Home offices decorated on a budget can be comfortable to work in, pleasant to be in and easy on your budget. To decorate a home office on a budget means being resourceful. To be resourceful find alternatives to new and convenient because that's what costs money. There are lots of alternatives to new store bought or expensive collectors items. Even some thrift shops sell hand painted art at deep discounts.
Another alternative is to create decorations yourself. Art can be fun and is a good exercise for the brain which may help you work in your home office better. There are several useful steps to decorating the home office affordably. This article will outline some useful ways to fashion a home office according to one's taste and preferences, while doing so with cost in mind. Before doing so however, is a quick list of ways to be resourceful when decorating a home office on a budget.
• Create decorations yourself
• Look for decorations at estate sales
• Locate small importers for discounts
• Buy direct from suppliers using E-Bay
• Read classifieds for non-retail items
Techniques for saving on home office design
• Create a vision:
By creating a vision of what the office should look like in one's mind, one is defining the scope of one's decorating goals. For example, one may want the office to be inspiring for artistic creation. In such case the home office vision may include objects of art, and pictures. Or one may want the home office to be a place for a whole family to work, in such cases photos of pets and family members and vacation memorabilia may be desirable. Once the vision is defined, the decorating can begin without unnecessary items.
• Apply the vision affordably
To apply one's home office vision affordably involves first defining what can be found for free i.e. picture frames, old cans of paint, stored art etc. If anything that one has in storage fits the vision then use it because its free. When one has run out of free things, look to the garage sales, clearance shops and flea markets. Flea markets have some very tacky art but they may also have some very beautiful art. It may be worth a day's time to visit a few used "antique" shops and small private collectible shops to see what can be found. This may be all that is needed, but if not there are more ways to save money.
• Sell or exchange unneeded items
If one has too many old books lying around, selling them or getting rid of them can either reduce the need for bookcases and shelving or help pay for bookshelves that are needed. In this case one is purging the unneeded items to make possible a more beautiful, less cluttered office for less cost. Online garage sales, used book stores, consignment stores and barter networks are places to consider off loading clutter for a few extra dollars. If one must buy shelving and book casing, one might consider a tasteful veneered wood shaving composite material which is far less expensive than hardwoods and softwoods such as maple and pine.
• Buy at sales and out of season
For things like carpeting, blinds and other office furniture flea markets may also be a good place to look. However if one hasn't found what one is looking for one may want to wait until what one really wants is on sale. Timing can make the difference to an expensive beautiful set of shades and carpeting or a discounted set. Many retail shops have sales when they want to clear out there stock to bring in newer stock or meet annual sales goals. This really is the only time to shop retail if one plans on buying retail products. What's more, some retail shops that are overstocked or can't move their stock sell to close out stores at a marked down price. The close out stores will then offer the same products for a discounted price.
• Decorate with functionality in mind
Keeping the function of a home office in mind may also help one avoid over-decorating and being distracted from too many decorations. What's more, if one doesn't mind working in a business like setting within the home, this can be the cheapest way to decorate a home office as the business atmosphere is often simple and to the point. There are many examples of appealing, yet pragmatic and cost effective home office designs via catalogs such as IKEA and through visiting office displays at discount warehouses and retailers.
• Tax deductibility of office equipment
According to the IRS a home office is a location of the home in which the room and it's components are used exclusively for work related activities such as done by sole proprietors. Generally, decorations are not considered a business activity that is tax deductible as an office expense. Thus, if one wants to acquire tax deductibility, the decorations better be functional office equipment in a home office confirming to the tax authorities guidelines. However, office equipment can be pretty too. Lighting, work related furniture, filing cabinets, and even staplers and pen holders can fit a creative vision if chosen well.
In summary, decorating a home office really can be done on the cheap and still turn out well and functional. By having a vision of what one's home office to look like before looking for decorations and sticking to that vision reduces the chance one will buy something that just looks pretty. Sticking to the vision and following the above tips can help make the home office decorating procedure both aesthetically rewarding and cost effective.
Another alternative is to create decorations yourself. Art can be fun and is a good exercise for the brain which may help you work in your home office better. There are several useful steps to decorating the home office affordably. This article will outline some useful ways to fashion a home office according to one's taste and preferences, while doing so with cost in mind. Before doing so however, is a quick list of ways to be resourceful when decorating a home office on a budget.
• Create decorations yourself
• Look for decorations at estate sales
• Locate small importers for discounts
• Buy direct from suppliers using E-Bay
• Read classifieds for non-retail items
Techniques for saving on home office design
• Create a vision:
By creating a vision of what the office should look like in one's mind, one is defining the scope of one's decorating goals. For example, one may want the office to be inspiring for artistic creation. In such case the home office vision may include objects of art, and pictures. Or one may want the home office to be a place for a whole family to work, in such cases photos of pets and family members and vacation memorabilia may be desirable. Once the vision is defined, the decorating can begin without unnecessary items.
• Apply the vision affordably
To apply one's home office vision affordably involves first defining what can be found for free i.e. picture frames, old cans of paint, stored art etc. If anything that one has in storage fits the vision then use it because its free. When one has run out of free things, look to the garage sales, clearance shops and flea markets. Flea markets have some very tacky art but they may also have some very beautiful art. It may be worth a day's time to visit a few used "antique" shops and small private collectible shops to see what can be found. This may be all that is needed, but if not there are more ways to save money.
• Sell or exchange unneeded items
If one has too many old books lying around, selling them or getting rid of them can either reduce the need for bookcases and shelving or help pay for bookshelves that are needed. In this case one is purging the unneeded items to make possible a more beautiful, less cluttered office for less cost. Online garage sales, used book stores, consignment stores and barter networks are places to consider off loading clutter for a few extra dollars. If one must buy shelving and book casing, one might consider a tasteful veneered wood shaving composite material which is far less expensive than hardwoods and softwoods such as maple and pine.
• Buy at sales and out of season
For things like carpeting, blinds and other office furniture flea markets may also be a good place to look. However if one hasn't found what one is looking for one may want to wait until what one really wants is on sale. Timing can make the difference to an expensive beautiful set of shades and carpeting or a discounted set. Many retail shops have sales when they want to clear out there stock to bring in newer stock or meet annual sales goals. This really is the only time to shop retail if one plans on buying retail products. What's more, some retail shops that are overstocked or can't move their stock sell to close out stores at a marked down price. The close out stores will then offer the same products for a discounted price.
• Decorate with functionality in mind
Keeping the function of a home office in mind may also help one avoid over-decorating and being distracted from too many decorations. What's more, if one doesn't mind working in a business like setting within the home, this can be the cheapest way to decorate a home office as the business atmosphere is often simple and to the point. There are many examples of appealing, yet pragmatic and cost effective home office designs via catalogs such as IKEA and through visiting office displays at discount warehouses and retailers.
• Tax deductibility of office equipment
According to the IRS a home office is a location of the home in which the room and it's components are used exclusively for work related activities such as done by sole proprietors. Generally, decorations are not considered a business activity that is tax deductible as an office expense. Thus, if one wants to acquire tax deductibility, the decorations better be functional office equipment in a home office confirming to the tax authorities guidelines. However, office equipment can be pretty too. Lighting, work related furniture, filing cabinets, and even staplers and pen holders can fit a creative vision if chosen well.
In summary, decorating a home office really can be done on the cheap and still turn out well and functional. By having a vision of what one's home office to look like before looking for decorations and sticking to that vision reduces the chance one will buy something that just looks pretty. Sticking to the vision and following the above tips can help make the home office decorating procedure both aesthetically rewarding and cost effective.
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