Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope your long weekend was fun and relaxing. Mr. Planning Pretty and I spent the weekend visiting family, watching a comedy show, going to Pinks, to the Griffith Observatory and a BBQ. Monday was not glamorous at all, we brewed beer and cleaned up the apartment. It’s nice to have the extra day to handle all the practical matters. I did find new bedding amidst all the sales! I also worked on finishing my new office. Leaving Planning Pretty HQ in Oakland was one of the hardest parts of moving back to SoCal. I enjoyed having my own space just down the street. Luckily our new apartment has plenty of space to setup shop again. With a 2+ bedroom, I converted the “+” into a home office. I have a separate walk-in-closet/mini room too, perfect for prop storage. I still have lots of the decor from the original studio but I partnered again with the Better Homes & Gardens collection to add some personality to my new office! Today I’m sharing my 4 must haves for a home office to help with your decorating :)
My first must-have for a home office is separation from the rest of the home. The layout of our apartment is perfect for this. My office sits in the front of the home and my desk facing the front lawn, trees and street. I’m not facing the TV, which is so helpful for my productivity. I recommend keeping your desk away from the line of sight of the TV. Saves hours of distraction from binge Netflix watching.
Second I need tons of natural light. Not only to take photos, but also to keep a happy mood while working. That’s one thing I hated about our old apartment in Oakland. The built-in desk sat in the darkest part of the apartment. Sure I decorated everything and it looked very pretty, but I never worked in there. I almost always gravitated towards the living room because of the natural light. I need to work facing a window! It’s just something about my thinking process that brings more clarity. My new home office boasts the largest window in the apartment. However, facing the street & sidewalk can deplete my sense of privacy. Having the Grey ironwork curtains and Antique brass rod helps prevent my neighbors from looking straight into the space. I can still look out and get tons of light, but they can’t see me!
Comfort is a huge must have for my home office. I’m sitting here for hours after all and the wrong chair or poor support wears out my back and neck. I have a great office chair, but having a pillow feels even better. I loved the Palm print pillow because it brings a little outdoors inside. Such a great pattern! I keep tons of extra pillows around the house as props and extra decor. I can switch up a room so easily just by switching the pillows. I have the Gold heart pillow as a backup in my office :)
Last but not least are the little details! In addition to keeping my office as neat as possible, I love have small accents that make me smile. Fresh flowers always make my desk happier and keep me motivated to finish my work. I love picking up a small bouquet from the market and arranging in my favorite vase. I also love special details on my shelves like my teapot, ice cream cone bank, and little animal figurines (I love animals!). In addition to patterns and colors of the bigger decor, these little details really showcase my personality.
Having the space for a home office is such a blessing. It’s wonderful to have a space for yourself to get away from your spouse, kids and other distractions. It’s important to have strict rules for yourself like no housework or TV while you’re working in the office. I avoid frequent trips into the kitchen when I need to stretch my legs. If I’m feeling restless, I just head outside for a quick walk with my yorkie Sprinkles.
I hope this helps with decorating your home office! Having a strategically placed office, plenty of light, comfortable seating and fun accents make work so much easier. You can focus on your to-do lists in beautiful space!
Check out what my fellow bloggers are sharing on social media with the hashtag #BHGLiveBetter. You can find more inspiration on BHG Living’s social media channels: Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook!
*This post is brought to you in collaboration with Better Homes and Gardens products at Walmart via the BHG Live Better Network. All content, ideas, and words in this post are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that allow me to create new and special content like this for Planning Pretty.
