Decorate a Home Office on the Cheap

There's no need to break the bank to decorate your home office. I know from personal experience that it is very possible to transform a bland home office into a chic workspace on a shoestring budget. Of course, before you even plan out your home office's decorating scheme, you'll have to have the basics (e.g. a desk and computer chair). If you're willing to put in some careful thought and a little elbow grease, you can transform your home office from kitschy to chic on a shoestring budget.

Designate a Home Office Space

Every home office needs a designated space. No matter how small and cramped you think your home is, you certainly have the space to carve out a designated area for your home office. If you've got a guest bedroom that is barely ever used, convert that room into your home office. Part ways with your guest bedroom furniture and consider purchasing a futon to accommodate occasional overnight guests.

If you have a finished attic or basement, consider using that space as your home office. In a pinch, you can even turn an underutilized closet into your home office. Simply remove the contents of the closet and purchase a piece of plywood that fits snugly into the closet. Then, use brackets to mount and secure the plywood to the wall.

Color Correction

Choose a color scheme for your home office. Try to go for a soothing, neutral color scheme. Choosing a loud and bold color scheme may break your focus when you're trying to work. Choose a beige or tan color for the walls and choose an accent color for your accessorize. For example, paint your walls mocha brown and choose soft pink accessories.

Accessorize

Accessories are the single cheapest thing that can transform your home office décor from boring to fabulous. Make cheap wall art by printing out free artwork off the internet in your accent color. Place the printed images in three large picture frames (typically less than $5 at Walmart) and hang them side by side on a blank wall in your office.

Instead of purchasing a new lamp, simply recover an existing lamp shade in a fabric that corresponds to your accent color. All you need to recover a lamp shade is a piece of fabric about 1" larger than the lampshade and a glue gun to adhere the fabric. Finish off a vase of fresh flowers in your accent color.