How to Spice up Your Workspace

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Am I the only person who dreams of the perfect office space? I think of a moderate sized room, with calming periwinkle tones on the walls and a glass entry door. I want a space that is welcoming and comfortable for me and my clients, yet sleek and stylish with a touch of glam. I picture a tall Guiana Chestnut growing in the corner, open shelves to display my accomplishments and personal photos, and a shag ottoman strategically placed beside a gold end table and white accent chair. My desk is large, yet slim with a hidden file cabinet pink calendar on the corner. The focal point is my regal chair for a Queen, with its rhinestone edging, padded armrests and engraved wheels.

This will be a reality one day - and by then, I may have completely changed my idea of what "perfect" looks like. Right now, my office space is a little less enticing. In fact, in my corporate job I have a cubicle. My mundane little space is about as big as a four square board and crammed with a file cabinet, a standing desk, two monitors, a printer, a phone and a few personal nick knacks. It's tiny and very open to the public (probably my biggest pet peeve as an HR resource), but it is mine. So, I've made the best of it - I have my kiddos as my background on my monitors and my favorite wedding photo atop my file cabinet. My Post-it holder is a cute diamond pop out that matches my pink mouse pad. It's not much, but it makes the space mine.

Since COVID-19 has pushed us to our home offices - a change I happily accepted - my workspace looks a lot different now. Instead of padded walls and metal cabinets, I work from my comfy guestroom. We are in process of building a family office in our basement, and by in process I mean saving Pinterest photos of what we want it to look like. Renovation will likely start next year. So in the meantime, my desk is set up in a corner of the guestroom, but its much better than any cubicle by a long shot. There's a window, which brings in natural light, and a bed to lounge in if my hot pink chair starts to stiffen my joints. When my eyes start to tire from screen time, I can drift off into lala land for a moment of peace after glancing at my little floral arrangement on the corner of my gray desk from Amazon, which you can shop below. True, its not my dream design from above, but its much more spacious and most days I'm able to power through emails before 10 AM in my pjs.

You have to take your current workspace and put your stamp on it. Whether its your home office, a corner suite or a shared cube, you won't be able to feel productive until you can get comfortable. Maybe you want a little succlent in the window or a motivational photo by your laptop to help you get through the day. Whatever it is, do it. If you don't feel empowered, you'll find it challenging to complete everyday tasks. Below are a few tips you can try to spice up your work area and make it feel more unique:

Making a space unique can bring new life and change your view of it. Think of a plain wine glass - everyone has one and its bland and simple. Yet, if you add a little sparkle to the stem and etch Bride & Groom along the top you've just turned it into a wedding keepsake. When you take a moment to add a little flavor into the most basic elements you can bring the hidden potential out of the most drab and dreary areas.