Making repairs in an apartment or in a private house is a responsible task for every owner. But it is much more important to fill your own home with comfort and beauty. This is especially true for the desktop. Today, there are a lot of design techniques that can not only visually expand the existing space, but also give it charm and chic. This applies to small things, souvenirs made with my own hands crafts to decorate your workspace.

It is very useful to have a designated place to work.

Furniture, in particular the desk, plays an important role. Stationary and online stores offer a lot of high-quality, stylish and modern furniture. But what to do if your financial situation does not allow you to acquire a new product? Decorate an old table! There are a lot of options - using the decoupage technique, paint and varnish materials or self-adhesive film of any desired color.

Your desktop doesn't have to be big

Select maximum comfortable place, where your desktop will be located. It’s great if you can allocate a separate room for these purposes. But also for the owners small apartments there will be a solution. The workplace can be equipped on a balcony, window sill, in a niche and even in a closet.

Ideas can be varied. But remember, functionality, comfort and coziness come first. There are several styles that modern designers recommend using to decorate your workspace.

Minimalism:

• assumes a complete absence of unnecessary details in the design;
• furniture and decorative elements have clear geometric shapes, due to which there is complete variability in designs;
• predominance stylish flowers, often contrasting with each other;
• the maximum amount of light in the apartment, which can be achieved with the help of modern lighting fixtures.

Nothing motivates you to work more than a bright, comfortable office, free from unnecessary details.

The color scheme should be extremely simple

Scandinavian style:

• use of monochrome colors: black, white and milky shades;
• large number photos and posters on the wall of the same color;
• many shelves, drawers, stands for books, documents and interior details.

Efficiency and restraint Scandinavian style making it an ideal choice for a modern office

Monotonous if desired white interior can be diluted with a bright lemon accent

The workspace will look no less stylish in the styles of pop art, contemporary, hi-tech, loft, avant-garde and eclecticism.

Workplace in loft style

How to arrange an office in an apartment

It’s great if the size of your living space allows you to equip workplace in a separate room.

A separate room is an ideal place for fruitful work

Where to start with the design and what needs to be taken into account?

1. Choose as much as possible neutral colors for arranging the work area: beige, white, milky, diluting them with bright accessories.
2. Make sure there is enough light in the room and the room is well ventilated.
3. Select furniture according to the principle: “the more things you can store in it, the better,” this will help avoid chaos on your desktop.
4. Consider the location of the sockets; they should be located next to the table.

The chair should be comfortable and, if possible, beautiful

Decorate your workspace at home according to Feng Shui. According to this teaching, the front door should be in sight: from the front or the side. Do not place your desk near a window; this will interfere with your concentration and may distract you from your work process. It is recommended to place objects so that each of them can be realistically reached. Well, the most important thing is lighting. Install the lamp to your left, your eyes will get tired much less.

Workplace on the balcony

There is very little space in your apartment, but do you need to place your desk somewhere? Right! Place it on the balcony. Please note that the balcony must be well insulated, otherwise you risk catching a cold while sitting in a draft. And furniture in such conditions will quickly become unusable.

The spacious loggia will fit desk medium size

When organizing a workplace on the balcony, choose a small table. But where to store documents and various useful little things? An excellent solution would be shelves nailed to the walls. You can put a small cabinet under the table to store office supplies.

You can also get quite comfortable on the narrow balcony

Be sure to protect yourself and your property from the influence of direct sun rays. To do this, just hang blinds on the windows. Well prerequisite– availability of sockets. It’s good if it is possible to take them directly to the balcony. This will eliminate the need to purchase an extension cord.

Design of a workspace in a niche

Your balcony has modest size or not insulated? There will always be a way out. The desktop will look great in a niche. The main thing is to clear it and get rid of the trash that has accumulated there.

The working surface will be a countertop installed in spacers

The vertical is used as much as possible. An excellent option is to place boxes with important little things, hang several small but spacious shelves on the wall. They are suitable for storing folders, books and more.

