Whether you work out of your home or you’re in a corner office, one thing’s for sure, the way your office looks and works says a lot about you. The first thing anyone does is take in the world visually. And if your workplace is lacking, it’s going to be making a statement to everyone who enters. Taking a good hard look at your office and making sure it fits both your work style and image is a good starting point.
Startup Savvy
Office design and arrangement is important for aspiring CEO’s and entrepreneurs alike. The look of your office needs to be spare, clean and efficient, but not sterile. It also needs to exude a feeling control. A desk that’s rammed against a wall simply won’t cut it. When a desk is pushed against a wall, that wall symbolizes a giant obstacle. Look at any Fortune 500 CEO and you’ll see a desk that looks like command central. It’s sitting in the middle of the room with the door easily visible. The computer monitor is placed where the CEO has viewing privacy. And the desk? A vision of simplicity. Pens and paraphernalia are relegated to drawers.
The reason entrepreneurs and ambitious employees need an extra level of office emphasis is because they’re the CEO and all the other O’s combined – CIO, CTO, etc – in their work life. Very often, it’s up to you to get things done and make things happen, and if your office isn’t supporting you, then it’s pulling you down. The way your office works makes a big impact on the way you work. The chair needs to be comfortable, the computer monitor needs to be sized right and so does the desk. In fact, when it comes to desks, opt for larger.
Size matters
A large desk says executive, and when you’re a knowledge worker, you need a lot of space to spread out. Roomy desks also need storage. Too often desk storage is overlooked by office workers and desk designers. Those simple glass topped desks look fabulous, but they’re highly impractical. What makes a huge impact are rolling drawers and files. These cabinets typically have two drawers for office supplies and a third file drawer underneath. This particular combination enables you to roll the cabinet under the flat-topped desk so you can get the great look of the desk and the storage you need, too.
Create your brand
An office that reflects your personal brand is another way to make your office say executive. Whether that’s with the style – contemporary or traditional – or through unique accessories or artwork, find ways to make an impression. No matter what your style is, have some fun with it. Maybe a big pink fish pillow or an oversized print of your pet in a variety of colors will fill the bill. Just make a statement with something unique to keep your office interesting and full of verve, something every aspiring CEO needs. Look for ways to create a unique presence in your office that speaks to your creativity, goals or your personal brand, even if that’s with a foosball table or antique pinball machine. It never hurts to incorporate a little fun into the office to help lighten up the atmosphere and keep it from becoming too antiseptic.
Color your world
The last consideration for creating a statement office is color. Take a cue from upscale interior designers who find a way to take a simple decorating design and then give it big punch with a single object, accessory or decorating effect that has color. When you have an office that’s a medium gray and then throw in a giant print of a bright green apple, suddenly you have impact – both from a design and color standpoint. This also says executive because executives have impact, and that’s what you want from your office.
Kathryn Weber is the author of the ebook, Living Space: Simple Solutions to Transform Your Home and writes the nationally syndicated newspaper column, Living Space (Tribune Media Services). Her online newsletter, the Red Lotus Letter, can be found at her website, RedLotusLetter.com.
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