The Home Office Makeover.

Let’s talk about making the most of your small space. Stuck at home and don’t have an extra room to spare? well no problem. What if I told you, you could make the most of your small space and better yet create a small home office makeover on a  budget.

Yes, you read it right!

You can have it all without breaking the bank.

Just because you are short on space doesn’t mean you can’t create a fab at-home office for you to work and get inspired by. I know not everyone is fortunate enough to have a dedicated room where they can use it up to work or get creative.

Trust me, we are in the same boat. If I could create zen in a studio apartment, then you too can do the exact and more.

And this post was written with you in mind.

1. Choosing a space for Your Small Home Office

When it comes to creating a small home office, you need to prioritize your Functionality first. This means creating a work zone in a less traffic space where you can get a few hour’s worths of work done. If you live alone, then you are in luck because the only destruction or failure to concentrate will be caused by you. If you have a roommate or housemates, then try and pick a room that isn’t commonly used and has low traffic. This way you are able to go to your corner at any moment’s notice and get your work done.

A few ideas could include a corner in

-Your own bedroom.

-The hallway towards a less crowded room.

-The balcony if you have one.

PS: The sitting/ Living or lounge room however beautiful won’t save you the functionality for a home office as that is a common area and it’s bound to be occupied a lot. Which translates to a lot of distractions, noise, and lack of concentration. If you don’t have a housemate, the living room would work fine as in most cases, its one of the largest spaces in most apartments.

TIP 1: If you’ve only got a nook or small office zone to play with, make the best use of any vertical space available by building shelving units right up the ceiling and buy a pair of steps to access them if necessary.

[tweetthis]If you’ve only got a nook or small office zone to play with, make the best use of any vertical space available by building shelving units right up the ceiling and buy a pair of steps to access them if necessary.[/tweetthis]

TIP 2: If you’re limited on space, using a bedroom as a home office may be the only solution. Making a desk double up as a dressing table makes it a useable furniture piece with a bedroom purpose too.

What to consider,

• Natural light coming through your workspace. If you can work in front of a window even better. It’s not the end of the world if you can’t access the window
• Proper ventilation. – This is non-negotiable, You are trying to work from home, not doe

2. Declutter Your  Designated Nook

Now that we already have a secluded space its time to get the works done.

Begin with making sure everything is out of space to see what you are working with. This is an extensive but necessary step. It comes in handy when you need to map up space and know exactly what you are dealing with.

Hopefully, since in most cases you will be occupying a little corner, there won’t be a lot to declutter from.

3. Deep Clean up your space.

This is both necessary and therapeutic for me. I love working with a clean blank canvas and this step helps with accomplishing that. Another important thing will be, you are bound to be spending, a minimum of 3-5 hours here and if you plan to be productive, you are meant to work in a place that’s dust-free. Manage your cables 

 Nothing slows down productivity like a space that’s messy and doesn’t feel comfortable. Tuck your cables and wires away behind your desk and around the walls. You can use zip ties and even bread clips to help manage them and keep them from tangling up. You’ll be thanking yourself next time you move or clean up your office space. 

4. Deciding on the Home Office Color Palette

I’m this close to sound like a broken record, but don’t just mute me yet. Colors play a huge part in creating your zen and expressing your personality. Knowing the color palette you want for your space will make the whole home office makeover easy to do and even guard you to stick to your budget and appreciate a good DIY project when it comes to other decorative knick-knacks

I went in great length on everything color when I shared with you guys on the 10 TIPS ON HOW TO CREATE A COZY BEDROOM Feel free to catch up on that post and I’ll be here waiting…

In the meantime, let’s talk about,

• Painting

If you have the budget for this, and you are working with a small space, I would suggest painting a bright white on your walls. That way there is a lot of light being bounced around your corner and an interior secret; White does give an illusion of a much bigger room than what you are actually dealing with.

Another option could include working with an accent wall. This means you may decide to paint the main wall of your office a separate color from the entire room

TIP: Go with chalk paint on your accent wall and use the wall as your mood board or write down your to-do list. This is space-effective and high-key creative

5. Home Office Plan

The existing bits are about to start.

What you need in your home office will depend largely on the type of work you do. You might require both a small desk for your computer and a larger table or workspace for your artwork if you’re a graphic artist. A consultant might require additional space for file cabinets. A photographer might require an in-home studio or storage space for props and the list goes on.

[tweetthis]What you need in your home office will depend largely on the type of work you do.[/tweetthis]

Finally, time to plan up your space.

– Now you see why clearing everything out of the space was a necessary evil?

Knowing what you are working with will give you the ability to know exactly the size of furniture you will need to get for your space and any knickknacks if your space allows such luxury.

After that, you may also decide to go on Pinterest, Instagram, Google or youtube to find some inspirations as you map out and plan your Home office.

TIP: Be as detailed oriented as possible. Every tiny detail does count when it comes to interior design. If you are going for a minimalistic vibe, set your focus on that from scratch 

[/tweetthis]Every Detail does indeed count in InterioR Design. [/tweetthis]

6. Investing in the Home Office Basics.

I know I did promise you a budget-friendly makeover. It’s still gonna be, but you need to have invested in basics if you don’t already have them. I however find it necessary to splurge on a few things and I will tell you the reason why as we keep moving.

• An Office Desk

This is going to be the largest part of the furniture in your space for the most case. It doesn’t need to be fancy. You however need to focus on the right height of your desk where you are able to work properly without developing a hunchback.

-Lets be honest, working from the bed is not the functional leg we want to be standing on.

