How to Work at Home in Style

A good home office should be more than a computer desk in a corner.  But how do you take a computer desk in a corner and turn it into truly great home office? It’s more than finding a computer desk sale, buying a computer desk and putting it in the corner of your bedroom.  A home office should increase productivity as well as be is a more pleasant place to be. It often boils down to a few simple steps.   Here are seven to consider. Try one or all to boost your home office a space where you can work that works for you:  

1. Keep the noise down. Noise can be Home Office Enemy No. 1.  Choose the quietest space possible for your home office. Make sure that the wall you place your computer desk near is the wall with the least amount of noise traveling through it.

2. Add privacy and more privacy.  Ensure that your home office is a room.  Make sure that the door to that room has a lock. Most importantly, never build your room in shared quarters, such as a family room. A computer desk in a corner of the kitchen doesn’t make a home office. The point is to be able to get work done.

3. Good lighting is a must. Trouble is, lighting can be expensive. What you might pay for lighting these days seems a little extravagant in light of today’s economy. Fortunately, great office lighting doesn't always mean blowing the budget.  Look for sales on lighting, or invest in a multipurpose lamp, like the iHome MP3 Organizer Light with speakers for listening to music. In fact, you can find many accessories and furniture on sale. Find a good lighting sale as well as a computer desk sale prior to making any purchases. Now is the time to bargain shop 

4. Add color to your work space. Colors can greatly influence our mood and, hence, our productivity and intrinsic satisfaction in what we do. So, if your taste in color runs to a flashy pink or sunburst orange, don't be gun-shy about splashing some on your office walls. You spend a lot of time at your computer desk. You may be surprised at how your mood and work take off when you add a little color lift to the walls.

5. Plant yourself. In 1980, the movie "9 to 5" featured an Alcatraz-esque office where even potted plants were banned from cubicles. Don't needlessly lay the same sterile prohibition on your home office. Not only can plants prove highly attractive and help clean the air, they also can add privacy — a shelf of ferns and spider plants builds a pleasant but effective buffer.

6.  Be careful not to "live" in your home office. This final element can make a home office professional.  Keep TVs and other distractions out.  Steer away from doing non-business tasks in your home office. This will make your time in your workspace that much more focused, fresh, and better spent.  It can be more than four walls and a computer desk, but keep it professional.