A small workplace in a niche, decorated in the spirit of the 30s

Regarding the pantry doors themselves, it is possible to decorate them with a real organizer for scissors, tape, pencils and others useful little things. The idea is good if you are doing handicrafts and have nowhere to put your tools. Ready-made organizers hanging on the door are sold in stores. If you wish, you can choose beautiful nails, hammer them into the niche doors and hang the necessary items there. As for the table itself, it can be made from solid wood yourself or made to order.

Installing a table on a windowsill

This desktop design option is very popular. It does not require a lot of free space, and it is inexpensive. Basically, narrow window sills are found in apartments. But they can be easily extended. To do this, you need to use a tabletop that is installed on the window sill and fixed to the wall on the sides. If the tabletop is long enough, it needs to be secured at the bottom in the middle. A cabinet installed under the table is suitable for these purposes.

Even small window you can organize a comfortable workplace

When organizing your workspace, make sure that the battery does not get in your way. It's better to move it to another place. Considering that you will be working in front of a window, think about how to protect yourself from the sun. A light curtain or blinds work great.

Window sill table in the children's room

Nail the shelves onto the side walls. This way you save your precious square meters from the need to install a cabinet, and everything you need will always be at hand.

Workplace in the storage room

Making the most of your workspace is the main goal of many owners. small apartments. It sounds surprising and unusual, but it’s quite possible to set up an office in a closet.

The office in the pantry can be decorated in a modern or classic style

Pay attention to the walls. To set up a home office in a closet, you need to choose the right shade of wallpaper. The pantry is a fairly dark room, so when covering the walls, choose wallpaper only in light shades.

Secret room under the staircase

• dismantle doors to expand space;
• install shelves or a cabinet up to the ceiling to save money and make the most of your workspace;
• since there are no windows in the pantry, take care good lighting, it is desirable if there are several light sources.

As you can see, setting up a workplace at home is not at all difficult. The final touch is choosing a chair. Great if it happens office chair small size.

How to restore an old table: decor ideas

To set up a workplace at home, you need to think about choosing furniture. If it is not possible to purchase new table, you can always decorate the old one.

Shabby wooden table can be sanded, decorated with stencils and varnished

There are several techniques that will give old furniture new life and turn it into a real work of art:

Accessories and decorative elements

Setting up a workplace is easy. The secret is in the details. Properly selected accessories will give an aesthetically attractive appearance work area. Have you installed a table or cabinet, but don't know how to make the space look larger? Use various figurines and vases. But remember that they should be as round as possible; avoid oblong accessories in this case.

Organize your personal moodboard - a kind of “mood board” that will decorate the interior and become a source of inspiration

Bright shades are appropriate in small details

A great option to spice up your workspace at home is to build a vision board. It will not be difficult to do this even for a person who has never done needlework. This is not only a great decoration, but also a way to motivate yourself to achieve what you want. Take a sheet of whatman paper, print it out or cut out the pictures you like from magazines. Do you want to soak up the seaside soon? Great, look for a picture with the sea and the beach and glue it onto paper. Do you want to buy a new car? All that remains is to find a picture of the car you like and pin it on whatman paper. Place the sheet of paper itself on the wall, directly in front of you. You'll see, this kind of workplace decoration will come in handy.

Need a holder for pens and pencils? You don't have to run to the nearest store to buy it. Take the regular one tin can and open it in several layers slate paint. It looks incredibly stylish and modern.

Collect your stationery in a convenient box

Organize your wires

You can use regular shoe boxes to store small items. The only thing is that they need to be slightly refined. Wallpaper will help here or self-adhesive film any color you like. After the “upgrade” it would not be a shame to put the boxes on a shelf or any other prominent place.

Boring office interiors are depressing. It’s no wonder that we try to make our workplace bright. Sometimes even too much. Here are 5 design quirks that HR managers do not recommend implementing on your desk.

