Decorating a Home Office for Less

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

Nationwide provided me with information regarding its blog post.

Decorating a home office can be a daunting task. You want the space to be one that you can feel productive, inspired, and organized in. You also want it to have somewhat of a professional feel so that when you are in it you know you can get things done. I am going to share with you a few ideas of how you can decorate your home office for less and LOVE the space you are in!

Choose a color scheme that makes you happy. Colors affect mood more than we know, and this is why you want to make sure that you are in tune with which colors speak to you. I love light, airy walls that allow for a calm atmosphere but are neutral enough that I can throw in different colors depending on my mood. My WHOLE house is a light blue color called Ice Jam by Kwal paint and I love it. Blue is not for everyone, but for me I love that it feels like a light calm day outside and is like a neutral for me as it is a light blue/grey. I also really like white walls that allow for a bold statement with any color that you choose to accent. Jewel tones can be beautiful as well, but you may want to stick to an accent wall so that the space doesn’t feel too overwhelming. Paint is one of the easiest ways to pack a punch with any budget and automatically give your office space the face lift that it needed.

When shopping for a paint color don’t be afraid to buy a sample and try a few different colors out on the wall before committing to a shade.

Don’t be afraid to re-purpose items that you have in other areas of your home I always shop my house and put things together that may have been meant for another room or another purpose. A fun accent piece that isn’t hard to find at a second hand store is beautiful books in the color scheme you are looking for. Books can instantly add personality to a room, just make sure to be selective and not to put too many together so that it starts to look cluttered. Pull out your old books that you’ve studied throughout your life and use them as statements in your office. You could even frame book covers that mean something special to you or use the pages of a book to create unique artwork. I have also spray painted old toys gold to make a surprising statement piece to a book shelf or turned our matching diplomas into wall art.

One of my favorite things in my office is a bouquet from our wedding day. It is over 10 years old, but it is a special something that reminds me of our special day. It didn’t cost anything, and it brings fun color into the room. I also have books that belonged to my grandfather, artwork that my children made, and pictures that I love. One of the things I get asked the most about is our plumbing pipe shelves, it is a completely unexpected touch that makes the office really stand out. It was a DIY project that we took on as an experiment and I love the way it turned out.

Make a statement with the wall art Find something that you LOVE to be the statement of your room. For me, it was the print of the United States that we bought from ModifyInk.com that you can choose your own color scheme and feel to really personalize your space. We made a frame for this print which cut down on the cost tremendously out of scraps of wood. I then white washed it and stained it to give it a rustic, earthy feel. You can see more of that artwork here.

You could create other statement pieces out of your own artwork, photography, or maps. The more personal it is to you the better.

Include things you are passionate about When you are decorating any space it is so important to remember that this is YOUR space. You are your #1 client and when you are in this space you should feel like you belong. If you have a passion for horses hang a bridle on the wall, include a picture of your favorite horse, and maybe even hang an old saddle as your statement piece. It could be anything! You can find more ideas on the Nationwide blog and How to Decorate Your Office on a Tight Budget here.