Return to the Office? 5 Design Tips to Make it Yours!

If you’re like me (and so many others) you’re making your way back to the office in some capacity. While I’ve helped many clients create their dream office at home, the rules are different in a shared building…

I’ll be the first to admit, I was NOT a fan of having to go back into the office, even on a biweekly basis. I have been fully remote for four years and being back in the office just six days a month is a significant change. For my home office, it took quite a bit of time to pull everything together. The desks I ordered 12+ months ago just arrived, the wallpaper was recently installed, and my husband Khaner had completed hanging our art.

When I moved into my new office at Spoonflower, I knew the white walls I found would not last for long. The space in which you occupy for your job must be a reflection of who you are, how you work, and what motivates, inspires and drives you in your career. Enter my design strategy. These are five key elements to incorporate when sharing a building and workspace:

1. Form and Function. Whose space is this? If your employer does not own it, what is left on the lease? Is this office dedicated solely for you? Do you know the people who maintain it when you are not there? The answers to these questions are critical in determining your investment strategy, budget, and attachment to the pieces you repurpose, acquire and add to the space.
2. Bold and Beautiful. This is not your 30 year home, your marriage or your child. The best part of a temporary spot is that you are not committed long-term. Get out of your comfort zone and do something totally different than your house, your typical color scheme and even style. You might surprise yourself and find that in a bolder environment, you are stretched professionally, too.
3. Cash Money. Let’s be real. This is not your home. You have no equity and no ownership. Apply that mentality in what you purchase. Case in point: I picked up a console table at HomeGoods, negotiated with the Manager due to a nick in the leg, and spent $20 on spray paint and lacquer from the hardware store. If it gets hit by a vacuum, who cares?
4. Thrill of the Hunt. Applying Rules #1 and 2, do some research. Pound the pavement at HomeGoods, second hand stores, even auction sites like eBay and Facebook marketplace. Did you find something you love, at the price you need, but it is sold out? Check eBay — my Antibes mirror came at a fraction of the cost.
5. Me, Myself and I. That’s right, this is not the time for your favorite vendors and subs. Remember, this is a borrowed space. Get creative, and reimagine pieces with a new lens and a little bit of time and muscle.

I hope these tips help you think through your return to the office — which can also be exciting, invigorating and a needed change of pace! Working from home taught me that celebrating how we live and the actual spaces we live in, can have a profound impact on how you work. Embrace this same spirit back to the office as well.

And if you’re among those who get to continue working from home uninterrupted and want to bring your home office to life, check out some of these amazing spaces for inspiration!