Here because you want to overhaul your office decor to create a new aesthetic desk setup? You’re in the right place.
We’ve got ten tips from Slouch’s office desk and chair experts on how to change up the look and feel of your office. Follow them all and by the end, you’ll feel like you have a brand new office.
Let’s begin the fun!
1. Upgrade your desk
To do: Pick a home office desk that resonates with your style.
The foundation of any great workspace? A desk that you feel at home in.
Not only does your desk play host to all of your work, it also sets the tone for your office’s aesthetic. After all, it takes up a lot of visual space and is also where you root yourself during work hours. Meaning it’s important to get right.
That’s where Slouch’s collection of thoughtfully designed office desks come in.
Pick from a range of contemporary colours, from clean, scratch-resistant black or white surfaces to warm wood tones like Walnut or Beech. With ergonomic crafting and dimensions at their heart, they make the ideal base for a comfortable and stylish workspace.
2. Choose office storage that matches your vibe
To do: Improve your office storage solutions.
We say it all the time over here at Slouch, visual clutter just isn’t good for your working environment. It’s easy to acquire over time but tends to add stress to your working space – the very environment you need to be able to focus best in.
The answer? Sufficient storage and regular decluttering.
If you’re looking for a way to get your office storage under control but can’t think of any ideas beyond standard filing cabinets, consider the following:
- Floating shelves – These cleverly add storage without eating up floor space.
- Under-desk drawers – Keep your essentials close at hand without cluttering your desktop.
- Pegboards – Pegboards are a trendy way to organise everything from stationery to tech gadgets for a more customisable option.
- Desk organisers – Gather up all of those loose bits and bobs in style with sleek trays or funky caddies. This is an inexpensive way to really get your desktop under control.
- Ladder shelves – These are a chic way to add vertical storage to your office in a nicely displayed way.
Take a look at some of our small office storage ideas if you need smart storage for when space is tight.
3. Declutter and reorganise
To do: Have a decluttering session for your office.
Once you have your office storage sorted, you’ll be ready to give your office a big decluttering session. Assess every item in your office and do one of three things with it:
- Keep it on your desk – It might sound obvious but you can’t have an aesthetic desk setup if you’ve got heaps of uncurated clutter on your desk. So restrict desk items to only things that are truly essential or hold special meaning.
- Store it in a storage solution – Things that might fall into this category are: documents, reference books, unused wires that you want to save for later use, stationary and cleaning supplies.
- Recycle, donate or throw away – If an item lacks immediate or future purpose and holds no strong sentimental value, it’s time to let it go.
Once you’ve done this you can enjoy a revitalised space that will be far easier to focus in. Just remember to maintain a tidy office with regular cleaning.
4. Reconsider your office chair style
To do: Find a desk chair that matches your style.
Picture it: You’ve got your home office set up perfectly. Ideal desk placement, upscale tech and a peaceful cohesive colour scheme.
And then comes the office chair. A bulky thing with a bright blue seat that’s hard on the eye and uncomfortable to sit in.
At Slouch, we’ve put a lot of manpower into creating ergonomic office furniture that you’d actually want in your office. Take a look at our beautifully muted range of colourways and order a fabric sample to find a stylish office chair that suits your office aesthetic perfectly.
5. Get aesthetic with your cable management
To do: Find a cable management solution for the loose wires on your desk and in your office.
Nothing ruins a sleek desk setup quite like a tangled mess of cables. Take your desktop to the next level by mastering the art of how to organise wires. Invest in some cable clips, cord covers, or even a cable box to keep unsightly wires out of view.
Not only will this declutter your workspace, but you’ll save time (and your sanity) by not having to untangle cords every time you need to plug something in.
6. Improve your desk essentials
To do: Make sure your office desk essentials are good quality and fit in with your office aesthetic.
When you first set up a home office it’s likely that the biggest factor in deciding which desk essentials to opt for was price. You might have even inherited some bits and pieces e.g. a keyboard and mouse from a previous job.
However, this could mean you have a mismatched look to the items in your workspace. While there’s nothing wrong with this, it won’t help you if you’re trying to achieve a particular cohesive ‘look’.
Consider slowly swapping out and upgrading your stationary and gadgets to a cohesive colour palette that fits in with your chosen aesthetic desk setup.
7. Bring in some greenery
To do: Buy some new plants to spruce up your office.
