I have been trying to calm down an office space that is really dark and very busy in terms of its visual appearance. In this case, I cannot change the colour of the furniture and an extensive range of items is still needed to be kept on hand. So this week I was on a mission to find ways to calm down; dark and cluttered office spaces - and to, of course make them more organised.

Declutter

This project has been very successful so far. I have begun the process with my usual starting point which involves; culling things. In this case, I also decided to remove all items in the office space and only put back what I needed. I don’t always recommend this, however if you are up for it and in this instance I was, it was a very useful process. The idea behind setting up a good looking organised desk, is to place every item there with a clear purpose.

Colour scheme

The next step was thinking about a colour scheme in this space. I normally pick up to 4 colours and use them in my boxes and other items. The boxes hide some of the more” organised messes” like; computer cords, small desk items, digital gadgets etc. Boxes will also start to make your space look uniform and more intentional.

As the office is still a work in progress I am extending this project possibly by sticking lighter colours on the background of open cupboards, this will make the office instantly, look more spacious and organised. I might place a work of art and a plant in the office, which are both things that add a calming effect to workplaces.

Make it all come together

My last step will be to look at the folders and work on their spines. I am thinking big bold uniform labels which are easily replicated to create a calm and organised impression in this office.