Drab to Fab: Office Space Interior Ideas

By Melissa Ortiz —

IF YOU want change, now is the perfect time. Switching up the look and feel of your surroundings can do wonders for your attitude and work ethic. It also forces you to organize all the things that you’ve kept in a pile for—be honest—months and months. You don’t have to be an innovative genius to realize that the same bland surroundings day after day can hinder even the most creative genius’ mojo. No matter what industry you’re in or where you live, your work environment will affect your overall satisfaction and productivity. And you don’t need a big budget or use the latest and greatest gadgets, but just a little smart fine-tuning and rearranging.

Taking Cues from Good Ol’ Nature

Nature is the ultimate organic designer, and bringing the beauty of nature into your daily life and décor is a notably fantastic way to provoke an aura of hip calmness and tranquility. Take a stab at re-painting your walls with a coat of leaf-green shade or (our favorite), adding cactus plants to a modern vase, pot or encasing. Or perhaps finding a cool wall fountain to hear the sound of fresh water flowing down will keep your stress levels down.

A Blast from the Past

Go back in time and revisit the classics. Most great creators—artists, designers, entrepreneurs, even scientists were once inspired by their predecessors grand achievements and works. Michaelangelo was inspired by Classical Greek Sculpture, Muse was inspired by Radiohead, and the list goes on. If you are finding lackluster sources of inspiration in your daily life, look no further than behind you.

Take some time and delve into the lives and creations of those you admire most. Maybe plastering your walls with quotes by Mark Twain will rev your engine, or purchasing your favorite Monet print will help fill your creative tank. Whatever or whoever you’re into is a great place to start.

{photo via West Elm}

Mood & Mind

Studies show that being in a blue room can help foster creativity, and that a red room can increase productivity and short-term memory function. Little external changes can make a very big impact on our minds and moods.

A drab setting, day in, day out can pretty much kill our drive, so if you want change and don’t know where to start, first look at your surroundings. Take the time to intentionally redesign and edit your space. It’ll organize your mind, and in the end help you perform better than before—and that’s progress.