Hey guys! If you’ve been following along for a little bit, you probably remember me talking about quitting my job and working on my blog full time from home. While working from home has been a dream come true, it’s been difficult to be productive working from the couch. So over the last few weeks I’ve been working on getting a home office together. I’m so excited to finally share my completed home office space with you guys! It took a little time to get it all together with Kevin being gone for so long, but now that it’s done, it’s everything I hoped it would be. Keep reading for all the details on my home office + my tips on how I stay productive!
Also while you’re here, be sure to play Where’s Wrigley. 😂
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Home Office Must-Haves
To start, I just want to say thanks to Kevin for being such a trooper through this process. He basically let me take part of his office as well as rearrange half of the house. Originally, the home office was in the back of the house and after working at Kevin’s desk for a few weeks, I decided the lighting was better in the front guest bedroom. So like the angel that he is, he helped me move the office to the front room and the guest room to the back. Kevin and I are still sharing the space which is totally fine with me because we have plenty of room. His half is covered in airplanes and I love it. 😂
The Desk
I did have to make a few large-ish purchases, but I had saved some money beforehand. Overall I got really great deals though, so I’m not mad about it. First, I got this amazing writing desk that i just love. It’s the perfect size for what I need, and it has a couple shelves and a drawer which have really come in handy for storage. Believe it or not this desk was on sale for under $100! And even at full price it’s barely over $100.
The Chair
After I found the desk, I chose this velvet tufted armchair. This is definitely where I splurged during this process but I mean, it’s beautiful and actually really comfortable. I chose the mauve color but it comes in several different options. I chose a chair without wheels just in case I ever wanted to put it somewhere else in the house. It works really well as an accent chair or for extra seating when family and friends are over too!
The Rug
Possibly my favorite purchase for the office is this gorgeous rug. I was so shocked at how affordable it was ($35?!) and was a little worried it would get here and look cheap. But it’s actually so pretty in person and I am thrilled with it! Wrigley and Rue also approve.
The Garment Rack
The last big purchase I made for the office was this amazing garment rack. It has been a game changer y’all. It has a side of shelving that is great for additional storage as well as adding decoration. The garment rack helps me get organized when it comes to picking outfits for shoots, shooting flat lays, choosing color palettes, etc. It looks great with my other furniture and it was also really affordable.
The Computer
Ok so as far as the computer goes, (I know it seems a little extra) that was totally unplanned. About two weeks ago my laptop that I’ve been using since college just kind of gave up. RIP MacBook. I was supposed to be getting a new computer for my birthday like 5 months from now, but birthday came early I guess. Sweet hubs took me last week and let me pick out this amazing iMac, which as it turns out is significantly cheaper than a laptop. Needless to say, I’m in love.
Also Shop: Wall Hanging | Faux Potted Plant| Stress Lotion | Planner | Desk Mirror | Candle
Tips For Being Productive When You Work From Home
So working from home is quite honestly amazing. I never ever thought I’d have the chance to do it, nor did I think I’d want to. But turns out I was wrong haha. While it’s a great thing, it does come with some unique challenges. There are surprising amounts of distractions when you’re home alone for 8+ hours. I mean, who knew? From cleaning and running errands to taking care of the dogs and the dreaded television. So many distractions. Productivity was not my friend when I started this thing. While this is still a work in progress personally, below I’m going to share some of my tried and true tips to staying productive for (most of) the work day.
1. Make yourself a schedule.
Whatever that may look like for you: a checklist, an hourly schedule, etc. This was not me before I started working from home. While I consider myself to be slightly OCD and pretty organized, I never really needed a detailed schedule to get through the day. I never used a planner in school, to be quite honest. But now that I have the freedom to basically do whatever I want during the day, I need that structure. So I made myself a color coded excel spreadsheet that tells me exactly what to do every hour. Of course, I rarely stick to it exactly, but it gets me focused on what I need to be doing and I have a general idea of how long it needs to take me. I also have a daily planner where I can write out my posts for the week and set goals for myself.
2. Create a consistent work space.
This has already been a huge game changer for me. Before I got a desk, I would put my laptop on a tray table in front of the couch or on the kitchen table and work from there. This was far from ideal because the TV was right in front of me. The dogs were constantly trying to get in my lap (it’s really hard to say no to those faces) and I would tend to get uncomfortable after sitting for long periods of time. You don’t have to have the worlds best home office. You just need a place with a comfy seat and a decent amount of space where you can consistently go work. One reason I’m really loving my desktop is that it keeps me from trying to move around the house. I have no choice but to sit at my desk and work.
3. Get up at a reasonable time.
This has been the hardest part for me. My goal is to be up by 7:30 or 8 each day. I’ll have some breakfast, get a little workout in, and try to get some cleaning done so that I’m not thinking about it all day. Pro Tip: eat some kind of breakfast. I’ve found that almost everyday I forget to eat lunch because I get so busy. Before I know it, it’s 3:30 and I’m starving. So don’t do that. You will be so surprised at how much you can get done when you create a few extra hours in the day.
4. Get ready for the day.
I really love to get up and get a shower, get dressed in real clothes (as opposed to staying in PJs), and put on a little makeup. This helps me feel put together and ready for the day.
5. Limit distractions.
With two super clingy dogs, this has been a challenge. But doing things like setting your phone aside for at least a couple of hours at a time really helps me get things done.
6. Turn off the TV and turn on some music.
Find yourself a good playlist and get to work. Music really helps me to focus on what I’m doing, and it keeps me entertained at the same time.
7. Have self control.
What it really comes down to is self control and planning. Â Maybe your husband is on vacation and you’d much rather spend time with him. Or maybe you’d rather go on a lunch date even though you really need to get work done. Instead of dropping everything and going to lunch, plan ahead. Make plans a few days early and get some extra work done so that you can go to lunch or hang out with hubs during the day.
Shop the Outfit: Lou & Grey Hoodie | Knit Wide Leg Pants | Ruffle Slides
About The Outfit
So just as a small sidebar, if you haven’t shopped LOFT’s July 4th sale, you really should. All sale items are 50% off right now! Up until recently, I hadn’t been a big LOFT shopper, but then I discovered this line called Lou & Grey. Let me tell you, it has some of the most comfortable pieces I have every put on my body. I live in comfy/cute clothes lately so this new outfit will probably be on repeat. It’s especially great if you work from home but are like me and have to get “ready” before you can start your day!
Sorry today’s post was a lot longer than normal! I hope you enjoyed my home office reveal and maybe found some inspiration for your own. Have a great 4th of July and be safe!
xo