Whether you’re working from home, or you’re running a business that’s in need of a revamp, redesigning your office when you’re on a strict budget can be frustrating. Whether it’s determining the color scheme, from graphite grey to warm tones, or you’re just looking for a fresh layout to promote productivity, being able to get exactly what you envision while on strict monetary limits takes a bit of creativity. Here, we’re looking at how you can redesign the workplace, or your home office, on a budget.
For The Workplace
Prioritise and Plan
First thing’s first, you need to prioritise what needs to be considered first. While it might be tempting to completely revamp everything about the office, from the tables down to the carpet, what do your employees actually need? Something as simple as rearranging the desks and purchasing new chairs can bring a new lease of life into any office space while giving your employees a more ergonomic seating arrangement. Once you’ve worked out the core priorities, you can dig deeper and work out what budget you have left to invest in decorating.
Open-Plan Layouts
Individual rooms and dividers can be expensive, restrictive and ultimately, an expense that often isn’t needed. If you’re searching for a new office, look for an open-plan layout to not only accommodate a sizable team but encourage communication between teams and friendships between colleagues. In cases where there may be sensitive roles in the office, you can implement separate rooms or dividers.
Play on a Minimalist Aesthetic
Minimalism is, thankfully, an ongoing trend and one that isn’t looking to give up its position anytime soon. For those on a budget, this is a godsend. With simple but bright color schemes, clean-cut company signage and a few plants here or there, you can create a professional aesthetic without having to spend a fortune.
For Your Home Office
Get Creative with the Space You Choose
If you’re integrating a home office and don’t already have a room dedicated to precisely that, you’ll need to get creative. Redecorating and repurposing an entire room can be expensive, so why not consider cutting off a corner of a room for a small home office? You can use dividers to create privacy. If you have children or a big family, this may not work as well, so you could opt to set up in other sparsely used spots in the house, such as a spare room or basement.
Use What You Have
Desks, lamps, notebooks, decoration – you’d be surprised what you already have in the house waiting to be repurposed. While not all of us have a spare desk laying about, even a dressing table can be converted into a desk if you have a spare one in a guest bedroom, for example. Similarly, lamps that aren’t often used around the house can be moved into your home office, and notebooks that are unused or barely touched will finally have a use.
Pop to the Charity Furniture Stores
If you don’t have the furniture you need, skip the expensive shops and head straight for the charity furniture shops. You can usually pick up the furniture you need relatively cheap, with the money going to a good cause rather into a brand’s pocket. In some cases, you can find a matching desk and chair set, or at least color schemes that are close.
Avoid Chain Office Supply Shops
Chain stationary shops can be expensive, so skip them completely and head for the cheaper discount stores. In most cases, the quality isn’t far off of being exactly the same, and you’ll only be paying a fraction of the price. There’s no harm in treating yourself to a ‘premium’ notebook later down the line, but while you’re redecorating, stick with cheaper options to maximise your limited budget.
Category: Advice