Follow these tips for creating a home office simply and inexpensively.
Look Around ~ What do you already have in your home that could easily be put into your home office to make it comfortable and inviting? Years ago my mother gave me a love seat. Now it wasn’t my taste (it was covered in pink velvet) but it had beautiful lines and was quite the conversation piece. So I took it to a local upholsterer and had it recovered in a pretty floral pattern that reflected my own style.
Do you have an attic or basement? Perhaps you can find some home office furniture that you can accent your home office with like a nice corner table or lamp. Maybe all they need is a coat of paint or some dusting and cleaning.
Recycle ~ How about old boxes or plastic cartons? They can be used as catch-alls for things you want to be easily found. And they too can be great accessories for your home office. They can be used to file important items that you don’t yet want to store. Small boxes and plastic containers are great on top of the desk for all the little office necessities you need at hand.
Tap into Your Friends ~ Have a friend who is moving, going out of business or changing careers? He or she may have a computer, copier or phone they would be willing to give you or sell you pretty cheap. I found a pretty round table in my friend’s garage that just needed a little dusting and a pretty table cloth. It had a broken leg so I got some glue and screws, fixed the leg, covered it in a pretty table cloth and put it in a corner with a photo, a vase of flowers and some pictures of my family. Perfect!
If your friend wants to sell their computer, offer to barter or exchange with them. You can exchange services you have for something they need. You might offer to run errands, do some housework, etc.
I have found Saturdays the best time to go “garage sale shopping.” I have found a complete phone system, a fax machine, a small book shelf and more for my home office.
Look at Sales ~ Office Depot, Office Max and other office supply stores have great sales right now. My husband purchased a really nice fax, copier scanner (all in one) for almost half price. The office supply store had a sale and were also offering a discount on top of that for old copiers. Not a bad idea!
Compare prices ~ One week one store may have pens, envelopes and other things you need on sale. The next week they may have computer discs, copy paper and other office furniture supplies.
I also went to JC Penny and bought a beautiful area rug and a couple of throw pillows that matched my decor perfectly
And for affordable home office furniture, file cabinets and chairs be sure and check out our site MyStyles2go.com!
