--- title: How to Decorate Office description: Discover 5 simple ways to spruce up a blah office. canonical: https://time.com/4809320/decorate-office/ author: Real Simple article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-06-07T17:59:15.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T09:05:42.844Z og:title: 5 Ways to Spruce Up a Blah Office og:description: Hint: Lighting is everything og:url: https://time.com/4809320/decorate-office/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt874c10ec8b4e5a8d/6988d0a286f68e30b56e5072/decorate-office.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5184 og:image:height: 2916 og:image:alt: Contemporary workspace with computer og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 5 Ways to Spruce Up a Blah Office twitter:description: Hint: Lighting is everything twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt874c10ec8b4e5a8d/6988d0a286f68e30b56e5072/decorate-office.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 5 Ways to Spruce Up a Blah Office > Sponsored content. 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Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. by [Caroline McKenzie / Real Simple](https://time.com/author/real-simple/) ## Caroline McKenzie / Real Simple Jun 7, 2017 5:59 PM UTC  Contemporary workspace with computer Contemporary workspace with computer Getty Images by [Caroline McKenzie / Real Simple](https://time.com/author/real-simple/) ## Caroline McKenzie / Real Simple Jun 7, 2017 5:59 PM UTC You spend a third of your day in that cramped cubicle or ho-hum home office. These design hacks will perk up your space and your attitude. ### Play With Light Many offices are riddled with abrasive fluorescent fixtures. To combat this, Jana Bek, an Ann Arbor, Michigan—based interior designer, suggests this trio of lighting as space allows: a floor lamp for warm uplighting, a table lamp for a flattering glow (try a pink lightbulb for even more ambience), and a small swing-arm lamp for detailed tasks. For an array of all three types, visit [lampsplus.com](http://www.lampsplus.com/). ### Have an Inbox (Ahem, a Real One) “Most people’s ‘in-basket’ is their entire desk,” says David Allen, author of [_Getting Things Done_](https://aax-us-east.amazon-adsystem.com/x/c/QtH3jFW3IgKoeRE0lDRWa70AAAFcg1Rv5gEAAAFKAYaabN8/https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity/dp/0143126563/ref=as%5Fat?creativeASIN=0143126563&linkCode=w50&tag=REASIM03-20&imprToken=aBvBzYoXZ1PRfd0KAozNiA&slotNum=0)_._ “Having a single collection spot for action items clears mental and physical clutter.” And make your inbox a pretty one (Rustic letter tray, $13; [staples.com](http://www.staples.com/Staples-Rustic-Letter-Tray-27304-/product%5F1427470)): A 2012 study in _Journal of Consumer Research_ found that selecting products with good design can improve your self-image. ### Infuse the Air With Citrus “Lemon, sweet orange, and grapefruit essential oils are uplifting,” says Sharon Falsetto, chief editor at the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy. Open floor plan? Forgo a traditional diffuser and instead sparingly spritz essential oil diluted with distilled water at your workstation. ### Add Artwork Bek swears by actual artwork at a desk (versus the laminated motivational poster variety): “A piece of framed art instantly gives a space a finished, homelike feel.” A beautiful piece like a painting or print, she points out, can relax and inspire. Plus, it creates far less visual clutter than a disarray of paper ephemera pinned to a corkboard. ([_Here and There_](http://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/7876406/type/dlg/sid/RSHomeOfficeHappierJun17/https://www.minted.com/product/wall-art-prints/MIN-Y93-GNA/here-and-there?org=photo&color=A&shape=) print pictured; [minted.com](http://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/7876406/type/dlg/sid/RSHomeOfficeHappierJun17/https://www.minted.com/art?it%5Fcategory=n%5Fartb&it%5Fid=c1i1fa&of=no&limit=60) for more.) ### Bring a Plant to the Table “Plants literally permeate life into a sterile workplace,” says Christopher Satch, head of plant science and education at The Sill, a plant retailer in New York City. In addition to physical benefits (all that oxygen!), indoor plants may promote creativity. ZZ plants and snake plants require minimal watering and sunlight. (From $20; [thesill.com](https://www.thesill.com/collections/all/products/snake-and-olmsted?variant=31790065553).) This [article](https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/decorating/decorating-tips-techniques/happy-desk-accessories) originally appeared on RealSimple.com ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4809320/decorate-office/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4809320/decorate-office/"},"headline":"5 Ways to Spruce Up a Blah Office","datePublished":"2017-06-07T17:59:15.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T09:05:42.844Z","description":"Hint: Lighting is everything","url":"https://time.com/4809320/decorate-office/","keywords":["motto","office"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt874c10ec8b4e5a8d/6988d0a286f68e30b56e5072/decorate-office.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Caroline McKenzie / Real Simple"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt874c10ec8b4e5a8d/6988d0a286f68e30b56e5072/decorate-office.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Contemporary workspace with computer","caption":"Contemporary workspace with computer","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/motto/","name":"motto"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4809320/decorate-office/","name":"5 Ways to Spruce Up a Blah Office"}}]}] ```