September 10th 2015

Work environments can vary drastically depending on the culture of the company and type of work being done. Cubicles, private spaces, collaborative spaces, cars, or a home office space are just a few of the varying work environments of today.

Some people need a very clean space to work to help them stay focused, while others are more productive when surrounded by things they love. This week, we are sharing some ideas on how to both personalize your office space while keeping it professional, de-cluttered, and adaptable.

Think Horizontal:

Sometimes personal photos on the wall or sitting out on desktops can feel and look like clutter, especially if you share a space with an OCD coworker. Instead of going vertical with your personal memorabilia, consider going horizontal. Select a piece of glass made for the top of your desk. This allows you to have personal pictures and inspirational quotes that are visible mostly only to you while keeping your desktop space free. This also gives you the ability to change up the images whenever you need a change of scenery without upsetting your co-worker.

Keep It Lined Up:

When displaying items, line them up instead of overlapping them to create a collage effect. This will help give a feeling of organization verses clutter. Another tip is to have everything the same color and/or same size. This keeps your space looking professional while still allowing you to personalize it. For example, you could use all black and white photos or all red frames.

Inside Verses Out:

So maybe where you work has strict rules about what can be seen at your workspace. In these situations, look for hidden spaces that you can personalize such as the inside of your storage doors. This is the perfect place for a quote or family photo that you can see throughout your day without disrupting the work code.

Creativity:

Maybe you work in a shared space or the desk you use changes every time you come to the office. A personalized wall-covering that combines all the staffs’ favorite words or quotes is a great way to make everyone feel like they had a part in making that space more personal. A small picture rolodex at each space that can be personalized with notes, quotes, and images can easily be changed out and moved around without taking too much physical or visual space.

Color:

We would suggest using color to help brighten up and define areas. Using one color for almost all surfaces such as walls, ceilings, and furniture helps create a “neutral” background allowing for a few pops of personalization to shine forth without being overwhelming.

Home Spaces:

Home office spaces are commonly used by several people and need to serve multiple functions. As a result, it can quickly become disorganized and overwhelming resulting in zero to little productivity. Often it makes for a space that no one wants to occupy at all. Defining zones is a great way to make since of the chaos. Using solid colors verses pattern can help as well as labeling. For kids’ work spaces, utilize their name. This gives them a space to control and makes it personal.