Are you a freelancer? Here’s how you can create your dream home office

How harmonious décor can make your workspace a place of calm

After a decade working in newsrooms in which desks are not always sacrosanct, having my own workspace in my house felt like a little piece of heaven. When we moved homes after two years, I decided to experiment with the idea of not restricting myself to a corner of the house. I chose, instead, to work at the dining table or turn a tall end table into a makeshift desk in the living room for some months, but I missed having the fulcrum of a workspace. I bought a desk made of dark wood and created my little sanctuary by the bedroom window. Now, on the verge of moving again, I find myself trying to identify a workspace in the flats we see while house-hunting. I don’t mind the process of moving house—it presents an opportunity to start over—but I have to be anchored by my desk.

Now, six years after I began working for myself, these are the principles I follow when I make a corner of my home into a workspace:

1. Choose a spot that gets as much natural light as possible. I always prefer working by a window. If the desk is large enough, a lamp is a good idea.
2. Make the space pretty. Fresh flowers are a necessity for me; I keep it simple—sometimes with just a posy of desi gulabs or hibiscus. Plants—especially succulents or money plants—are good ways of adding a bit of freshness too. Small totems are lovely, as are pieces of art or posters on the wall.
3. Treat your workspace as sacred. I journal at my desk every morning. I start and end my workday with a quick round of meditation. On my desk is a little plate on which I keep crystals—malachite, black obsidian and citrine are my preferred combination right now. Have on hand whatever makes you feel grounded and steady.
4. Keep it as organised and neat as you can. I rely on boxes and folders for this. Once a month, I declutter.
5. Create rituals and routines that help you draw boundaries between work and life. When you work from home, this can be tricky, especially in a city like Mumbai where flats are not very large; the room in which I work is also where I conduct much of my life. So, I decide what time to start work every day and don’t use my desk before that. It is not a resting place for my handbag or keys. I try not to fling things onto my chair. And, in that spirit, when I am done with work every day, I switch off my laptop, clean up my desk, decide what time to start work the next morning and leave the room for a bit. 

Check out These Gorgeous Furnishings for a bit of Workspace Inspiration

If you’re a freelancer who makes do with whatever space she can find—bed space, floor space, ‘laptop literally on your lap’ space—to get work done at home, it’s time you invested in a good desk. Scroll down for everything you need to add a personal touch to your working space at home.

Chinmayee Manjunath is a content coach and book sherpa, who helps people tell a better story and master the mix of content and commerce.