Working from home is full of perks like better work-life balance, no commute, staying in your pajama pants until lunch time, and the ability to design an office you love.  But if you’ve inadvertently created a workspace as dull as a cluttered cubicle, than you may have put a damper on your productivity. Surprisingly, designing a productive home office is easier than you may expect. With a few tweaks here and there, you’ll boost your energy and efficiency in no time! The following are some tips to help you get the home office you’ve dreamed of with the productivity your company deserves.

Follow Ergonomic Rules
If you’ve ever worked from the couch with your notebook on your lap, you may notice that after an hour or so you feel some aches and pains in your hands and wrists. That’s probably because you are not being ergonomically correct which can greatly effect the output of work you intend to do. Your keyboard should be positioned on your desk (sorry, no laps!) so your forearms are parallel to the floor. You will need to adjust your chair so your feet rest firmly on the floor, or a footrest if you’re on the shorter side. Speaking of chairs, invest in one that will make you want to put in the long hours you need to get the job done. It may sound obvious, but you should love the chair you’re sitting on. Otherwise, you’ll find any excuse not to get to work and sit at your desk.

Embrace Natural Light
If possible, try to choose a room for your home office with plenty of natural light. Having natural light will increase productivity simply because of the energy sunlight provides. Additional lighting will be necessary for the darker hours of the day and especially if the space you’re using doesn’t have any windows. Most overhead lighting is inadequate for long periods of work, so you’ll want to go with a few table lamps that offer not only a soft glow but aesthetic appeal to your office as well.

Lose the Clutter
Everybody knows that a messy work area means time wasted looking for important documents, mail, your phone, even a pen! Do your best to cut through the clutter by getting creative with storage. Filing cabinets are bulky and unattractive so look for other ways to store your important papers like with wall storage, magazine racks, even library display shelves Book cases look nice as long as they are not too big or overstuffed with your papers. Try to go artsy with them so they look good in the backdrop when you’re doing a video conference. If you’re lucky enough to have a closet in your home office, you can even take advantage of it by using hanging storage racks or shelving in the closet so it’s out of sight.

Add Something Green
Along with natural light, adding a plant can surprisingly increase productivity. Studies have shown that greenery actually makes people happier! So while you can’t sit outside in the park as you’re doing business deals, at least you can bring a piece of nature into your own personal space. Best of all, most plants don’t have to be watered every day, so you can go a day or two without tending to them.

Your home office should be a place where you want to go as well as one that inspires you to be productive. Choosing the right furniture and artwork can easily make that happen. Just remember to get creative and make it personal. After all, it’s your space, so have fun with it!