Little Things Can Make a Huge Difference: 9 Ideas for Customizing Your Office Space and Adding a Personal Touch to It

Personalizing your workspace is a great way to make the time you spend at the office feel a bit more like home. Many workplaces now encourage their employees to spend time putting personalized touches on their cubicles or in their offices, because they know it helps boost morale and makes it more likely that employees will stay on with their company longer.

Customizing your office can be as simple as adding a framed photo of your family, or as extravagant as wallpapering your entire cubicle (something we’ve seen more and more of on Pinterest). People understand that they have to spend long hours at work (more extended hours than ever before, actually), so it’s no wonder that we would like our workspaces to feel a bit more approachable and comforting.

Customizing your workspace will help you feel more established in your office and will give you back a sense of uniqueness that mass-proposed office furniture and beige paint can start to steal away from you over time.

While some people go all out with their office decor, there are many ways that you can customize your office space in ways that are both small, practical, and comforting. From a blanket at your chair to a warm cup of tea; here are nine ideas for customizing your office space and adding a personal touch to it:

1. Hang some art

Let’s be honest, while your degrees may look impressive, they’re not there for you (unless they are, then go for it!). Instead, hang some pieces of art that bring you joy or comfort. Whether this is a large landscape portrait, an abstract print, or even a framed sleeve of one of your favorite records, you will find that looking at these images will help get you through your work day and remind you to smile. Not only can art bring us joy, but it can also be very therapeutic and help us see the world from different perspectives.

2. Add some plants

If you’re lucky enough to have a little sunlight at work, you will not only have improved health, but you will also be able to have a plant! Plants can help you focus, give you purpose, and add a natural touch to the cold aesthetic of office design. Look for low-maintenance plants, like Devil’s Ivy, Peace Lily, or Philodendron that thrive on neglect. Also, be sure to double-check with your building manager to make sure that plants are permitted. Many buildings prohibit flowering plants due to the HVAC system pulling pollen spores throughout the space and causing allergies.

3.  Get a fun nameplate

If we all have to know who’s working where, why not show them a bit of your personality at the same time? Use a company that designs custom badges to create something with a bit more flare than the standard, black-printed, silver nameplate that most people use. Attach it to your door or keep it on your desk to let visitors know a bit about your personality and approachability.

4. Bring in some techy accessories

We have so many creature comforts at home, but so few at the office! Bring in that Google Home or ambient color-changing light and take advantage of the convenience both at home and in the office. These high-tech accessories can help make our days go by faster or help us stay connected to our lives outside the office, so make use of them!

5. Healthy customizations

Not every way you customize your office has to be about quirky fun. Offices are built to one standard shape or size that never fits us all. To make your office work for you, modify it to fit your body. Get a standing desk, an ergonomic chair, and mousepad, or get your computer elevated. All these things can be immensely helpful in relieving pain and making you more comfortable. Many people suffer from health issues that can be directly attributed to sitting at a desk too long, and this is made even worse when you have an office that isn’t designed for proper spinal alignment.

Other options are to get a balance ball chair, or even keep a yoga mat in your office so you can stretch out some of the kinks between meetings.

6. Your own coffee or tea

Got a unique blend you love that you wouldn’t dare leave in the company kitchen? Or a tea that makes you feel cozy and calm? Bring some into your office and keep them hidden away from greedy co-workers by keeping it at your desk.

We enjoy keeping a variety on hand and changing them with the seasons. It’s the small things that can help make your office feel a little homier and more approachable.

7. Your own mug

On that note, office supplied mugs are horrible little things, so you should start by bringing your own mug. Use your cup to show a bit of your personality, from fun sayings to pictures, to neat shapes; your mug can be a simple way that you bring a bit of your home into your office. We don’t recommend you keeping your mug on your desk, however, since cool mugs are the first to go mysteriously “missing” in an office space. Instead, wash it at the end of every day and keep it in a cupboard at your desk.

8. Personal pictures

Don’t be shy to bring personal photos to your office. Pictures of your pets, your family, your last vacation, or your hobbies are all important ways that you can bring joy to your workday. Your life outside of work doesn’t need to be hidden away, and it can be a good reminder as to why you work, what you have to look forward to, or just memories of fun days.

9. Slippers

While some offices may frown on this, many won’t be any the wiser if you slip your feet out of your work shoes for a few moments a day and into a pair of cozy slippers. Just make sure you keep your feet under your desk when you do this and don’t accidentally head off to a board meeting!

What have you added to your wall or desk in the name of customizing your office space? Share in the comments.