7 Ideas for Creating an Inspirational Workspace

For digital natives, hybrid and remote working is a new way of life, with benefits ranging from meal prepping at lunchtime to being on hand for when the children finish school.

We’ve all experienced the midweek slump, AKA hump day, when our workload is piling high but our mind is occupied with Friday plans. With the average Briton working 252 days out of the year, it’s safe to say we spend the majority of our adult lives at work.

Whether you have a standing desk in the bedroom, a corner in the living room or a full room designated for working, upgrading your work space, no matter how small, can have positive lasting effects on your day-to-day mood.

Read on for our 7 tips to help you create a desk space that works for you, from keeping clutter at bay to staying inspired by the objects around you.

Sticking to a neutral base will keep your eye from getting distracted. Too much colour will avert your eye away from those mounting tasks and make it difficult to focus. Research suggests that blue and green tones can improve efficiency so use these minimally, either in the form of a candle on your desk or a chair cushion.

The beauty of working from home is that you’re not having to contend with corporate furniture and can really add some personality to your space. A framed print above your screen, a blanket for cold winter mornings or some incense can bring some optimism to your work routine and give you the boost you need to plough through your to-do list.

With mounds of paperwork, it can be difficult to maintain order. However, an organised desk creates an organised mind. Invest in some good quality storage caddies in which you can store folders and other stationery. A place for everything, and everything in its place.

Some say there’s no better feeling than opening a brand new, fresh notebook. For transportable notebooks that will take you from office to home office, Brighton boutique Papersmiths offers a range of sizes and colours. For those extra items you always end up needing (and often never have at home), HAY’s range of scissors, giant pins and paperclips will come in handy and keep your work looking smart.

As we’re spending at least 7 hours of the day indoors, it’s important to surround yourself with natural objects and maintain a link to the outdoors. While we should be making sure we get outside for some real sunlight at least once during the day, keeping plants on your desk will contribute to a positive mood. Monstera plants are particularly easy to maintain but if you’re lacking space, succulents look just as great in a statement pot.

Whether you’re an engineering wizard, policy advisor or a creative strategist, we all want to keep learning and improving in our field. Stay smart by keeping a selection of books related to your work to hand, either on a bookshelf or stacked neatly by your screen. If you have a spare 5 minutes, it’s not a bad idea to have a flick through and source inspiration.

Improve your productivity by drinking water throughout the day to avoid the seemingly inevitable caffeine crash. Keeping water at your desk with you will encourage healthy habits so invest in a good sized water bottle or consider using a carafe to decant the water as frequently as you wish while stuck in a task.