How to Have a Pretty and Productive Workspace

Does anyone else remember elementary school—or let’s be real, college—banding together as a class in attempt to sweetly plead the teacher into having class outside? Work is easier when your surroundings are pretty, right?

One of my first-week-of-work questions was, “so can I decorate?” Upon approval, I gradually brought in little trinkets, photos, and plants without being the crazy plant lady bringing her garden down the hallway. Even our home office/den is my favorite place to crack a book or pen some articles since I spent some time curating a pretty and useful space. From work to work-outs I have found that when we are at ease and enjoy our space, we tend to be more productive in what we are doing. No matter if your home office is a blank canvas or if your cubicle lacks some customizability, there are a few things anyone can do to bring some life into an office space to serve as eye-candy and as productivity tools!

Here are 6 tips on how to make your office space a little more lovely:

1. Bring the outside in.
Plants quite literally bring life into your space. Green and black thumbs alike can enjoy cut flowers (Trader Joe’s offers the most beauty for your buck!) or pretty pots. Cacti and succulents are easy to keep alive and come in such a variety of types and colors! Tip: Aloe is supposed to aid in cleansing the air and I only have to water mine on Fridays as I clean up my office before heading home. Pothos plants grow long vines and don’t need a lot of light but provide a pretty space-filler. For the more daring, go for orchids. For the ones less than confident in keeping any plants alive, go silk or artificial!

2. Get a big board.
White, chalk, bulletin, ribbon, or a combination of boards have some serious functional-pretty potential. HomeGoods is my favorite place to get affordable framed pieces while places like Pottery Barn have entire custom systems you can design. Display invitations, reminders, inspiration, photos, etc. on an always-customizable surface. I could not remember our schedule without our gold-framed white board calendar and my office would be a lot less cheery without my makeshift gallery wall, arranged with magnets to one of my large white boards at work. If you have a bulletin-like cubicle, pinning a mini gallery wall is the perfect easy touch to spruce the place up.

3. Add in the little things!
Target lovers, here’s another justified reason to buy dollar spot items and open stock mugs … you’re so welcome. Especially for us ladies in non-home offices and cubicles, think of the small items that you could switch out to make more fun, more you! File folders, pen and supply cups, paper and file storage, notebooks, storage bins, etc. can all be upgraded. My file and letter holders have been spray-painted gold and my pens of choice look so nice resting in a bright mint green mug. HomeGoods again is my go-to for all things home and office.

4. Take the pretty with you.
Planners are essential to staying organized and on-task, and they happen to be one of my favorite items … of all items ever. Your planner can lie open on your desk for easy access while looking good too! They come in a variety of layouts to suit your needs and there are myriads of designs. Paper Source, Swoozies, or your local office and stationary store are great places to flip through different varieties. I’ve personally been faithful to my home-town girl, Lilly Pulitzer since the planners come in different prints and sizes but since I no longer run on an academic year, Rifle Paper Co.’s book-like Midnight Agenda packs an abundance of pretty while being perfect for daily to do lists. Anything gold-foiled is bound to reel me in. Your planner can be the epitome of bringing your personality and productivity together.

5. Don’t forget smells.
If you can burn candles in your office, lucky you! But even if you can’t, add in a plug in or an essential oil diffuser. I love walking into coworker’s spaces when it smells so lovely. Plus, if you’re into the diffuser, the endless possibility of aromas can have added benefits to diffusing them in your office!

6. If nothing else, bring in things that make you thankful for your job.
Photos of loved ones or those who we’re impacting with our jobs, notes, cards, quotes, and gifts remind us why we do what we do, whether the impact is on our homes or the world around us (likely both!).

Working girls, what are your favorite pieces for your work space? Scroll down to our comment section below and let me know what I’m missing!

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#gritandgracelife