GUEST POST: Love The Home You Work In

Dear friends: Please enjoy this guest blog post from South Seattle-based interior designer Michele Bayle, who owns Bayle & Co. — a new home decor store in Seward Park — and is one of the many local contractors found in my little black book of useful resources. Enjoy!

Interior Designer Michele Bayle owns Bayle & Co. — a new home decor store in Seward Park.

Working from home can be a challenge; maybe your business has taken over your dedicated office space and now the dining room table and it could just keep going on and on to every flat surface you have if you don’t wrangle it in now. Carving out a space in your home is essential for productivity even if it is for organizing your busy family schedule between meetings, Dr.’s appointments, kids events etc. Organization is the key to keeping your sanity.

If your world wide headquarters of your business is in your home then doubly essential to get everything in one spot. An organized office/space that offers a place for all of your important papers, a calendar for posting important meetings/times, a file for “IN”, “PENDING” and “OUT” is really helpful too. Staying organized will make working from home much more enjoyable.

Pottery Barn organizational system

One of my favorite organizational systems is from Pottery Barn. This one comes in a handful of colors to match most office styles. This system gives you options for filing slots, chalkboard, cork board, calendars, magnetic boards, organizers. Organize your paperwork and return the flat surface of your home to what it is originally intended for.

In addition to organization It is important to have the right lighting in your work space. Take advantage of views and add additional lighting in dim lit corners. Walls should be painted softer hues instead of bright colors.

Now don’t get stumped by the task of making your office space perfect, start with a list of what you would like the space to do for you and what you would like in it. Hire a designer to help with paint, furniture selection and placement. Organization might not be your thing or seem a little daunting, give yourself a budget and hire a professional organizer, it will be well worth your investment. Once you have your organized office space you can find everything you need and be much more productive. Now, watch your business grow!

Until next time!
Michele Bayle
Bayle & Co.

This post first appeared in the Redecorate, Remodel or Move blog.