You don’t need to go the traditional route of the 4 legged tables. Y ou may opt for a foldable desk which is space-efficient or a wall-mounted desk depending on the location and amount of space you are working with. You may upholster any desk or table that you have laying around your house or get a carpenter to make you one for cheap. This is a more budget-friendly route than buying a ready-made one, additionally, you are able to customize something that is unique for your own space

TIP: If you want your small home office space to be unobtrusive, a glass desk is a great option that will seemingly disappear when not in use. 

• An Office Chair.

if I were to advise you to invest in one item in the entire office, then an office chair will be the way to go. You need to get a chair that will support your back well enough and get you through hours of work. No, this does not mean getting those tasteless-revolving-manly-chairs, Unless that is the look you are going for.

if you are tight on cash, you can always start out with a dining chair, just be sure to add a few cushion DIYs to make a little more comfortable and supportive for your bum and back.

• A Source of light.

This is necessary as you need all the light you can get to have a great workflow & get your work done. Even if you have the biggest window, the lamp is there to add up some warmth, aesthetics and brighten your little corner. You don’t need to go with the old fashioned study lamps. There are so many affordable options in the market that will save you just fine.

• A PC or Laptop of some sort.

Its 2020 and I’m sure everybody needs to get their works on a computer. If you don’t have this, consider saving up to get one. Before you buy a laptop, ask yourself if you really need it, if you don’t you can totally get away without it. Unless you are in the creative industry then a laptop is a total must to ease up your flow of work. If you are a designer or an artist, you may not find a laptop as a priority on the get-go.

• Stationaries.

This doesn’t have to be anything rather than functional. You will need a notebook of some sort to jot down your ideas, a pen or pencil, probably an eraser, pair of scissors and the likes depending on what your work calls you to do. Anything other than that is purely cosmetic.

• A Rug

This helps your place to look a lot more grounded and completes and compliments your little nook while at the same time designating it as your working space, Rather than being a corner with a desk and chair. The rug also introduces warmth to your corner. This is both functional and decorative but you can totally get your work done without it.

• Some Indoor House Plants.

By Some, I do mean A LOT!!

To Be honest, when I hear a person doesn’t own house plants I usually shed an interior design tear on the inside. You are missing out on a lot of interior decor potentials on a budget. Plants have a way to make a space look alive and inviting which is the cozy vibes we are trying to attract in our workspace.

[tweetthis]When I hear a person doesn’t own house plants I usually shed an interior design tear on the inside[/tweetthis]

• Current

Extras

If you have a budget to get other knick-knacks for your space you may opt for the following. books your reading or your favorite books can go on display.

• A Picture frame (or more) where you may use it to pin up your vision.
• Some fresh flowers, if you have a green thumb.
• Candle
• Diffuser
• Fairy Lights

7. Home Office Designing

After you have got yourself all the necessary basics to get your work started. Its time to build up your Small Home office. This is where your personality comes to play. Whatever item you bring into your working space has to bring you joy and save a certain function, be it decorative or work-related.

In Conclusion, if you are still stuck on how to bring this play home? Head over to my YouTube Channel or Click the video below for a quick crash course on how to do just that.

I hope you found this post informative and in a way you got inspired to create your own little corner. Feel free to bookmark it for future references. If you need a lot more Interior design tips and tricks, Some raw Behind the scene footage or Easy DIY on a budget? be sure to check out my Interior design page. -> Lately_Interiors

ITEMS FORM THE MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR SMALL SPACES – SMALL HOME OFFICE MAKEOVER ON A BUDGET VIDEO

(As PROMISED, Everything was Bought in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.)

GENERAL HOME OFFICE BASICS

Wall Paint – Brilliant white

Curtains & Curtain rods- Kariakoo

Desk – Customized by a local Carpenter.

Filament Ceiling board warm lights – Tronic Posta, Dar es Salaam

Floating shelves – Customized locally using MDF Boards

Square pillow – Discount center Mlimani.

Faux far rug & Pillowcase – Kariakoo

Molded Plastic Side Chair with Wood Legs – Game Mlimani

Warm Fairy lights – Orca Deco

ON THE DESK

Laptop – 16” Retina display MacBook Pro – AppleMacbookTz

Industrial Lamp – Mr. Price Mlimani

Notebooks & Stationaries  – Primpen, Masaki

Vase & Faux white Roses – Orca Deco

Picture Frame – Orca Deco

Diffuser – Allure Decore

Pencil case – Orca Deco

Coaster – Mr. Price Mlimani

RIGHT CORNER

Wooden Box – Team Tanzania

Black pillow and faux leather case. – Kariakoo

Throw Blanket – Orca Deco

Black industrial lamp – Orca Deco

WINDOW SEAL DECOR

hanging plants – Msasani, near NMB Bank

The vases on the window seal – Orca Deco

The Bunny – Game Mlimani

LEFT SIDE OF THE DESK

Stepping stool – Kariakoo

Elsie (monteserra plant)  – Msasani, Near NMB

LOWER FLOATING SHELF

70 – 200mm Lens – Trevor’s

Kit Lens. Asaki

Olympus Camera – Dad, Gifted

Candle Holder – Orca Deco

Vanilla scented candle – Mr. Price

Praying Hands Frame – Dad Gifted

MIDDLE FLOATING SHELF

Glass Vase – Miniso

Plant – NMB Msasani

The Smart Money woman & Becoming – Elite book store

Canon 80 D & 50mm – Asaki

TOP FLOATING SHELF

Lord of the rings books – Gifted, Dad

Gold Flower vase – Mr. Price Home

Plant – NMB Msasani

Be Yourself frame – Customized

Golden Vanilla candle – Mr. Price

Espresso cup – Orca Deco

Plant – NMB Msasani