1. MEMORIBLE

REMOVE“iconostasis” of photographs where you are with relatives, friends, relatives of friends and friends of relatives. An abundance of personal connections is a good thing, but at work, an active demonstration of love for your “inner circle” can be perceived as a hint that you are uncomfortable among your colleagues. Which seems true if you constantly need the support of your family.

BETTER leave one photo in a modest frame, your favorite one, which will inspire you during the long evening rush. Or you can also put one where you and your colleagues celebrate a particularly successful project.

2. AROMATIC

REMOVE strong-smelling incense sticks or candles. As you know, there are no comrades for taste and color, and what lifts your spirits can cause severe irritation to colleagues (and sometimes allergies).

BETTER Place a vase with a mixture of dry petals on the table. And if you splurge on a small dish with bright colored fruits, you are guaranteed popularity among your colleagues.

3. PICTURES

REMOVE bright, distracting posters that don't matter or cumbersome screensavers that slow down loading - you may be crazy about Pattinson, but how on earth does he help you with your sales plan?!

BETTER, if Robert Pattinson is accompanied by at least a calendar, then at least there is some semblance of benefit to the business. Although, of course, it would be much more useful if the same calendar was illustrated by a painting by an artist or famous photographer who inspires you.

4. ZIVENKY

REMOVE wilted flowers. Artificial, we hope you don’t bet? There's nothing more depressing than dusty fakes.

BETTER Keep fresh flowers on the table, one fresh one is enough. Or a small plant in a pot. A piece of living nature not only pleases the eye, but also softens the atmosphere in the office - proven by psychologists.

5. ADDITIONAL

REMOVE a glass for pens in the shape of Mickey Mouse, a mouse pad with Moomins. They reveal your immaturity and unwillingness to make decisions.

BETTER replace the “children’s” stationery with business accessories in orange, red or yellow— bright spots inspire and give energy. Without knocking you off the business wave, however. Personnel officers are not against toys - those that help you think: puzzles or an original mouse shape.

SVETLANA GULYAEVA
CAMERA PRESS/FOTOBANK.RU. GETTY IMAGES/FOTOBANK.RU

Working from home is not as easy as it seems. Homely atmosphere not always conducive to hard and long work. That is why it is so important to allocate at least a small corner that will be reserved exclusively for work. Here you can neutralize irritating factors to the maximum and immerse yourself in business. It is necessary to think in advance about the organization of an impromptu office so that during the process of activity everything you need is at hand. Desk decor directly affects productivity and efficiency.

Types and configurations of desktops

The main “hero” of any office is the table. The variety of configurations offered allows you to choose perfect solution for each specific case. Computer tables have a number of features that are characteristic only of them. They are usually equipped with stands for the system unit and monitor, a retractable shelf for the keyboard, and a hole for cable routing. The shape of the desktop can be absolutely any, but the most common are:

There are a great variety of desktop configurations. They are often equipped with:

• shelving – the structure is attached to the tabletop, which ensures its stability;
• cabinets - closing doors hide the contents from view and block the access of dust;
• hanging shelves different lengths and configurations;
• drawers – located in a stationary or mobile cabinet with wheels;
• printer shelf - allows you to save space on the countertop;
• cable channel - a special casing in which the wires can be hidden;
• leg bar – protects your legs from fatigue and numbness during long periods of work at the desk;
• backlight.

There is a table, the working surface of which is a kind of system unit.

Decoration style and color schemes

When decorating a table, do not forget about the overall style of the room. Strict minimalist forms or chrome accessories are just as out of place in a classic or Provençal interior, as are carved furniture with bronze or gilded elements in pop art or hi-tech styles. Therefore, if there is a need to highlight a home office area, you need to do this without disturbing the style.

Table decoration in different styles

For classic interior will suit carved table from natural wood in dark colors. The tabletop can be covered with velvet or leather, and the handles drawers covered with gold. Fashion accessories will add nobility to the composition. Antique writing utensils with a stand made of expensive wood or marble, inkwells, paperweights, a leather-bound diary, a paper cutting knife, an antique desk lamp.

