I’ve been working from home for 17+ years, first running my decorating painting business from home with kids on my hips, and then my online creative business coaching the last 5 years. I am lucky to have a dedicated office space in my new home, which I recently revealed to you here in this blog post.  (I am even luckier to have a second space dedicated to a craft room, which you can see here.)

If you followed me on Instagram (@jenniferallwood) you saw I was having some major cable and cord drama. (See photo above). So between that and my turtle pace of decorating, it took me quite some time to finally reveal my home office.  Add instantly so many of you were asking me specifically HOW I was able to store everything AND get rid of the endless amounts of computer cords. Over the years I have learned how to work more efficiently in my home work space, so I know what works for me and what doesn’t. And let me tell you, I cannot work in a messy office! 

So if you’re considering revamping your home office space, I must share with you the six things every home office needs. This is the practical stuff, my friends. But I know you’ll go nuts over it, because it’s #reallife.

This post may contain affiliate links for items I use, decorated with and recommend. If you purchase, I could make a small commission at no charge to you. Please read my disclosure and my privacy policy. 

5 Things Every Home Office Needs

1. Hidden Trash.

Because paper and snacks. Enough Said. 

2. A place to hide all of the electronics.

I have a dedicated lower cabinet where I can house my router and desktop tower.

3. A way to hide allllllll the cords.

All of mine are now going through a hole in my built-in desk, right behind my monitors and they are going down toward my feet where no one can see.  I know I work better in a space that looks better. And so having things out like cords and trash don’t make me feel pretty, and doesn’t make me want to work well! So I had to hide those.

4. Filing Cabinets.

For anyone trying to run a business from home, you NEED a place to store your files (and paint decks.)

5. A good chair. 

Because even creative entrepreneurs have a lot of ton of desk work and ergonomics are important. Might as well be cute too. (In my case, mine is furry. Find it here. )

Bonus: Good Lighting

Ideally it would be great to have good lighting over all, including good sunlight AND good task lighting. I use this little light I clip above my desk to get the best lighting for my Facebook Lives.  (For more of my favorite and highly-recommended business tools, go here where I’ve listed them alllll.)

Shop

I’ve curated some of my home office decorating items for you here! Plus I share more of my comfy glam-style decor in my Amazon Influencer Store here. 

I hope this helps you if you work from home too! 

Stay tuned and sign up for my emails here. I’ll be revealing my formal living room and where I got those famous blue sofas next week!. 

Xoxo,

Jen

Need some paint color advice? Here’s my Favorite 50 Paint Colors for Walls! This free video and list will help you make decorating decisions with guaranteed PERFECT WALL COLORS for your living spaces!

Find more home office ideas on my Pinterest Board: Offices