How To Create A Serene, Tranquil Home Office Environment
November 20, 2009
You want your work environment to be as conducive to the tasks at hand as possible. To transform your home office environment into a serene and tranquil work space employ color, nature and the elements of Feng Shui. The reward will be an office that is personal, inviting and inspiring to your work.
Change The Mood With Paint
When selecting paint for your home office, give some thought to color psychology. There are cool and warm colors that inspire peace and tranquility. Cool blues and greens are reminiscent of the ocean and sky. Blue is naturally calming and relaxing. Green is restful and is associated closely with nature. Green is also thought to inspire creativity.
If you prefer a warmer atmosphere for your office go for muted neutral shades such as moss green, taupe and soft butter yellow. Neutrals are elegant and calming and provide a great backdrop for the display of art for the personalization of your home office.
Bring The Outdoors In
The elements of nature are a great way to bring tranquility and serenity into your home office environment. Bring in live plants and fresh flowers. Some low-maintenance plants include philodendron, devil’s ivy and peace lily. Replace silk flowers with the real thing to add warmth and character.
If you envision the seashore as a place of ultimate relaxation, bring elements of the sea into your office. Seashells and driftwood make wonderful accents and you can even use them as paperweights or doorstops. Fill decorative glass jars and vases with shells and hang large pieces of driftwood on the wall as sculptural art.
Play the soothing sounds of nature via compact disc or sound machine. Recorded nature sounds such as ocean waves, trickling streams and rainfall provide a great background to reduce stress. In addition, this blocks out distracting noises from outside or within your home.
If the outdoors inspires you, hang posters and prints of outdoor scenery on your walls. Motivational prints often feature beautiful nature photography along with inspiring words. Scenes of mountains, oceans and tropical oases are a great way to bring a touch of artistic tranquility to your office.
Now And Zen…A Touch Of Feng Shui
Flowing water is one of the principals of Feng Shui and promotes relaxation. It provides white noise, blocking out surrounding distractions. A tabletop fountain is an excellent way to bring this wonderful water feature into your office. Alternatively, you can outfit your office with a beautiful wall fountain. These creations are works of art that add great style to your space. You can choose a highly ornate design or go with one that employs natural elements of copper and slate.
Light scented candles to fill your office environment with the soothing aromas of citrus or lavender. The glow of candles makes the office warm and inviting. Use fragrance infusers to fill the room with pleasing scents. According to Japanese researchers, scents of jasmine, lemon and lavender help create clear-headedness and a reduced number of typing mistakes.
Successfully creating a serene, tranquil home office environment involves simply adding elements of nature, selecting the right colors and employing some principles of Feng Shui. With all of these fundamentals in place, you can be assured that your office will be a less stressful and inspiring place to work.