The atmosphere of Provence will be emphasized by a vintage table in a delicate pastel shade. It shouldn't look new. Its surface may be covered with chips, chips, wormholes and abrasions - as if the paint has peeled off from long use. This can be achieved using special tools and craquelure varnishes. Old table will sparkle with new colors if you use painting or decoupage technique as decoration. Antique photo frames, elegant vases, baskets, openwork lanterns, inkwells with floral patterns, ceramic vases with lavender sprigs are suitable as accessories. For lighting, a table lamp with a lampshade made of fabric in pastel shades or with a simple print is useful. This desktop decoration option is perfect for a school-age girl.

A high-tech table can be made of MDF with a glossy finish, transparent or black glass, or metal. Chrome and plastic organizers, wire vases, avant-garde designer accessories, lighting, electronic devices– photo frame, clock, weather station.

The color scheme has a noticeable impact on performance. Blue shades will help you concentrate and tune in to completing tasks, the red color will invigorate, relieve fatigue from the eyes and prevent you from falling asleep. Green will calm and provide relaxation in moments of rest. Pink will not allow you to get irritated.

Accessories as desktop decor

Organizers for office supplies are needed on the desktop - you can get by with a cup for pens and pencils. You will need a stand for papers, notebooks, binders, books, a tablet, a mouse pad, and a table lamp. You can also place USB drives, a USB LED light, and a fan here. Motivational inscriptions under glass and pictures will boost morale, and a frame with a family photo will remind you of your loved ones. A small aquarium, pendulum or module will help you relax and put your thoughts in order.

The lack of space forces us to be creative and equip a place for work in the most seemingly inappropriate places for this. If you also don’t have extra room to set up an office, we recommend considering the following options:

• in the bedroom - the main advantage is that you can have privacy here and household members will not bother you. By closing the door, you block the penetration of screams, noises, and smells. But if you share a bedroom with a spouse or other relative, you are unlikely to be able to work unhindered while he or she sleeps;
• in the living room - if in common room no one spends the night, you can work here even until the morning. True, during the daytime and evening, your family can seriously disturb you with conversations, watching TV shows and football matches;
• you can sit on the balcony - the door is closed and it’s small, but separate home office at your disposal;
• in the closet - when the doors are closed, it is impossible to guess that behind them there is a full-fledged workplace with all the required components. A shelf acts as a tabletop. In such an “office” it is necessary to provide additional lighting;
• in a niche - a recess in the wall can serve you well. Order a table according to the size of the niche, and separate the space with curtains or blinds;
• by the window - if work requires a lot natural light, the table can be placed by the window. This is especially suitable for those who do needlework or drawing;
• under the stairs - free space, which is often used as a closet, is perfect for equipping a small office.

Additional lighting

Lack of light can negatively affect vision. Therefore, in addition to the general overhead light, it is necessary to use work lighting. This could be sconces, rotating spots, or a table lamp. It is not advisable to use fluorescent sources, since their constant blinking tires the eyes. It is better to replace them with economical ones led lamps. They don't blink or strain their eyesight. This is an indispensable condition when choosing lighting for the schoolchildren’s workplace. At night, lighting will not hurt. LED strip, stretched along the perimeter, decorates the furniture, giving it a spectacular and fantastic look.

The desk chair is an integral part of the desk

Choosing a chair is a responsible task. The following factors are taken into account:

• ergonomics;
• corresponds to the height of the owner;
• style;
• color scheme;
• execution material;
• presence of armrests.

The most comfortable option is a rotating easy chair on wheels upholstered in genuine leather. You can choose a model with a swaying effect.

DIY decorating methods

Manufacturers offer tables decorated using carvings, photo printing, and sandblasting equipment. But if you want, you can create unique design and decorate the surface of the furniture yourself.

