Set up a home office for a new year

It's a new year and the opportunity for a new start. Plan and decorate a home office that is comfortable and practical and allows you to work from home. We put together a collection of ideas and inspiration to get those creative juices flowing and help you start your decorating project.

 

More and more people are starting to work from home, whether it's a full-on home office based business, or a place to catch up on your paperwork on a regular basis. For many companies and organisations, allowing employees the freedom to work from home increases productivity and reduces operating costs, and with the advances in Internet-based communication, working from home is as easy as logging in.

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ABOVE: Wallpaper is just one of the ways to dress up a space, but you can also use wallpaper adhesive and sheet music or newspaper as ersatz wallpaper if you can't find a design you like. Working on a one metre square section at a time, apply wallpaper paste to the wall, lay your sheet music or newspaper over the top of this - pressing flat from the centre outwards to remove air bubbles and wrinkles - and let this dry before applying a couple of coats of clear acrylic sealer or ModPodge.

See our article on using cartoon strips for wallpaper in a guest toilet.

Whatever your reason for working from home, you will need a place to sit down and have everything you need close at hand. A dedicated room or space can easily be decorated to your personal preference and will set the tone for getting down to business in a professional manner.

ABOVE and BELOW: If you don't already have furniture that can be re-purposed for your home office, shop around at secondhand stores and pawn shops, or check out online auctions and sales such as www.gumtree.co.za, www.olx.co.za or www.bidorbuy.co.za for bargains. With some sanding down and a couple of coats of paint you can quite easily turn a piece of junk into a treasured piece of furniture for your home office.

It's easy to keep your home office neat and clean if you paint with a paint that allows you to wash down walls and furniture when they get grubby. Both Plascon Double Velvet and Plascon Velvaglo waterbased enamels are easy to apply and even easier to keep clean. Keep it simple with crisp white walls and furniture and add a splash of colour to spice up the room.

ABOVE: This antique table and chair might be a little rough around the edges, but that just adds to the charm. Soften the effect by hanging full-length floral curtains and top bare flooring with a textured rug.

What's nice about working from home is not just that you don't have to slog through traffic every morning and evening, but that you get to work in a space that is decorated and designed to fit around your personality and work ethic. If you only need a space to set up your laptop or tablet, a small desk fits nicely into a compact space and you have the freedom to dress this up any way you want.

ABOVE: When you only have a small space or tight corner to set up your home office make sure you scale the decor to match the size of the space. This reproduction home office desk in pastel pink fits perfectly into a compact space a-buzz with bees and butterflies.  You can have Plascon Velvaglo waterbased enamel tinted in limitless colour options and it's eco-friendly and easy to apply.

 

Set up your home office for wireless or blue-tooth technology and be able to pack everything away when not in use, without having cables and wires everywhere. Now you have a regular spot to work in without the clutter! Don't be afraid to mix old and new. A vintage desk is brightened up with the addition of a sunny yellow chair and a colourful print.

In a home that doesn't even have the smallest space for you to set up a home office, you can look at the option of turning a garden room or garden shed into a home office. This also allows you to keep your work and living areas separate. You will need to insulate an outdoor structure for comfort and have an electrician install wiring for any office equipment.