Welcome to 2020. The world is in a pandemic. We are re-learning how to wash our hands. Toilet paper is wiped clean from the shelves. OK – sorry terrible pun intended – you have to find humor in these crazy days we are currently in, right??? While we are dealing with the stress of these situations, many of us have found ourselves from going to work each day to suddenly working from home full time. I’m sharing with you how I upgraded my work space to make this part of the pandemic just a tad easier to deal with!
The Before
Unfortunately for me, my home office wasn’t quite ready for me to spend more than an hour here or there. Check out this picture. That’s my desk from college, a folding chair and an old TV that I had turned into a monitor. I found myself with some uncomfortable back pain along with a solid dose of frustration and depression from being stuck in this pale space for 9+ hours each day. It desperately needed an upgrade and a design haul – quickly! Cause my productivity flow just wasn’t happening! Disclaimer: This blog contains affiliate links which means I earn a small percentage of every purchase at no cost to you.
First, let me explain where I have my home office set up. I have a town home in Florida in which all of my home is upstairs… EXCEPT my office. My family has gotten used to calling this space “the basement” even though we live in Florida and its not actually a basement. We are originally from Brooklyn, and the way the house is structured, it just feels like a basement LOL! So naturally… I HATED heading down there to start my day and remain for 9 hours. I truly felt like I was being banished away into this small, closed in, awkward space. I knew it had potential. And now was finally the time to get to work and uncover it!
1. Upgrade Your Monitor
The first order of business.. I got myself a GIANT monitor. I found the Samsung 34-Inch SJ55W Ultrawide Gaming Monitor from Amazon. Like many people, my job requires me to have a lot of windows open at once so it helps to have multiple screens. But I had the idea that instead of the cluttered look of multiple monitors to just get one beautiful large screen – especially since this space is so small. So I ordered this monitor and I have to say, I couldn’t be more impressed. The resolution is beautiful and I can easily see everything I need at once. Plus, when it’s on sleep mode it looks almost like one beautiful art piece.
2. A Functional Desk Space
To be honest, I furniture shopped for a desk for quite a while. And yes, there were less expensive options. But they were bulky, or too small or too big or too masculine. I knew exactly what I wanted for this space, something streamlined that keeps this small space open, light and airy. When I saw the Strut Bourbon Glass Top Table in Crate and Barrel I knew this was the one. It is offered in two different colors, Bourbon (with steel joints) and Teak (with brass joints). I decided on the Bourbon and I love it. It fits perfectly in my space below the stairs and I fell in love with the classic simplicity of it. It would have been nice to have some storage (there is none) but I kind of like not having a place to add more junk and clutter to. Plus, since this is such a small space I didn’t want to add a heavy looking piece of furniture. My only issue with this table is that it isn’t the most stable, it tends to wobble a tad which can be a bit annoying when I’m working. But I love the design so much I felt it was negligible. If you think this can be a major annoyance, I suggest checking this table out in a local store before committing. Note, with the glass, this table is HEAVY! So if you order it without looking at it first, make sure you love it when its delivered. Crate and Barrel representatives have told me in the past that on certain items, if I don’t love it when it arrives, just let the delivery men know and they will take it back at no charge to you. This is why I love this store so much! (Note: check out my review of the Crate and Barrel Lounge II sofa if you need a couch cause this one is the bomb!)
3. Lighting
Next, I ordered this light fixture from West Elm. When I purchased this house, it came with a florescent light and, man, HOW I hated it. I decided I wanted a beautiful pendant light and found the Sculptural Glass Globe Pendant – Metallic Ombre from West Elm. My dad installed it for me and I have to say, it was super easy! It adds just the right amount of character to the room. When I first ordered this piece, the hardware arrived smashed and unusable. West Elm was great about sending a whole new kit and I just took the broken one back – easy peasy!
4. Decoration
I added some bookshelves behind me to add some visual interest to this once bland room and I have to say, it’s not quite done yet, but its this room is way better than how I started out pre-COVID.
I purchased this Unique Loom Blue Rug from Amazon, I wanted to throw some color into this space to add some life to it and it was a great buy! Its a beautiful color and its super soft and comfortable.
5. Desk Accessories
I bought this Jelly Comb Wireless Mouse, Quiet Keyboard and Nakapa Mouse Pad. I love the white and pastel colors. They help keep this space light, bright and fun. I also LOVE my 2020 Bloom Daily Planner. I know we don’t have much to plan in 2020, but even in these days, it helps me stay on schedule. It has motivating quotes on every few pages and really helps keep me inspired and setting goals in these bizarre days we are in. I actually can’t wait to buy my 2021 Bloom Planner I really do love this scheduler so much!
6. Tunes!
If you’re a music fan like I am, you’re going to need a way to play some tunes. I don’t know about you but I hate sitting in the quiet, it makes me crazy. Some people can’t listen to music while working but it puts me in the zone! If you’re social distancing with family in some close quarters, I recommend these Bose Soundsport Headphones. I use them when I go running, they are sweatproof which is awesome and they sound amazing. I mean its Bose of course they do. And I personally like that they are connected by a cord, it makes it easy to drape them around my neck if I run into someone or need to pull them out for a second. Air pods wouldn’t last a day but that’s just me.
I tend to blast my music around the house, so I love my Anker Bluetooth Speaker. The charge on it lasts forever and it sounds great. You can hear it throughout all 1600 Square Feet even though its usually playing from way down in “the basement.” I also use this to workout at home, while cleaning the house, practically all the time, its really the only speaker you will ever need.
7. Mini Spa Sesh!
Treat yo’self! I make sure I have some relaxing scented hand creams so I can take advantage of a quick 5 minute pamper sesh when I start feeling frustrated or overwhelmed. In those five minutes I slowly gather my thoughts, center myself, and create a plan of action. It also helps me calm down before overreacting to Janet’s ridiculous request just when I am about to sign off for the day. Really Janet?!?
I hope that gave you some great ideas for revamping your home office! Stay tuned to see how I continue to make updates to this space, I’m on the hunt for some decorative shelves, artwork, and a cozier chair than this one i took from my patio LOL
What are your home offices like? What are some things you are doing to help stay excited about your work space and motivated to maintain your schedule to achieve your goals? Leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you!
