Whether you are new to freelancing or want to spruce your workspace, you can always have a professional-looking home office. And it does not take rocket science and thousands of dollars to do so.

In this post, we will share with you six tips on how you can make your home office look professional.

Invest in a Functional Desk

The secret to a professional and productive home office is a functional desk.

To some, it could mean an office table, chair, and laptop. To some, it could mean a standing desk, swivel chair, and dual monitor. Regardless, the key here is to look for office furniture that allows you to house your work essentials.

However, you should also consider ergonomics. This means ensuring that your office table and chair will fit your space.

Another thing to look at is whether your essentials are giving you comfort. Sure, working from home is like music to your ears, but you would not want to develop carpal tunnel syndrome in the long run.

Keep Your Essentials Close

Now that you have a suitable office table and chair, the next step is to determine and keep your essentials close. And these work essentials will differ depending on the nature of your work.

If you work as a virtual assistant, a laptop, stable internet connection, and noise-canceling headphones might be enough. But if you are a graphics designer, that would mean your large monitor and drawing tablet.

Nonetheless, only place items that are relevant to your work. Otherwise, unnecessary items will distract you from getting things done.

Install Proper Lighting

Another vital factor in a professional home office is to let natural light in.

According to a study conducted by Professor Alan Hedge, natural light can decrease these systems by 84%:

Headaches
Blurred vision
Eyestrain

Mind you, these symptoms can be counterproductive.

No windows in your home office? No problem! All you need is adequate lighting.

This is artificial light that is neither dim nor harsh. That's because dim lights force your eyes to work hard to see things clearly. This can lead to eyestrain, drowsiness, and lack of focus. On the other hand, harsh lights are believed to cause migraines.

That said, we recommend installing LED lights in a windowless home office. That's because LED lights are abundant in short-wavelength light that resembles daylight. Based on Brigham and Women's Hospital's research, short-wavelength (blue) light can help you perk up and be productive.

Sure, you have read somewhere that blue lights can make us active at night, hurting our sleep patterns. But that is debatable.

Nonetheless, we advise that you turn off your devices an hour before sleeping.

Have Indoor Plants

A 2014 study revealed that having indoor plants in the office can increase employee productivity to 15%. Hence, it would make sense to add even a small cactus plant near your desk if you want to stay motivated.

Here are other benefits of having indoor plants in your home office:

They are natural filters, helping improve the indoor air quality in your home office.
A pot of small plants can help reduce stress, ease tension, and decrease anxiety.
The introduction of plants reduces the risk of "sick building syndrome," although there is insufficient evidence to back it up yet.

Luckily, some plants thrive in a windowless room. Some of them do not even require tending. But if you are not fond of tending a plant, consider hanging a poster or painting of a lush garden.

Paint Your Wall an Inspiring Color

Whether you have a windowless home office or not, you should consider repainting your walls. And we suggest picking something inspiring.

Instead of staring into a blank, white wall, consider painting it in any shade of blue. It is soothing and can boost concentration.

Another option would be hues of green since it relaxes the eyes. This is ideal if your line of work makes you sit in front of the computer for eight hours.

But if you want something uplifting without being too loud, color your walls orange. It is a combination of red and yellow, which are ideal if you have a physically-demanding job and want your creative juices flowing.

Maintain Your Home's Office's Cleanliness

Of course, the home office will not look fancy and professional if it is messy. Hence, we always tell our clients at Maid Sailors Commercial Cleaning Service New York to keep their office clean.

Here are some quick cleaning tips you can do:

Wipe your desktop and office table clean before or after work.
Organize your work essentials.
Always declutter.

A professional-looking home office does not necessarily mean you should occupy a room. Nonetheless, it has to be inviting and should motivate you to be productive. And the tips listed above will enable you to achieve that.