I recently converted our formal dining room into my home office. Previously, we basically used our dining room for a “catch all” space. I had my work stuff in there anyways so I just decided to make it look like a nice home office space. We only used it for an actual dining room when guests came over. However, we have a large eat in kitchen so we decided that works just fine. I had a vision of what I wanted the small home office to look like. However, I didn’t want it to cost a fortune…I wasn’t going to pay a lot! Here are the home office decorating ideas that I came up to get a chic, fun look on a budget price.
Inexpensive Home Office Decorating Ideas
Finding Home Office Furniture
I knew the anchor for all of my home office decorating ideas was going to be the furniture I selected. I already had a great chair that I scored for cheap at a local store so I was basically out looking at desks. The office desks I found were anywhere from $100-$200+ and really weren’t what I wanted. So I got to thinking and before going home, I swung by a local thrift store and wouldn’t you know it, it was like desk heaven in there!! There were about a dozen desks and all kinds!
Thrift stores are often a great resource for furniture but you can expect to have to do some minor fixing up to take the items find to the next level. I went in the store knowing that if I found something, I was going to paint it and make it look exactly like I wanted. Giving a piece of furniture a new paint color can really change the look!
I found a desk and it was in great shape and guess what? It was $9.99!! It was a light wood color that I knew I would want to change but I snatched it up and brought it home. You really never know what you are going to find at those types of stores but it never hurts to look and I often get lucky. Do you think you will try a thrift store to find the right furniture to build your home office decorating ideas around?
Small Office Space Ideas on a Budget
DIY Home Office Furniture Fix Ups Equal Fresh New Pieces
When I got the desk home, I grabbed some paint from our garage. We have a couple cans of white paint for when we need to do touch ups around the house. So so far I already had the chair (I bought it for $15), I bought the desk for $10 and we already had the paint! This was turning out to be very affordable.
If you need to purchase a can of paint, start out with a small one if you are doing a piece of furniture on the smaller size (desk, chair, bookshelf, etc…). No need to waste money for paint you don’t need. You might even try asking a neighbor if they have some extra paint in the color that you are looking for! After painting the desk white, I decided to paint my chair also. It was a dark bronze color and I wanted to paint it gold. I grabbed a can of gold spray paint at the store (it was on sale!) and I painted the chair, easy peasy. This is a great way to personalize your home office space and incorporate the latest decor trends even when using older items.
Home Office Decor
Home office decorating can get a bit expensive so just grab a few things at a time! I did purchase a rug and a lamp (each $35). Finding an area rug will really make the space feel more inviting as well as helping to define the office space if the room shares more than one purpose. Of course, home office lighting is essential to being productive but it also can contribute a lot to the look of your home office decor if you find a funky piece that captures your vibe.
We had a lovely indoor plant already so I kept that in the room. You can find some great indoor plants at the grocery store or at your local garden store. Add a plant to your space to make the space more relaxing and grounded. You can find great plant holders at a thrift store.
I finished off the home office decorating ideas with a few other pieces from around the house in keeping with the gold theme and some some fun floral garland to welcome spring.
I love the home office space now! It’s bright and fresh and just a really lovely place to hang out in! Here is the final total of the things I purchased to create this home office on a budget: desk-$10, chair-$15, spray paint for chair-$4, rug-$35, and lamp-$35 TOTAL: $99! It came in right at under $100 and that was cheaper than the desks that I had been looking at! I love thrifty deals!
I hope you enjoyed these home office decorating ideas. Have you changed around a room and created a new look on a budget before? Where are your favorite places to find good deals?
Get more great ideas on the Family Focus Blog DIY projects and crafts Pinterest Board. Standing desk seem to be all the rage lately. Do you use a stand up desk converter at your desk?
Related Post:
Norma | We Bananas says
This post has inspired me to do something about my hideous black desk! Thanks for the great ideas.
Marie by Lola Cultura says
Oh la la! Your office looks lovely! And I sure can use some of your suggestions right now.
I’ve went back and forth for a long time, as I had my office at home for years, then I felt I had enough of working at home and moved into my studio. But I guess I’ll always be in need of a quiet place at home 🙂
Christi Magnuson says
So inspiring! I really need to check our local thrift stores more often. I’ve found that I’m sensitive to how a space feels, and if my workspace feels heavy or oppressive, I just don’t want to work. 😉 You’ve inspired me to take some small steps to make my desk a little happier and lighter. Thank you!