I don’t know about you, but my imagination kicks into hyperdrive every time I pick up a Pottery Barn catalog and look at all those photos of hip, stylish homes  that must be inhabited by equally hip, stylish people. In my fantasy world, I spend money I don’t really have on fancy furniture I don’t really need, all to please a handsome husband who would probably drive me absolutely batty if he really did exist.

I’m not sure where I was going with that, but it brings me to the point of this blog. That is, what do we really need to create the perfect home office? In looking around at my own home office, which doesn’t look  like a Pottery Barn catalog but functions really well, I identified a few key ingredients that make for a great working environment. The rest is up to interpretation.

Natural Light

If I had to put my home office in the middle of the living room versus putting in a closet, I’d opt for the living room every time. Ideally, you have a space in your house that, if not an enclosed room, at least feels somewhat like one. A window or some form of indirect sunlight is key, however, for our health, our mood, and our productivity level.  However you do it, let the sun shine in…

Inspiring Photos/Quotes/Words of Wisdom

Whoever said that offices should be void of personal affects was just plain wrong. It doesn’t take a lot, but just a little inspiration, however it comes, will brighten up anyone’s day. Personally, I have a running slideshow of my favorite family photos running on my desktop. It takes up no additional room on my desk, provides a ongoing visual montage, and always makes me smile. Frame a favorite quote, drawing, card… anything that will lift your spirits and get you through the day.

Proper Task Lighting

Natural light is essential, but high-quality task lighting is equally important. I can’t tell you how often I walk into someone’s home office and am amazed at how poorly lit it is. An inexpensive adjustable task light will do the trick and makes a world of difference. Your brain… and your eyes will thank you.

Well-designed Desk Chair

In my book, there is really only one office chair… the Aeron chair by Herman Miller. Quite simply, it’s the perfect design: simple, durable, and ergonomic. However, at $750 a pop, it doesn’t come cheap. There are other, less expensive, well-designed brands if $750 feels a bit steep; my point is, take the time to research and try out different chairs to find the right one. Wouldn’t you rather spend $750 on the right office chair than $7500 on the chiropractor?

Large Flat Screen Monitor

These days, you can get a decent 21″ flat screen monitor for a couple hundred bucks; again, a small price to pay when you consider the cost of prescription glasses. If you have a laptop, fear not. You can plug your monitor directly into a Mac and there are adapters and docking stations available for Windows-based laptops. I like my monitor because it allows me to sit further away from the screen, it takes up very little room on my desk, and it feels like a big screen projector when I’m looking at photos.

Ample Desk Surface

If you’re limited to a small work space, then you’re going to be somewhat limited in this department. Then all the more reason why you should view your available lateral surfaces as VRE (valuable real estate). Don’t waste precious space on the printer when you can easily put the printer on a nearby bookshelf. It may mean you have to get up every now and then but, the last time I checked, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. It will give you the chance to step back and admire your perfect home office. After all, who needs Pottery Barn?