Home Office Tips

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This home office, designed by Decorating Den, is considered an elegant coastal style.

Interior designer offers tips on improving your home office

By Holly Morgan hollymorgan@theej.com

Apr 21, 2020 7:00 PM UNION COUNTY Many Americans have been working from home for months due to the coronavirus pandemic, and creating a functional, appealing work space is always beneficial. Mary Elliot of Decorating Den is an interior designer who has worked in Union County for the past 25 years.

Elliot shared some of her tips for creating a new look with the decorations you probably already have.

Lighting A home office is often a smaller room. Elliot recommends placing a lamp on or near your desk, but not next to your computer. This way, you have ample lighting without creating a glare on the screen. A lamp will make it easier for the people in your Zoom meeting to see you on camera.

The general rule about lighting is to have at least three light sources, Elliot says.

‘Happy colors’ If you want to change the colors in your home office, or even change the paint colors of the walls, Elliot advises looking at a color wheel to determine which suit you best. The colors you choose reflect how you want to feel while you work, according to Elliot. For example, if you want to stay calm and relaxed while working, then cool colors like blue, green and gray may be best. If you want to be energized and lively, orange, red and yellow may be best.

Elliot asks her clients which colors they like and/or which colors they wear well.

“If you surround yourself with colors that you don’t look good in or you’re not comfortable being in you’re not going to want to stay in your office. You don’t want to drive yourself out of the office by painting it bright orange or something like that because it’s too intense. So you’re not going to be able to sit down comfortably in that office very long,” Elliot said.

Personally, Elliot prefers “happy colors” around her. She believes you can have any number of colors in a room; however, the more colors you add to a room, the busier the design will be, she said.

Saturated colors like dark blues and shades of green are becoming popular, according to Elliot. Gray is still a popular color because it is considered to be calming and clean.

Adding pops of color with a selection of accessories — like pillows, window treatments, area rugs or books — is a way to brighten a room without being too intense, Elliot said.

Accessory Arrangement Do you have a lot of decorative items and trinkets, or are you more of a minimalist?

Whether you have a little or a lot, sometimes it can be a challenge knowing how to arrange decorative items to make them look attractive rather than cluttered.

Elliot’s advice on arranging items is to look at your hand. Notice how the tallest finger is in the middle and the other fingers are parallel in descending order. That’s how you should arrange decorative items. Start with the tallest piece and then place other items around it in descending order by height.

When piecing together a decorative collection, use the odd number rule — place items in groups of either one, three or five.

Don’t be afraid to decorate the walls. Adding a piece of art, lighting and putting curtains or drapes on windows will “lift the eyes up,” according to Elliot. “It keeps the room from feeling bottom-heavy,” she said.

Home offices represent a space where people are working toward a goal. Elliot said an accessory in an office can be a vision board — a collection of photos and/or quotes that

illustrate a person’s goal or goals. Vision boards are meant to keep people motivated and inspired.

Organization Elliot recommends home office furniture that the client finds appealing to the eye and practical. Desks should be able to store their files and devices in addition to pleasing the eye.

She said one of the most common challenges people have with a home office is clutter.

Because it is the “anchor” of the room, her suggestion for desks is to place them next to a wall and near an outlet to hide electrical cords. In her opinion, desks should face toward a window so you can look outside while working.

To balance the layout of a home office, place a bookshelf, couch or seating area opposite the desk, Elliot says.

If you want your guest bedroom to also function as a home office, Elliot recommends placing file cabinets and printers in the closet for a more “presentable” and uncluttered design.

Zoom friendly Elliot said Zoom meetings are changing the game for interior designers. She said clients are becoming increasing interested in having eye-catching, decorated walls behind them while they sit in on digital meetings. Zoom has become a popular way to hold virtual meetings.

She said her company has regional, virtual meetings several times a week and they also conduct virtual meetings with clients; therefore, their home offices need to look professional and decorated. “I think everybody is going to need a spot where it is

presentable and personal behind them,” Elliot said. “In your office, that’s something you want to test — is what it looks like behind you ...”

Wallpaper or a customized wall “could be very cool,” she said. Easy release wallpaper is available and can be applied by anyone.

Bookshelves aren’t just for books anymore. They can be used for accessories and photographs as well.

Decorating Den has a product catalog that includes: window treatments, upholstered furniture, floor coverings, bedding, closet and storage solutions, accessories and wall coverings.

Elliot’s business radius includes Indian Trail, Marvin, Matthews, Mint Hill, Monroe, Waxhaw, Weddington, Wesley Chapel and surrounding areas in Union County. To learn more, go to Decorating Den’s website at https://melliott.decoratingden.com/