7 Ways to Personalize Your Workspace

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Let’s face it: We spend a lot of time at work. Whether you work in an office or telecommute from home, you spend many of your waking hours sitting at a desk. A comfortable and personal work environment can lead to increased productivity, better morale, and a much happier you! Here are some of our favorite ways to help make your workspace reflect your personality.

1. Surround Yourself With Life Moments

Whether it's a picture from your wedding day, a drawing your son made in school, or a hula girl figurine from your trip to Hawaii, reminders of the good times can make for fun, inexpensive office décor. Better yet, those cherished items can help remind you that all your hard work pays off.

2. Warm Up Your Office With Light

With banks of overhead fluorescent lighting, offices can be downright cold and uninviting. A simple tabletop lamp could be just the thing you need to warm up your workspace. Table lamps come in many different styles, so they’re a great tool for adding your personal touch to a space.

3. Go Green

Plants not only improve the look of your office, but they also improve the health of your office. Oxygen-generating plants recycle old, stale air. Add a breath of fresh air to your workspace and go green.

4. Add Pops of Color

Break out of the institutional beige and add color to your office with accessories. Colorful and decorative binders, desk organizers, storage bins, and file folders can brighten up and transform even the most sterile office.

5. Add a Spoonful of Sugar

Who doesn’t like a piece of candy once in a while? A full candy dish is a welcoming and inviting item to add to your desk. Keeping your favorite treats handy is a reminder that breaks are always important. Pop a piece of candy in your mouth and savor the moment. If you're on a health kick, add a fruit bowl or some mixed nuts.

6. Roll Through Your Work Day in Style

Chair mats have come a long way from the ugly rubber floor protectors they once were. Mats now come in all shapes, colors, and materials. Bamboo mats are a great example—they not only look great, but they’re eco-friendly too. Most bamboo mats are harvested from their native habitats.

7. Hang Original Art

Most workplaces have art or commission art for their offices. If you are lucky enough to have the freedom to hang your art, it’s a great way to personalize your office space. It’s also a great way for companies to support their employees’ interests and hobbies.

Design & Innovation

The Complete Guide to Office Décor

The right office décor can make or break the look of any room in your home or office. To learn what type of décor you should incorporate into your space, read this comprehensive guide to office décor.

Wall art comes in all sizes and styles to complement the look of your workspace. Whether shabby chic or elegantly traditional, the options are endless, and you’re sure to find something that coordinates well with your workspace. Choose from gallery-wrapped canvas paintings, motivational posters, and framed prints. No matter what you choose, you’ll love how it instantly uplifts the mood in the room.

Desktop accessories include all those little items you use to keep your desk neat and organized. From letter trays and desk pads to photo frames and desktop décor, these items make it easy to keep your workspace living up to its full potential. These desktop accessories have the functionality to get the job done, and they’re also available in styles that will make your desk look better.

Artificial plants can be real mood boosters in an office setting, producing similar effects as real plants. Even nature photography will do! When images of greenery and plant life are present in the workplace, worker productivity increases.

Accent chairs and occasional tables may be functional office furniture, but they’re also décor. These stylish additions may not always be necessary, but they look great. Choose from a huge range of styles and sizes to offer guests a stylish seat in your private office or waiting room.

Accent lighting also serves multiple purposes. These pieces of décor help illuminate a room, but they also add a little character.

Clocks are a timeless trend that has stuck around despite the rise in cell phones and smartwatches. Whether a huge wall clock or a small desk clock, these elements of décor are true statement pieces, designed to capture attention and tell time.

Mirrors look great in almost every room when used correctly. From small sunburst mirrors that bring a pop of shine to huge statement mirrors that help a room look bigger, there are many options. Your only task is figuring out which option you like best!

Area rugs make great additions to a homelike private office or reception area. Available in many colors, patterns, and styles, the right area rug can help define a space.

Decorative boards go above and beyond your basic steel frame whiteboard. Whether it’s a colored glass board, a wood frame whiteboard, or a steel frame blackboard, these simple elements turn your everyday conference accessory into a piece of office décor you can be proud of.

How to Set Up a Lunchroom

Most offices have lunchrooms, but they aren’t normally at the top of the priority list when designing a new office space. However, a well-designed breakroom can make a big difference in the day-to-day work lives of your employees. Functional, good-looking lunchrooms can increase how often employees utilize the space, decreasing their desire to go out for lunch and enabling them to make healthier, less expensive eating choices.

Tables

One of the first things you’ll want to decide when designing your breakroom is what type of tables you need since tables can take up quite a bit of space in the room. Standard height cafeteria tables with attached or separate chairs are great options for large, open spaces. If you have a smaller room, you may consider smaller café tables that take up less physical and visual space. Lunchroom tables come in a huge assortment of styles and sizes, so you should have no problem finding the one that’s right for you.

Chairs

If you do not select a table with built-in seating, you’ll need chairs to go with your tables. Choose a collection with matching tables and chairs, or go with something totally different. If you select café tables, make sure you get stools of the correct height to ensure your employees are comfortable while seated. Choose from folding, stacking, mobile, and nesting chairs that are easy to move around and store when needed. Remember, armless chairs will make it much easier for users to get up close to the table to eat.

Magazine Racks

Offering magazines to employees in your breakroom is a great way to keep them happy on their lunch breaks, especially for those who may have forgotten to bring their own reading material. Choose either a wall-mounted or freestanding magazine holder, and keep it well-stocked with the latest issues of the magazines your company subscribes to.

Message Boards

Message boards are a great addition to any lunchroom because they help get company messages across to employees much quicker when placed in a room that employees frequent. Because your employees will be utilizing your beautiful new lunchroom regularly, they’re sure to walk by your message board often, provided you place it in an easy-to-see spot.

Waste Receptacles

Although they aren’t the most glamorous items you’ll buy for your lunchroom, waste receptacles are essential. Before making a purchase, decide where your trash cans will be placed in your lunchroom and measure the space. You’ll also want to determine how many garbage and recycling bins will be needed right away since you can usually get a discount when ordering multiple receptacles at the same time.

Refrigerators

Don’t forget the refrigerator! The size of your company and the size of your lunchroom will determine how large or small of a refrigerator you’ll be able to get and how many you’ll need. Whether you need a large fridge/freezer combo or would rather equip your space with multiple small refrigerators, you have plenty of options.

23 Conference Rooms to Inspire Your Next Office Makeover

Whether you're outfitting a new executive conference room or trying to fit some casual meeting spaces into your existing office, it can be difficult to know where to start. Check out some of our most popular conference room setups to inspire your next meeting space makeover.

Crisp and Modern

A modern meeting space will make an office appear professional and up-to-date, which is ideal for improving your brand’s image and impressing clients.

Industrial and Rustic

Industrial office furniture combines metal and wood to create a look that is contemporary but edgy. This style is ideal for trendy businesses that want to stand out in a crowd.

Casual & Comfortable

Adding touchdown spaces throughout your office will allow employees to meet on an on-the-fly basis more casually. Touchdown spaces are typically informal and feature lounge-like furniture that's comfortable and more homelike than traditional conference furnishings.

Outdoor Elegance

Why not take advantage of the nice weather while it lasts? Adding a break area that doubles as an outdoor meeting space will allow employees to meet outside, which can refresh and rejuvenate, sparking new ideas and energizing employees for the rest of the day.

Telecommuting Support

If your business has remote employees, consider incorporating media conference tables that support teleconferencing into your office.

Standing Meetings

Incorporating standing height or adjustable height conference tables into your office allows employees to stretch during business conversations. Be sure to provide stools or active seating options so employees can decide whether they want to sit or stand.

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