You spend a surprising amount of your life in your home office. Yet, for many people, it still looks like a temporary setup: a desk, a laptop, three charging cables you can’t identify, and a coffee mug that has somehow become part of the furniture.
However, your workspace doesn’t have to be just a place to answer e-mails. It can be a space that recounts the past but also reminds you of where you’re going. If you’re renovating your office by design or just seeking some inspiration, you can help it feel more like home by making a few thoughtful tweaks, or even creating a small video to showcase your new decor, as in this link.
It doesn’t take an interior designer, nor does it require a lot of money. Use items that you have already: accomplishments, memory objects, objects that matter to you.
Start With the Story You Want Your Office to Tell
It’s before you get a new desk or paint the walls that you should ask yourself what you want the room to say about you.
Are you building a serious professional space? A creative studio? A serene corner with where you can truly focus? Or maybe a combination of all three?
Consider the success points that have helped you reach your career goals. Perhaps it was a degree, your first professional qualification, a promotion, a prestigious award in your industry or the project that got you the sense that you were on the right track.
It’s not necessary to show everything. Indeed, it is likely that you should not.
It’s not about making a showcase of your achievements in your workplace. It’s about picking some significant items that tell a story.
Choose the Achievements That Actually Matter
You may not be aware of how many milestones you have in your career.
There might be diplomas tucked into a drawer, certificates sitting in a folder, awards collecting dust on a shelf or graduation photographs that haven’t seen daylight since you moved house.
Start there.
Though a diploma is inevitable, it’s not the only one. The space can include professional licenses, certificates, awards or even items related to an important project, such as graduation memorabilia or photographs.
A graphic designer with a bachelor’s degree, a professional certification and an award for the first big campaign he ran. They could have the three random pieces of paper lined up and create a picture of their job history.
Or think of a nurse hanging their nursing diploma with their professional certification and a picture of them from graduation. All of a sudden, the wall is not only decorated. It tells a story.
Select items that remind you of an accomplishment you are passionate about, rather than something that appears impressive.
Make Your Diploma the Focal Point
The diploma is a natural focal point of many professionals’ home offices.
While framing does not require a room to look like a 19th century lawyer’s office, framing does require a room to look like a room.
A diploma that is affixed to the right frame will be a part of the interior space instead of just an afterthought. Think of the room’s style when selecting a one. A simple contemporary frame with light furniture could look great in a minimalist office and a more substantial frame in a traditional office with darker wood and classic furniture.
Matting can also be a factor. It provides visual space around the document, and makes the diploma stand out among all the items hanging on the wall.
There’s a practical benefit, too. Key papers should not be left for decades in the power of dust, sunlight and anything else that can tumble around a home office. Good framing can both safeguard them and provide a venue to enjoy them.
Build a Career Gallery, Not a Certificate Wall
After selecting your essential items, consider how they will complement each other.
One simple approach is the career timeline. Begin with the first and work backwards. This is especially effective if you have more than 2 degrees or professional accomplishments.
Another option is the hero piece. Create one diploma, give or take a picture of it, and add smaller pieces around it.
If you prefer a cleaner look, try a balanced grid. Even a bunch of different documents can seem like a plan when they are oriented in the same direction in the same row.
Or forget the traditional approach altogether and create a more personal display.
For instance, you could include a photo of you from graduation, a certificate from your first job and some kind of small item that has something to do with a project you’re really happy with.
The important thing is to create visual connections. Using different colors in the same frame, the same spacing, or a common theme can make various items appear as part of the same collection.
But leave some empty space, be not afraid. It doesn’t have to be all the way up your wall. You also need a place to rest for your eyes!
Don’t Forget That It’s Still an Office
With all the decorating it’s easy to get carried away and forget that you will be working in this room.
Your office should still be comfortable, functional, etc.
Several books that pertain to the subject of your profession can be helpful and personal as well. The space can be softened by a plant. Well-lighting can make long working hours a lot less painful. Objects with high value can be stored on the shelves, which do not occupy all the wall space.
Now, please handle the cables.
No amount of beautifully framed achievements can save a desk surrounded by six tangled charging cords.
Think about your daily routine, too. Have things that you use often nearby, and keep everything else out of reach. Gorgeous office spaces do not equal effective office.
The ideal spaces are a perfect mix of personality and functionality.
Leave Room for What’s Next
There’s another reason to show off your accomplishments: They can be a reminder that your career is still on the move.
Your office doesn’t have to be a shrine to everything you’ve already accomplished. Allow for some space for the next part.
This may mean leaving an empty area on a gallery wall to put up your next certification. Perhaps it’s a small picture board displaying a professional objective you have been pursuing. Or maybe you have a journal that you have on your desk that you record projects, ideas and dreams in.
This tiny aspect can make all the difference in the room.
Instead of saying, “Look at everything I’ve done,” the space starts saying, “Look how far I’ve come—and I’m not finished yet.”
A much more helpful message to have on a Monday morning.
Make Your Office Feel Like Yours
The ideal home offices don’t have to be the ones from the furniture catalogue.
They will give you some insight into the individual behind the job.
A diploma isn’t just a piece of paper. An award isn’t just a shiny object. A graduation photograph isn’t just another picture taking up wall space. Each one is a time, a struggle, an uncertainty, a late night and, at the end of the day, a journey to the other side.
Instead of attempting to have a flawless looking office, have an office that feels like it’s yours.
Showcase your accomplishments that you are proud of. Combine with some personal memories! Maintain usability of the area. Leave some room for the next chapter.
And if you happen to have a few tangled charging cables on the desk, well, some things are apparently universal.