Decoration methods:

1. Decoupage - an image from decoupage cards or napkins is transferred to the tabletop and fixed with special glue and varnish. You can also use a fragment of wallpaper left after pasting the walls for this.
2. Painting – you don’t have to be an artist to paint a table. The drawing can be created using a stencil.
3. Craquelure - furniture is decorated with a special varnish to give it a vintage look.
4. Stickers are a great choice for decoration. children's table, and also good remedy to mask defects.
5. Mosaic - using small tiles you can create an original coating. This surface is resistant to moisture and mechanical damage.
6. Under glass is the easiest way to decorate a table - you can put a calendar, various postcards, photographs and even autumn leaves under the glass.

Equipment placement rules

Proper placement of equipment reduces energy costs. The computer is placed below - on the floor or on a stand. The printer is often installed under the countertop on a special shelf. But if you place the device on the right side of the structure, it will be much more convenient and convenient to use. To refill paper, print a project, or make a copy, all you have to do is turn around. Cables should not lie on the floor. They need to be connected with ties and secured to the wall or hidden under the baseboard.

According to teaching, the desktop should be positioned diagonally from front door facing her. It is advisable to have a blank wall behind. If you sit with your back to the window, close the curtains tightly. It is also undesirable to turn away from the entrance. There should be no water symbols behind your back. Aquariums, paintings with ponds, decorative fountains are best placed in front of your eyes. Avoid placing your workspace under overhanging elements. They will put pressure and oppress you mentally. Try to make the wires as invisible as possible. Exposed cables not only look untidy, but also symbolize leakage and depletion of finances.

Conclusion

A properly and aesthetically organized workspace is an indispensable condition for productive work.

If you're cold in the office, you think about how to stay warm, not about what's happening on your computer monitor. If the light bulb dims, there is a problem daily dose light causes drowsiness.

But even if you're locked out of the office thermostat and can't teleport your desk closer to the window, you can make your workspace more pleasant.

Look at your workplace: does it seem cozy and comfortable enough to you? If not, you need to change something urgently, because your productivity depends on it.

1. Ideal cleanliness or creative disorder?

If a cluttered desk means a cluttered mind, then what does an empty desk mean?

Your desk is a reflection of your work process. A cluttered table often sets a person up for creative atmosphere, helps you feel more comfortable and relaxed. A perfectly clean table, on which every thing is in its place, is considered a sign of good moral qualities- accuracy and precision, but not every job requires exactly this.

May be, creative chaos on the table - is this exactly what you need for an ideal workplace?

2. Closing the open plan

An open office plan is a large space in which each desk is separated from the other by a partition. This layout is considered modern and progressive, but in reality it is bad for productivity.

Workers are often distracted, suffer daily stress from the hustle and bustle, and even get sick more often. You can propose a redesign to your boss - if it improves work efficiency, everyone benefits.

If rearranging is not possible, another way to increase concentration is to surround yourself with familiar things.

3. Homely atmosphere

Studies have shown that if you decorate your workplace with your favorite poster, hang your photos or just funny pictures, your well-being improves by 32% and productivity by 15%.

Psychologist Craig Knight from the University of Exeter claims that if a person surrounds himself with familiar and pleasant objects, his concentration increases - he is less distracted by noise and works more productively.

4. Curved lines for a cohesive team

Work furniture affects not only your personal comfort, but also your relationship with your employees. It has been proven that round table people feel like a more cohesive team than at an office desk with right angles. If you can choose, choose furniture with smoother shapes and curves - it creates a more comfortable atmosphere indoors.

5. The power of plants

Green color calms, improves memory and invigorates productive work so the pot with indoor plant will come in handy at your workplace.

OU Platform/flickr.com

In addition, plants normalize indoor humidity and have bactericidal properties.

More plants in the office means less bacteria and diseases.

Try, think and experiment. You spend most of your time at your workplace - isn’t this a reason to be seriously concerned about its condition?

If your favorite desktop has served you for many years and has already lost its former attractiveness, then there is no need to rush to throw it away. After all, you can simply update it with your own hands using one or another type of decor. We will tell you how to do this in the material.

