Have you recently started working from home? Moreover, do you wonder how to avoid burnout when you work at home? If you do, whether by choice or because events have transpired to make it that way doesn’t matter. You need a dedicated office space.
Siting at the dining room table to work makes you feel like you never leave your job. You need a dividing line between your work and home. Typically, walls and a door create a defined border but they aren’t necessary. A bookshelf, chair, or other piece of furniture can serve as a demarcation point to keep you in work mode.
How I Avoid Burnout
I happen to work from home and I have done so for the last ten years. My office is a corner of my master bedroom. I have it set up as an office. My desk and large computer monitor act as a barrier between my work and sleep space. I close the door to muffle the sounds of video games and Netflix being played in the living room.
So, like me, now you need to set up an office in your home. The basic things you need are a desk, a chair, and your computer. Like many of us, I’m guessing that your smartphone is “welded” to your hand. That means it goes with you everywhere and is a given in this situation. That’s it! We’re done! (kidding)
What’s nice about working from home is that you get to choose everything that goes into your office space. I designed the office in this article and I want to show you the possibilities for your own office. For inspiration, I decided to use the most popular color palette from my Pinterest boards for this space. I talked about the palette in my post, How to Brighten Your Neutral Home With Color.
I thought you might like to see how to take color schemes from Pinterest and translate them into a room. In the original palette, I chose paint colors from Benjamin Moore. However, here I have Sherwin Williams paint colors because my clients ask for those more than any other.
Home Office Paint Colors
The paint colors: SW 6303 Rose Colored, SW 6304 Pressed Flower, SW 6416 Sassy Green, SW 6464 Aloe, and SW 6766 Mariner. Most interior designers choose paint colors after choosing fabrics and finishes for a space. In this instance, I chose fabrics that have similar colors but do not match. I could always choose different paint colors later.
The green in the bright bird fabric and the quilted ikat fabric almost match the Sassy Green paint color. So, I chose that as my wall color. If you’ve seen my work, you know that I paint ceilings a color other than white. For this one I chose the Aloe. The bright colors are a compliment to the dark wood floors in the room shown.
If you want white paint for the trim and doors, SW Original White is close to the ikat drapery fabric. The green of the fabric and the walls makes for a luxurious look and feel in the office. The fabric ties together both the walls and the white of the bookshelves. To add interest and fun, I chose the bird fabric for the throw pillow on the pretty pink chair across from the desk.
The large-scale floral fabric, which has both the green and pink in it, is on the footstools under the window. I tried to keep everything in the room except for the fabrics and art neutral. When the time comes for a change, all that needs to be done is find new fabrics, art and accessories. Did you know green could be a neutral? Look outside and see what I mean.
The large cabinet with glass doors acts as storage. It balances the bookshelves and window on the opposite side of the room. Plus it matches the dark wood of the floors. In the image of the fabrics above I have a light wood look tile for the floors. I changed my mind because the dark wood is a classic. The cabinet provides contrast with the bright colors of the room. The area rug pulls in the cheerful blues and ties in to the aqua in the throw pillow.
Do you think you could work in this space?
How You Avoid Burnout When You Work at Home
Now it’s your turn. Find a space in your home that you can set up as your office. Next, add a table lamp and a comfy chair to sit in when you need to think. Hang art that inspires you. Even though you are working, your space doesn’t have to look utilitarian. Making it pretty helps you avoid burnout when you work at home.
The more creature comforts you add to your workspace, the better you will feel while you are working. You will also be more productive. Keeping your workspace outside of the normal flow of traffic will keep your work separated from daily life. You will be able to let it go at the end of the day.
Working from home is the oldest way to do business. It can feel like a burden with the siren call of emails and projects that are unfinished. Create a workspace in your home that inspires you and fills the need for a break between work and home. This will help you avoid the burnout that comes with no boundaries.
You want to avoid burnout when you work at home, but you don’t have to make changes all at once. You can make them a few at a time. If you’re stuck, schedule a video consult with me. I will help you figure out a plan that you can do easily and quickly.
Many people want a beautifully furnished home, but don’t have time to figure out every small detail. Christina Rodriguez of Diva by Design guides you through the process of creating a personalized and pulled together space. Then you can relax stress-free in your fully finished home or office. Let us take care of the details so you don’t have to!
CLICK HERE to contact Diva by Design. Our Design Work Session or Video Design Consultations are for feng shui as well as interior design or decorating advice.
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Love all these points. Beautiful pictures.
Thank you, Doreen!
Such a good post about working from home. I appreciate the color advice. Color has a huge impact on us.
Thank you!
Hi!
These are all such great points re: working from home and what’s necessary to make it happen. Your home office area is so pretty and soothing!
I love the green you chose and your window treatments.
Thank you, Leslie! It seems that I am being drawn to green lately.
Love this. I’m in the process of converting an unused guest room into a real office for myself. Right now, I try to avoid burnout by working at different spots, including outside now that the weather is nicer.
Oooh nice! I wish I could work outside. It’s 97 degrees out. I do sit by a window, though.
Great color palette and beautiful fabrics in this pretty office! I’m currently working on cleaning out my home office to revamp it and my “office” is roving through various other rooms around the house in the meantime…*not ideal*. But at least I get to work out on my deck now that it’s warmer! That is my favorite place to be, but it makes separating work from life difficult.
Thank you! I know how you feel with your office spreading into other rooms. I do that too when my desk gets too messy. Then I have to go back and clean it up to start all over.
Love your color and design choices, what a sweet place to go work every day!