There’s a huge downside to remote working that not all employers are addressing. The need for personalisation in workspaces (not places). Many corporations will have hired designers and consultants to help them create workspaces that help boost morale among employees, encourage socialisation in break rooms, stimulate creativity at desks, and increase productivity overall.
With more people working remotely, those design aspects are gone. A computer on your lap on the sofa doesn’t quite have the same effect. That’s why many are finding nooks in unused corners and turning it into a home office space. A desk, a computer, and as few distractions as possible. Not very inspiring.
Photo frames, of any size, could be just the thing to create a completely different atmosphere in your workspace.
4 Home Office Decor tips to influence your mood and productivity
Use inspirational quotes on canvas prints
Rather than hanging an unframed canvas on the wall, making it look ill-planned, pop it into a canvas floating frame. These are typically up to 10 mm larger than the canvas print to give a tiny gap between the canvas and the edge of the frame. Once it’s on the wall, it looks like a shadow between the frame and the canvas, giving the illusion that it’s magically floating between the frame panels.
Frame a print of an allegory
Allegories take the personalisation of art to another level. It’s the term given to a picture that can have two meanings, or more precisely - a hidden meaning. An owl, for example, is symbolic of wisdom, good luck, and fortune. The intent behind allegory paintings or art posters is to portray a story in picture form, usually using symbols.
One famous allegory painting is a triptych by Hieronymous Bosch titled “Ship of Fools”. At first glance, it looks like a group of people trying to get their boat ashore. The story behind the painting was about people adrift in the sea of life, lacking direction, and morals. The symbol of wisdom was the tiny owl in the tree, looking down on the people struggling in the boat. It is a multi-faceted painting with much more meaning behind it by the artist than is initially seen by viewers. If you didn’t know the artist’s intentions, it’d be hard to tell what it was.
For anything important to you that wouldn’t be PC (politically correct) to display in a work environment, consider printing and framing an allegory piece of art. It may give you a chuckle when you need it without anyone noticing what you’ve really put on display.
Use floating shelves for flexible displays behind you
In today’s modern era, it’s not what you can see that you have to worry about. It’s what’s behind you that others can see when you’re on video calls. For those, floating shelves are ideal. You can have striking tabletop frames, some leaning wall art with motivational quotes, and some plants in bloom to help lift the mood. It can also be used to show subtle reminders on video calls with colleagues of fundraisers you might have usually relied on happening in the office, like getting sponsors for a charity run, or a local bake sale for a local charity. Make the theme of the floating shelf decor behind you relate to the video call you’re participating in. Or let your art on the shelf do the talking for you when you can’t raise a topic you want to.
Create an artistic visual wall
For those who require creative minds to get work done, create visual walls of interest with various colours, shapes, and dimensions to stimulate the mind. Add in shelves, display books, little miniature ornaments, trinkets, and tabletop frames with personalised photos. Add some air plants to the display to help purify the air and a touch of greenery to your space.
With a few small changes to your home office décor, or whatever personal workspace you have at home, you can change the vibe, and foster a more meaningful environment that helps you get what you need done more efficiently.