On a budget? Lots of plants can be propagated into a whole new plant with a small cutting. Ask your friends if they have any you could take a cutting of for a freebie plant.
There are plenty of easy-to-care-for, office-friendly plants that will bring a pop of nature into your workspace. Having some greenery can soften your space and make it feel less sterile as well as having many benefits to mood and mental health.
8. Repaint or refresh your office space
To do: Give your office a fresh wash of colour.
An easy way to get your office to align more closely with your aesthetic vision is by changing the colour. It might sound obvious, but colour can have a dramatic effect on the look and feel of a space.
- For Scandi-inspired offices: Don’t just reach for magnolia paint. Add depth by opting for cream, taupe, greige, mocha or mushroom instead.
- For a cosy, cottage-core workspace: Pair toning colours on skirting boards and woodwork with a different wall colour. Think sage green and dusky pink, for example. Don’t be afraid to add a twee, botanical-print wallpaper.
- For a dark academia-inspired aesthetic desk setup: Opt for painted panelling and in-built bookshelves, all drenched in rich jewel tones such as aubergine, emerald green or burgundy.
Tip: If you’re a fan of moody, maximal spaces check out our round-up of ideas for how to create your dream dark office.
9. Optimise your office lighting
To do: Take stock of your office lighting and make a change, if needed.
Wondering what the best lighting for studying or working is? We’ve got the answers.
It might surprise you to learn that most people are making 2 key mistakes with their office lighting. They are:
Lack of task lighting – If you ever find yourself wondering why you’re straining to see, even though you have your overhead light on, here’s why: you don’t have task lighting.
Task lighting is focused lighting like a desk or floor lamp that can help illuminate your screen and is kinder to your eyes than just turning your screen brightness way up. That’s a recipe for eye fatigue.
How can you test out whether you need additional focused lighting? Simply check your screen brightness settings. If you feel the need to up your brightness to more than 50-60%, you’re in need of extra task lighting.
Using the wrong colour light bulbs – You might not have paused to consider the colour of your lightbulbs before. If you haven’t, take a moment now. You’ll notice that light has either a warm or cool tint to it.
As a general rule, people find colder light hues more clinical and warmer-toned light more cosy and comfortable. If you’re struggling to bring enough warmth into your office setup, this could be a factor.
10. Get inspo for your new aesthetic desk setup
To do: Decide on one cohesive office decor style.
Wondering how to bring the office aesthetic you have in mind to life? We’ve rounded up some of the top office decor styles with exactly how to execute them.
| Workspace aesthetic style | Ethos | Colour scheme | Chair style | Desk style |
| Minimalist aesthetic | Less is more. The focus is on creating a tranquil and uncluttered space. | Neutrals like white, cream, beige and soft greys and browns. | Slouch’s Task 01 office chair in Cedar. | A clean white desk. |
| Maximalist aesthetic | This style exudes joy. It’s all about mixing and matching bright colours and textures. | An eclectic mixture of colours typically including bright or bold accent colours amongst neutrals. | Slouch’s Task 01 office chair in Bluestone. | A desk that acts as a neutral colour contrast to other colours in the room. |
| Organic aesthetic | Plays on the link between nature and design, bringing elements of the outdoors inside. | Warm wood with visible grains. Deep, natural colours like browns, reds and dusky pinks. | Slouch’s Task 01 office chair in Pink. | A desk with soft, organic lines. |
| Industrial aesthetic | Embraces raw materials and exposed structures, inspired by urban spaces. | Think mixed textures like riveted metals, exposed brick and distressed wood. | Slouch’s Task 01 office chair in Charcoal. | A dark wood-look desk in mahogany or walnut. |
Searching for more office styling inspo? Take a peek at how business owner Isobel Perl seamlessly styled her home office with a Slouch office chair…
Office furniture with form and function
We know that it’s important to put your stamp on your office space. That’s why we offer some brilliant colour customisation options, to ensure your Slouch office chair stands out for all the right reasons, not the wrong ones.
However, did you know that Slouch chairs are also engineered for comfortable lumbar support all day long?
With adjustable back and arm support as well as an ultra-comfortable foam seat why not treat yourself to the best office chair you’ll ever own.
Need answers to questions about our ergonomic office furniture? Simply get in touch via email at [email protected].
