Save Money on Decor! Budget Home Office by Amazon
Do you spend a lot of time in your home office?
Does your home office inspire you?
As I sit in my own home office today, I am looking around and feeling uninspired…this is after spending a day de-cluttering the space, cleaning, and re-organizing. Still not feeling it. I need solutions, but I don’t want to break the bank decorating.
The home office is such an easy space to overlook! Even though many of us spend hours in our dedicated home office space, we don’t spend much time decorating for any purpose beyond functionality. We navigate around piles of paper or goods, we tolerate awkward layouts and leftover furniture that doesn’t meet our needs. Sound familiar? I feel your pain.
Looking for fabulous home office deals!
The first step is…anyone? Assessment! You must first assess the space before you redecorate. How do you use the space? What is working for you? What would you change, if you could change anything about the space? Do you need more storage? Less? (That’s a joke.) New color, window treatments, better lighting?
After assessing the space, it’s time to determine a rough budget. In my case, I want to spend no more than $500, ideally. My home office is tiny, and I am lucky enough to have built-in shelves and a large storage cabinet hand-made by my father. However, I don’t have much space, and I have stacks of fabric and paperwork everywhere.
My lighting and window treatments are also in need of re-working. The can lights don’t produce optimal lighting, especially for video conferencing, and the single desk lamp isn’t enough. Direct sunlight only comes in for a few morning hours, and at times it’s too bright to see well. Feast or famine, you know?
Let’s try Amazon.com
My ideal situation would be to locate affordable goods that can be obtained quickly, because I need the office to be neater for productivity. The mess distracts me, and I am ready for change now. My first stop is amazon.com.
Using the ideal home office photo, I am going to locate several items on amazon.com with similar styling. I love the soft, light, cozy aesthetic in the sample office, and I want to emulate the look as much as possible.
#1: White decorative vases, $24.51
The smooth white vases add texture and can be filled with different foliage, depending on the season.
#2: Bookcase, 40″ wide, $156.88
I really need more shelving for my printer, paperwork, and supplies! This shelving unit is short, which fits well under my low window sill. Strategic baskets will accommodate papers and supplies.
#3: Upholstered Ottoman, $139.99
This ivory linen storage ottoman offers a place to sit, as well as hidden storage beneath the cushion–just what I need!
#4: White linen curtains: $27/ 2 panels
Lightweight linen curtains will soften the room, and they provide relief from the sun’s glare.
#5: Ivory desk chair, $193.89
The velvet upholstered chair has interesting chair legs that will coordinate well with the black metal book case.
#6: Decorative wicker baskets, $38.46
Why not, I’m going to be over budget. The wicker storage basket set adds a natural element to the room, as well as much-needed organization.
One more…#7: Floor lamp, $94
Ugh…forgot about the poor lighting! This glam floor lamp should help to shed light on the situation. And it will look fabulous with the other items!
When I apply my business pricing, the total may be lower than the current estimate, but I can redecorate my home office for around $680. It may be possible to find a better deal on some of the products, but these prices are actually very reasonable. I’m looking forward to making the room more organized!
Hillary McAlhany is the owner of Gate City Design. She is a certified professional home stager/redesigner, E-designer & color expert. Although she is based in North Carolina, she offers remote design services outside of the central North Carolina region.
