You’ll find that most office spaces are far from being minimalist and organized — rather, they are cluttered and chaotic. In this article I’m going to share some practical tips on exactly what you need to do in order to create the minimalist office of your dreams.
The reality is that the vast majority of people out there are going to choose a clean and clutter free office over one that is full of a ton of things. If you were to interview a hundred people right now and showed them a picture of a minimalist office that is clean and organized they would more than likely say they love it. The reality however (no matter how much people like minimalist spaces) is a little different.
The good news is that transforming your office and creating a minimalist space that people admire is not that hard to do. All you need to do is create some sort of system where everything in your office actually has a purpose, and then get rid of anything that shouldn’t be there. Once you do that, then every evening before you close the door on your office all you need to do is make sure that everything is put back to where it belongs. Do this one thing and you will never have to deal with a cluttered and messy office again!
Step 1: Get the Color Scheme Right
The reality is that your office isn’t a place where you play. Your office is a place where you need to focus and concentrate on doing the most important tasks that are related to your work. So that means you are going to want to avoid creating a space that is distracting in any way. You are definitely going to want to avoid painting your office in any kind of bright color because this can be very distracting. Sure, painting your office in a nice bright orange would definitely look awesome, but believe me it will be very distracting which is not what you want if you want to be productive while you’re working!
Keep it simple. Don’t go for fancy wallpaper, don’t go for bright colors, just a simple color that will fade into the background and allow you to work with complete focus. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you have to go with white (which is what is normally associated with a minimalist office)… any light color that you like will work just fine.
Step 2: Invest in the Right Storage
Alright, now that you’ve got the color of your office sorted we will move onto the next stage which is office furniture. In this case I’m talking about storage. Now, you have two main options when it comes to storage, filing cabinets and shelves. There are different advantages and disadvantages to both of these options and in most offices you’ll find a combination of both being used. Filing cabinets are a great option if you have a lot of paperwork and shelves work especially well if you have a lot of items that you need easy access to. Another great thing about shelves is that you can place some personal things on it like plants and photo frames to give your office that little personal touch.
A fantastic way to give your office that minimalist look is to definitely look into investing in some Scandinavian style storage and furniture in general. Scandinavian style is a classic and just screams minimalism, so will fit in perfectly in your new office space.
Step 3: Get Yourself Organized
Since you are transitioning towards creating a minimalist office, you have to get with the trend of going paperless. This means you want to literally (well as much as you can) get rid of all the unnecessary paper that is in your office right now. This will result in you not only having to reduce the amount of storage you need in the office, but at the same time it will give your office that airy, clutter free feeling that people love when they see minimalist offices. Now, you may be wondering how you are going to replace all the paper you have been using all these years, well the great thing about being in the modern world we are in is that you can literally take and store all your files and folders digitally. Not only is this more secure, but you’ll be able to access all your most important files wherever you go!
Another big nuisance in the modern workspace, especially with all the wonderful tech that we are using is the ton of wires that end up all over the place. Not great if we’re trying to create a minimalist office. The first thing you want to do is to try your best invest in tech that is wireless. It’s 2019, so you’ll find that a lot of conventional things like printers, scanners, and of course Internet routers all come with wireless options. This single thing will reduce a lot of the wires in your office, but of course there will still be some remaining wires that you have to keep. For these simply clip them in place at the back of your desk to keep them out of sight and your office space looking clean and clutter free.
One of the best ways to ensure that your new office remains clutter free and organized is to ensure that at the end of every working day before you leave the office that you put everything back where it belongs, and put all the rubbish in the bin. This way you are going to be able to ensure that your office will never fall back into the state it was before, and as a result your productivity will soar!
Step 4: Personalize
Just because you are creating a minimalist office doesn’t mean that it has to be bland and boring. You can and definitely should add a few personal touches that let people know that this office is yours. A great way to give your office a personal touch and let people know a little of your personality is to put up a painting that you absolutely love. This really is a great way to add a bit of oomph to your new office!
Another tip is to add a beautiful rug that’s decorated in a unique pattern that you feel really expresses who you are. Of course you want to avoid getting a rug that is so outlandish in terms of design that you just end up getting distracted… this will just be counterproductive and not something you really want in a space where being able to focus and concentrate on your work is very important. You might also want to try experimenting by placing the rug in different areas of your office to see where you like it the best. Don’t feel you have to stick it in the middle of the room… experiment to see what works for you!
Another thing you can do to spice up your minimalist office in a classy way is to add some indoor plants. Perhaps some spider plants or even a Venus fly trap would be an interesting addition to the space. The great thing about indoor plants is that they really make the place feel alive and welcoming, and at the same time they take practically no effort in terms of maintenance. Just make sure you water them every so often and you’re good to go!
Step 5: Invest in the Right Chair
The reality is that at the end of the day is doesn’t matter how pretty your new minimalist office is, if you end up getting a chair that causes you back problems! Let’s face it, in the modern work world we are living in the vast majority of time is spent sitting down behind a desk. This is why it makes sense that you invest in a really good, ergonomic chair. This will ensure that you are comfortable all day and on top of that you’ll never experience any back issues, which is definitely not something anyone wants.
These days there are a million chairs out there to choose from, so the best way to find a chair that works for you is to literally try as many of them as you possibly can before you shell out your hard earned cash.
If you are going to buy a high quality ergonomic chair then it will cost significantly more than a standard chair, but believe me it’s going to be worth the investment because in the long run it will keep your back nice and healthy!
So there you have it, some of the most important tips that you need to follow in order to transform your office space into a minimalist haven. Implement these tips and you’ll find that you’ll be looking forward to going into the office every single day, ready to attack whatever the day throws at you!
