Up Your WFH Game With Thoughtfully Placed Shelves

While employees have returned to offices and resumed work in person, many still have a hybrid work set-up where they are working from home for part of the week.

Working from home can be distracting, and to help eliminate some of that distraction, you need a tidy desk. To keep the clutter at bay, create a calming work environment where you can focus on your tasks.

For those of us who are still embracing that WFH life, here’s some home office inspo.

DOUBLE DUTY

If you’re an apartment-dweller and your main living space doubles as your office, a simple ledge is all you need for a laptop perch. You can easily transform the desk into a bar or buffet when guests are over and you need to entertain.

USE COLOR STRATEGICALLY

Color has the power to set the tone in a space. Ask yourself how you want to feel in your office, and then add strategic pops of color to help evoke that feeling. Cool hues like blues, greens, and purples are calming, while warm tones like reds, oranges, and yellows are energizing.

DISPLAY UNIQUE DECOR

Incorporating unique design elements and decor can make a ho-hum office feel more like a well-designed space. Install a shelf above your desk and display tchotchkes that inspire you.

BOOKSHELF

If you’re a writer, surrounding yourself with your favorite literary works can help with inspiration while you work. Install a beautiful shelf to house all your tomes and intersperse meaningful decorative objects.

BUILT-IN BOOKENDS

Floating shelves with built-in bookends make arranging your books easier. Place a few books you’ll need for work on a shelf above your desk so that you can easily grab them when needed.

HOOKS FOR CORDS

Installing hooks near your desk can help corral charging cords, headphones and other unruly cables that make the workspace feel chaotic.

ALL WHITE SPACES

One way to eliminate visual clutter is to create a clean, all-white space. With alabaster walls, desks, and shelves, it all fades together to create a crisp backdrop where you can focus on your work.

ARTFUL ARRANGEMENTS

Incorporate art into your work area by placing prints, paintings, and sculptures on shelves. This works especially well in workspaces that may be doing double duty, like a living area, where you’ll want more of a designer’s touch.

TWO TONE

Use color to delineate space within the office. Frame the desk and shelving above your work area with one color. Then paint the adjacent area in a complementary color.

WARMTH WITH WOOD

Add warmth to an all-white office with touches of wood. Wood shelving and frames can easily be incorporated into a workspace to add organic touches.

AN ASIDE

Placing your desk in front of a window to give yourself views of blues skies and exposure to natural light can help with productivity. Installing shelving off to the side of the desk keeps all your supplies artfully arranged and within reach.