With work from home having become a norm, it’s become more than necessary to have a home office. Sure, you can work from the comfort of your bed or in your noisy living room, but they most certainly don’t offer the same benefits as a well-designed and maintained home office.
So, what’s the best way to go about that?
An empty light-filled, spacious, and comfortable room or corner in your home is the ideal space for an office. But, what if your home has no such corner? Well, then the right design choices and clever decisions can help transform even the darkest, tiniest, and tucked away room into an excellent workspace you love.
Here are a few tested interior design tricks and ways to brighten a windowless home office.
Use Light Colors
A light and neutral-colored palette is the first step to making a room appear more spacious and airy. Dark colors tend to absorb light, making a room feel closed-in. On the other hand, bright colors reflect more light, making an area look and feel wider.
By light colors, we don’t mean a sterile shade of white – as it can most certainly make a room feel dark under certain lighting. Choose a light palette of pastel colors or bright accents to do the trick just as well to deliver a breezy and airy appearance to your room.
Generally, our top choices for windowless home offices include soft greys, blush pinks, and powdery blues. These tones can give a room a warm and fresh appeal, completely transforming its look and ambiance.
Use Your Vertical Space
You’ll obviously need storage space in your home office, especially if the nature of your job involves a lot of paperwork. If that’s the case, we recommend avoiding boxes, baskets, and document holders for storage. Not only are they temporary, but they also aren’t the most convenient option.
The best way to go about this is to invest in vertical shelves or cabinets to utilize as much space as possible. The reason horizontal storage solutions are off the table is because they don’t work that well for small and dark home offices. In fact, they visually block and clog up an already-limited space.
Therefore, vertical storage solutions are ideal for windowless spaces since they save lots of valuable space.
Choose Your Lighting Sensibly
Let’s face it: one of the most obvious ways to compensate for the shortfall of natural light is by incorporating artificial light in your room. The brighter the lights, the more spacious your room will look. It is important to know what kind of lighting you use and how you use it.
Generally, long pendant light fixtures are an excellent way to attract the eye upward and emphasize the height of a room. However, it is preferable not to use only a single light in the centre of the room as it casts a pool of light in the floor’s middle, making the room appear small and dark.
Additionally, make sure to opt for warm and orange-y lights instead of overhead fluorescent lights to create a warm aesthetic and ambiance. You can also consider incorporating hidden light sources, such as lights on shelves and lamp shades behind furniture. Lighting up corners and the space between the wall and ceiling with string lights can also make a room appear larger and brighter. Moreover, don’t forget the mandatory desk lamp!
Read Also: 9 Ideas for a Clutter-Free Home Office
Furnish Wisely
The heavier and bulkier furniture you include, the stuffier your already-small home office will look and feel. Moreover, filling up your small room with too many items will also make it look smaller and darker. The best option, in this case, is to go minimalist with your design.
Instead of allocating too many items or large and bulky ones, look for furniture that will accent the room. Consider raising your furniture’s legs with some plastic or metal levelers, as this will let the light come through, creating a breezy and airy look.
Moreover, instead of opting for floor-to-ceiling shelves, choose floating shelves. You can simply mount a few of them to the wall and display a few valuable items to keep things minimal.
Add Greenery
Plants give off a warm and natural look and appeal, brightening and opening up a space. Moreover, they are also known for helping people feel more satisfied and motivated at work.
You may be thinking about how plants can survive in a space that lacks natural light. Well, you simply need to choose your plants carefully. Opt for plants that thrive in low-light conditions and don’t require too much lighting. Some of these plants include aloe vera, calathea, and snake plants.
Even a tiny little succulent can most certainly bring its own charm to brighten up a dull place.
Read Also: Best Home Office Setup for Productivity
Make Your Flooring Seamless
Your flooring is like a fifth wall that you mostly miss out on, so it’s important that you exercise utmost care when decorating it. However, keeping your floor bright and light-colored like your walls isn’t always the best solution. In fact, any accent floor smaller than an area’s square footage breaks up the space and significantly cuts down on its limited airiness.
Keep things simple by opting for the same flooring for your home office that stretches out through the rest of your home or at least the surrounding areas. A continuously and seamlessly running floor can make even the smallest and darkest spaces look open and seamless.
Adopt the Window Illusion
Mirrors create the illusion of more space, so strategically placing a mirror in your home office can make the space appear dramatically bigger than normal. Mirrors often mimic windows by reflecting light, creating an air of warmth and brightness in a room. Moreover, they also visually expand a space and add a sense of depth. Therefore, you should harness the power and beauty of mirrors by decorating your home office walls with window-like mirrors.
Read Also: Design Ideas for Modern Recreational Room
Personalize
Your home office doesn’t need to have a cold and serious vibe. Jazz things up by personalizing your space with things you love. Whether it’s your favorite stationary, most-loved books, or a silly picture of your pet, make sure to add them to your home office for some inspiration and cheering up on your dark days.
Putting together an interesting look for your windowless home office may seem challenging, but looking for inspiration almost always helps. That said, we hope that our tips to brighten a home office help you create an incredible space for you to work comfortably.
