Many people, for one reason or another, have decided to incorporate their office into their homes. As the New Chinese Year of the Monkey approaches, January is a great time to get your space in order. Whether your office is at home, in a separate building, or right in the midst of your daily living area, there are many things that you can do to begin to create a palette for success in 2016.
If your business requires you to go TO your clients instead of them coming to you, a home office is very convenient. However, if you don't have a room that you can dedicate to office use, it becomes a challenge of how to create a separate area. Photographer Rachel Amelio had just that situation. Note, in this BEFORE picture, that everything is lined up against the walls, without a place to relax and feel 'away from work'. Facing a wall, it was also not conducive to being able to focus on work. And, there was nothing to stop her from thinking about work if she was relaxing on her sofa.
I like to think outside the box, while I'm considering the tools of Feng Shui. Just because a room has an architectural label, it doesn't mean (to me!) that it can't have another use! Walking into a home and having to go through one's office to get to the living space is not a practice that brings peace of mind. When I saw that the dining room was next to a window with bright light, and offered a little more privacy, I suggested that Rachel move her office there and put the dining table in the main living area. The table gets used for projects, as well as dining, but, like many people, dinner is also often eaten on the sofa while watching TV.
lAFTER: Clearing the area for the table, adding a colorful rug and art created a more spacious, calm feeling. A slight angling of the sofa, set up more privacy for the office that is now behind and out of the way of the living space.
The end result, is that now Rachel has a space of her own, that she can 'close up' after work, and gain some time for relaxing in her own home! In Rachel's words: "I had a great experience with Carol! She came into my small apartment and gave me some great ideas for how I could better arrange furniture and even artwork. Some of the changes were small but I definitely have noticed a difference in my environment. I feel like I can get more work done and I am just in a much better space mentally as well. If you have never tried Feng Shui before she explains everything and makes it very simple!"
The end result, is that now Rachel has a space of her own, that she can 'close up' after work, and gain some time for relaxing in her own home! In Rachel's words: "I had a great experience with Carol! She came into my small apartment and gave me some great ideas for how I could better arrange furniture and even artwork. Some of the changes were small but I definitely have noticed a difference in my environment. I feel like I can get more work done and I am just in a much better space mentally as well. If you have never tried Feng Shui before she explains everything and makes it very simple!"
Here's a photo of Rachel happily at work at her new, decluttered, desk location! Not only does she take awesome photos of others, but great 'selfies', too! Check out her business site here.
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