When you spend 40 hours at your office, it becomes a second home.

There’s no need for it to look like a jail cell or medical waiting room.

You’re better than that and you deserve to feel invigorated and comfortable at work.

Here are some easy ways to spruce up your office space and give it the touch of home.

Lighting

Lighting drastically affects your mood and your office aesthetics.

There’s a reason why you feel anxious at school and euphoric in Barnes and Noble—it starts with lighting.

Schools and most businesses use fluorescent lights, which might as well be called soul-killing lights.

Add a soft lamp or even one with calming blue, purple, or warm yellow or orange-tinted lights and you’ll be amazed at your level of productivity and comfort under soothing or inspiring lights.

Color

A pop of color does the same for your mood as lighting: it can enhance your focus or calm your nerves.

Living in neutrals, earth tones, or white and greys—the typical office décor—leads to despondency and even lethargy.

Colors that inspire action and inspiration enliven your office space so much you’ll feel it instantly.

Change it up seasonally to keep yourself surprised and invigorated by the change.

You can add a pop of color with area rugs, placemats for your computer, or even a desk/tablecloth.

Candles or Diffusers

We’ve covered sight, now let’s cover the smell. Atmospheres can be revitalized by what you smell as much as what you see.

Smelling humans (think public transportation) or inhaling old stale buildings (most office facilities) dwindles your mood.

You can use a diffuser, where you smell essential oils like peppermint for concentration, orange peel for energy, or lavender for calming down.

Furthermore, essential oils deter insects so you’ll never be surprised by a spider in your office space.

Candles are also a good option; just don’t forget about it and burn down your beautiful office!

Snack Jars

If you haven’t caught on already, the key to making an office space more homey is appealing to ALL the senses.

We did sight and smell and now we’re on taste. There’s nothing worse than hitting the 3 pm lull or working overtime without snacks.

Sure, your office might have some, and sure, a walk to a market or convenience store might be an option, but if it’s not, then it’s always nice to have snacks you know you already like nearby.

Putting them in jars kinda adds a child-like charm to it and may add to your aesthetic enhancement.

Gummy bears and nuts certainly look more appealing in clear jars so you can see them.

Of course, if others can see them too, they might steal. Or perhaps it’ll be a good conversation starter for co-workers who will drop by to snack and chat.

You know there are good restaurants you avoid, not because of the food, but for the lack of atmosphere and so making space where you spend 40 hours a week as comfortable and homey as you can is very important.

We hope these tips sparked your brain with some easy ways to liven up your office space!

Signature

Olivia Lind spends her day focusing on her job as a CPA, but, in the evenings you’ll find her organizing and decorating the sets of the local theater guild and helping to arrange showroom floors for one of the largest furniture companies on the west coast.

In her free time, she enjoys hitting up the local club scene with her friends and taking extended weekend jaunts wherever her VW bug can take her in a day or two.