabinet, chairs and tables, can be a costly proposition. Rather than buying new furniture that matches, consider going with an eclectic decor style. Eclectic decor allows you to use drastically different pieces of furniture with a range of styles and colors. Choose inexpensive pieces from clearance furniture warehouses or buy used at yard sales and thrift stores. A short dresser or vanity may serve nicely as a desk, while a bench can take the place of chairs for visitors. Add a coat of paint or varnish to restore older pieces that may have some minor imperfections.

Posters

Wall art is an essential in most rooms, and a home office is no exception. Even a small office may seem bare without something on the walls, but original art, and even framed prints, can be expensive. The same posters that decorate large corporate offices will work well in the home. These posters come in standard sizes, making them inexpensive to frame in a ready-made plastic or metal frame. They include a variety of subjects such as cityscapes, nature scenes or motivational images, phrases and quotations to promote a good work ethic or add humor to the day.

Lighting

Lighting is important to any decor. The lighting in a home office should be bright enough for working comfortably without eye strain, but soft enough to make the room feel relaxed. Natural light is best, but when a window or skylight isn't an option, try to avoid fluorescent bulbs, which can create a harsh, green cast. CFLs, or compact fluorescent lights, are a better choice. They feature an energy-saving coil design that cuts down on energy usage and saves money in the long run, while also providing light that is easy to work in.

Painting

Painting a home office is an opportunity to inject color into an otherwise lifeless room. While office machines like computers and copiers usually come in grays and blacks, a colorful wall or two can help make the space seem more lively. In a small office, light colors work better at expanding the room and preventing it from feeling too cramped. Light earth tones, like pale blues, greens and tans, are all appropriate choices for a small office.

Children's Artwork

Parents with a home office can use the space to display a child's artwork, which also removes the need to buy art or posters for the walls. A cork bulletin board is a simple way to create a space for hanging the art with pins, meaning there's no need for frames and it's easy to change out one piece for another.