Next up on the office series is your workspace! I’ve shared tips targeted toward both remote work and in-office work, and today’s post can apply regardless of where you’re working. After chatting about virtual meeting makeup, adding color to your office attire, and creating the perfect work-from-home outfit, it’s time to talk about your desk decor.

Interestingly enough, I say that today’s post can apply to both traditional and home office life because I had this post idea prior to the pandemic in early February. At the top of the year, I wanted to add some flair to my desk at work, so I had a few ideas to accomplish my goal. Once we were sent home due to the pandemic, I was able to expand on that a bit more and create a workspace that fits my personality. Below are the tips you can apply to keep your office desk decor interesting.

5 Ways to Add Cute Office Desk Decor to Your Workspace

Before I dive in, let’s talk about why you should even care about your setup in the first place. Much like the clothes you wear, your environment can alter your mood. Would you feel more inspired in a standard cubicle without any windows or a decorated desk with pops of color? Even if you don’t love an assortment of neon colors everywhere, there’s something refreshing about working in a space that mirrors your personality. You feel a bit more comfortable, inspired, and happy when you like the environment.

Related: How to Style Your Home on a Budget

I’ve always been someone who needs to express myself at work in order to increase job satisfaction. When I was working in retail, it’s no surprise that Guess was my favorite job. I actively avoided any place that had a strict “polo and slacks” kind of uniform, and Guess was the one retail store I worked at that had the most creative freedom in what we wore. After leaving retail and getting an office job, I slowly found an office style that accurately reflected my clothing taste. Then, I started to focus more on adding personality to an otherwise fairly plain desk. These are the things I have incorporated to add personality to my office space.

Bring light to your office space.

This tip is for those of you who primarily work from home, as those of us in an office likely don’t have the ability to manipulate the location of our desk. While I am working from home, I’ve noticed just how important it is to center your office space around the light. If you can, position your desk in a room that has plenty of natural light. My living room doesn’t get the best natural light based on its position, but it does have a large window overlooking the balcony. Being able to people watch and take a look at nature throughout the workday not only provides a nice mental break, but it also opens up your space so you feel less confined.

Get creative with your photo display.

If you don’t have any photos on your desk, why not? Is it simply a lack of physical photos or are you not sure how to display them? I have worked an office job for over 7 years now and didn’t add any personal photos until around my 3rd or 4th year because I didn’t find any frames I liked. There’s something about a traditional picture frame setup that just doesn’t feel like my style, so I found an alternate option!

Standard picture frames can feel a bit stale, so you can get creative with displaying your photos through customization! Instead of displaying family photos in a picture frame, create a story with a mix of photos. As someone who loves music and fashion, I ordered a set of prints from Artifact Uprising that include concert photos, some outfit shots, and family and friend pictures. All of my photos are from Instagram for convenience, but you have the creative freedom to pick any photo source you have. At the office, I pinned the photos to the wall space next to my computer for a makeshift polaroid wall.

You can also purchase a woodblock set and rotate which pictures you want to display or get the photos printed in a calendar or book. The goal is to add photos or quotes of things that feel like home and motivate you to show up every day.

Bring in plants.

A millennial saying you need plants in your life? Groundbreaking, I know. But this is coming from a millennial who does not have a green thumb, so I understand how difficult it can be to keep plants alive. Over the Christmas break, one of my coworkers gifted us mini plants and I put reminders in my Outlook calendar to water the plant every few days.

At home, I haven’t found the perfect plant to try and nurture so I am sticking with artificial plants for now. Natural plants are better in that they help purify the air and increase productivity, but artificial plants are a great stepping stone as you learn how to care for live plants. I like the look of plants, whether artificial or not, because they add a sense of comfort to your space.

Get Inspired: Follow the Office Decor Pinterest board

Add color to your memos.

Those of you familiar with my love of planning and all things stationery should not be surprised by this tip. I have never been one to use the office-provided supplies. I find them to be dull in every sense of the word and it just feels like work to write on a pale yellow memo pad with a standard-issue pen and faded highlighter. Writing down an action item on a boring yellow sticky note? Yawn. Writing down that same action item on a cute sticky note? Win!

It sounds silly, but bringing life to your supplies can make a difference. Instead of using a standard pencil cup from the office supply closet, bring in your own coffee mug or marble cup alternative. Find sticky notes that fit your taste and bring a bit of fun to your workday! I’ve been using pastel notes and highlighters for the past 8 months with school, and have recently picked up neutral options to shift into a more refined yet stylish vibe. Those little stationery changes can help your office desk look put together, especially when on full display.

Match your desk with your decor.

This last tip is specifically for those of you who work from home, regardless of whether that’s full time or just a few days out of the week. Prior to the pandemic, I worked from home once a week so I didn’t feel the need to have a dedicated setup. My, what a difference it makes! If you have the budget for it, I strongly recommend investing in a dedicated office space. My focus felt like it improved as soon as I switched from working from my couch or dining table to working from a dual monitor setup at a true office desk.

It can be tempting to grab a temporary desk, but it will certainly be more motivating and feel cohesive if you purchase a desk that flows well with your existing home decor. I would describe my personal home decor taste as somewhere between a modern and contemporary design. I gravitate towards sleek designs in earthy tones, so I wanted my desk to reflect that. I purchased a simple desk from All Modern that fit my style preferences and immediately felt motivated to use my new setup.

What tips do you have to add personality to your office desk decor?

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