Whether you’re working from home, in a spacious office or an open-plan office/flagship-store fusion, it is important that your working environment reflects your profession, your style and your ambition. This is vital not only for your own inspiration and headspace, it is also essential for walk-in clients to get an immediate feel of what your brand or company is all about.

There’s a wonderful saying that suggests that, if you are doing what you love, you’ll never have to work a day in your life. That is to say, you’re still going to put in a lot of hours and mental and physical labour, but you will approach it with joy and passion, rather than dread. Creating a comfortable, uplifting and equally calming working environment will add to the positive anticipation of your working day, as it will become a space you will look forward to being in every day.

Creative professionals such as fashion or textile designers, artists or musicians should pay particular attention to their office set up. The right style and décor feed into their own inspiration and will inform clients or potential partners of their brand’s vibe and philosophy. Choosing the right décor to accentuate an office space with can speak louder than any brand story or “about us” section on a webpage. It speaks through colour, feeling and aesthetics.

If you feel your office could use some sprucing or your about to move into a new space and are collecting ideas, we have a few simple, stylish and sustainable suggestions that will help you spread your brand’s message through DIY décor.

Tell Your Brand’s Story Through Framed Pictures: The Tangible Instagram Approach

You may wonder why you’d want to go through the effort of selecting, printing and framing photographs for your office when you have an entire Instagram and Facebook page dedicated to sharing images of your brand’s events, products or behind-the-scenes moments. The answer is quite simple: filling your office with a photographic history of your brand lends your space a very personal feel, one that will get clients curious.

Whether you choose to hang your photographs in a chronological order or would rather stick to highlighting your company’s best moments is up to you – either approach will get your clients looking. Depending on your office’s overall style and colour palette, you could play with different frames to get your brand’s photographic history to truly pop. For example, you could use various mismatching frames for a shabby-chic look or go for classic black-borders for a minimalistic approach. If you want to get really daring, consider upcycling frames to match your brand’s creations. For example, as a fashion designer who relies on a lot of beadwork, you could add intricate bead designs onto the frame.

Use Your Products as Your Office Wall Décor

If you’re in the business of creating beautiful things such as clothes, jewelry, shoes, home décor etc., there is really no reason why you should have to invest in decorative pieces to spruce up your office walls with. Use your own designs! It might sound mad to hang a dress or a handbag from the wall, but if you spend enough time thinking it through and adding the right touches, you’ll soon find yourself wondering why you’ve never thought of it before. Anything can become a unique piece of home décor – you just need the vision and the courage to make it look right.

In going for this decorating approach, you’ll essentially make your office environment look like a gallery in honor of your own creations/your company’s products – i.e. walk-in clients will immediately get a sense of your style and talent. This is a way to always have your best samples on display for quick and easy reference, and a constant reminder of your achievements.

A Touch of Warmth & Homeliness

Whether you’re doing it for yourself – i.e. your home office – or for the potential clients and partners that frequent your office space, it’s always a good idea to add a welcoming touch of warmth and homeliness to help you feel at ease and in harmony with your surroundings. After all, your office is a space where you spend most of your days and many a night on deadline, so it should be one you want to spend time in.

There are many inexpensive ways to add a bit of coziness to your office space – ones that will make you feel good, comfortable and motivated to make your hours in this environment count. One way to make your office feel welcoming and homely, is by having your essentials near and presented in an attractive way. Can’t get started without a cup of coffee or pot of aromatic tea? Create a separate little area where you can keep your favourite tea or coffee mugs, loose tea jars or coffee pads on display. It will form part of your office’s décor, remind you take regular breaks and will make visitors feel unrushed: offering them a cup of tea or coffee implies you are taking your time for them, and that will keep them coming back for more.

Another way to make your office feel more homely, is by adding a designated seating area for breaks, meetings or walk-ins. It doesn’t have to be a big living-room style set up with several couches, armchairs and a coffee table. Do what works for your space and your brand’s style. Two comfortable armchairs and a small table are more than sufficient, and you can find fantastic pieces at second-hand stores. A seating area like this will give you a place to retreat to without leaving the office and your work-frame-of-mind.

Add to that a few brand-orientated books and magazines, and you’ll always have resources to turn to for inspiration and a quick mental-break. They will also keep walk-in clients entertained should you be running late for a meeting and can be used as examples for projects you are currently discussing.

Whatever it is you decide to do with your office space, make it yours!