Personalizing Your Office

Many of us spend more hours in a day in our workspace than we do in our home. We talk about making a contented, inviting home, but what about our workspaces? I'll give you a quick tour of my office and tell you the things you can do to make your workspace more inviting.

As you personalize your office, think about the 5 senses. You want your office to smell good, be lit well, have pleasing sounds, have yummy treats to eat (ok, I just made that one up!), and you want it to have soft, cozy textures you like to feel. And.. you want it to look good!

So let's look at how you can incorporate the senses into your office. For the sense of smell, light a candle or have potpourri, or maybe simply have fresh coffee in your office for the scent. Smell can relax us or stimulate us. Think about scent as you decorate.

For the sense of sight, have good lighting. This one is important! Most of us have only overhead lighting. That can make your office feel cold. You will also want to add accent lighting. Below is a picture of a lamp in my office. It is actually on as I type this at 2pm in the afternoon. I don't really need additional light right now, but it makes my office feel more inviting. Don't rely on the overhead lighting - especially if you are in an office with harsh florescent lighting. Layer your lighting and have lamps and accent lighting around as much as you can.

In addition to scent and sight, don't forget the sense of sound. I love having music playing in the background. I realize you can't do this in all offices, but if possible, and if you like music, you can easily find a portable speaker or use your computer. Music makes us productive and can create any mood we like.

How about the sense of touch? I love to be surrounded by great tactile things. Interesting wall treatments, leather upholstery, rich stone underfoot... In many offices, the big things are out of your control, but you can add a fun throw pillow to your chair or a velvety plant. Think about the sense of touch as you bring in items to your office.

The last sense is taste. I am going to skip this one since we are talking about an office. Instead, we can talk about adding in your personality and things that make you happy. Maybe we'll call this the sense of style! I think everyone likes to be surrounded by things that make them happy. Maybe a family photo, a memento that makes you smile, fresh flowers, a keepsake, or a quote that inspires you. Surround yourself with the things you love. You can see in the first photo, I have some artwork that was made for me for my office. I also have my logo that was a gift from my daughter and her boyfriend (which they made!). These things make me happy when I enter my office.

You will also see a cabinet in the photos above. It was my grandmother's buffet and was in her dining room. I now use it in my office and think of her daily.

However you decide to decorate your office, keep the five senses in mind (and the additional sense of style!). With those in mind, your office will have an inviting, warm atmosphere that you will enjoy spending time in. Surround yourself with things you love and things that inspire you.

Let your office reflect your personality!