Types of table decoration

When your old work table is still quite strong, but has simply lost its appearance, you can update and turn into modern item interior depending on the style you like. There are a large number of methods for decorating furniture, here are just a few of them:

You will now learn in more detail about some methods of decorating tables.

Features of decoupage and its implementation

This type of decor, like decoupage, is very simple. Anyone can do it with their own hands; to do this you just need to master the basic skills.

In order to update an old table using decoupage, prepare the following materials:

• napkins;
• special pictures for decoupage;
• acrylic varnish, preferably in a can;
• brush;
• PVA glue.

Decoupage technique

This type of decor done this way:

• clean the desktop, remove layers, old paint and dirt. Degrease its surface with an alcohol-soaked cloth. If it is not completely cleaned, then the decoupage will not be perfect;
• choose a picture for surface decoration and create a composition based on it. The composition must be chosen at your own discretion. An image with motifs of old buildings is suitable for a desktop;
• Place the cut out pictures on the surface. Mix glue and water in equal proportions and glue the pictures to the selected places. To prevent bubbles from appearing, the pictures should be ironed with a napkin, then let them dry;
• When the decoupage has dried, the surface of the desktop along with the pictures should be varnished. The varnish should be applied in several layers, each of which should dry well. The better everything is done, the more resistant the surface will be to liquids.

Decorating an old table in this way will not cost much, but it will look very stylish.

If for decoupage you use special pictures, then you don’t need to do anything with them other than gluing them. And if you cut them out of napkins, then divide them into layers of two-ply napkins. When using cut-out pictures from magazines, remove the bottom layer, wet the picture, and remove the layer with your own hands.

How to paint an old table?

Old worker or kitchen table can be decorated by painting with paints. This decor will suit for wooden table. Do-it-yourself painting does not require special artistic talents or skills. The main thing is to master the basics.

For work you will need the following materials:

Decoration through painting begins with cleaning its surface. If necessary, it should be sanded. Then the table washed and degreased.

You can find drawings for painting on the Internet or do it yourself. Next, print out the drawing (if it is taken from the Internet) or take a ready-made one, make a stencil, carefully cutting out the contours of the drawing elements using stationery knife. When creating stencils, do not forget about the need to leave bridges between the paper elements. Thanks to this, drawing will be very simple.

If you want to update the appearance of an old table, but you don’t know how to draw and don’t want to make a stencil with your own hands, then buy it ready-made, such stencils are for sale in stores of art materials or materials for decoration and decoration.

The table can be given a second wind by applying a pattern along the edges in the form of a border or by creating a complex composition of individual parts, which are scattered across its surface.

Then the decor consists of applying paint using a stencil. And so that the stencil does not move while working, you can glue it around the perimeter masking tape. You need to use a minimum amount of paint on the brush so that it does not spread and get under the stencil, this can negatively affect the image. Sometimes a sponge is used instead of a brush and paint is applied to it. The pattern applied with a sponge will be more uniform and even. The paint will not leak, so you won't be able to ruin the resulting table decor.

When the painting is dry, the table will be needs to be varnished. It is applied in layers to protect the surface from water and ensure longevity.

Complete painting of the table

An easier way to decorate a table using paints is to paint it entirely in one color or another with your own hands.

The materials selected are:

• alkyd paints;
• acrylic paints;
• epoxy painting materials.

All of them are resistant to water and do not require additional protection surfaces in the form of varnish. If your table is large enough, then it is better to paint it with a roller so that the surface is uniform and even. This method of decorating a table will give it an attractive appearance, and no one will think that your desktop is many years old.

Decor using film

The simplest decor with which you can update your old table is self-adhesive film. They can be purchased on sale in different colors; thanks to this variety, your table can have any design you like.

Before you start covering the table, its surface will need to be cleaned, rinsed and removed from grease. Then carefully stick the film on it and level it, making sure that there are no bubbles from it on the table. As you can see, this method of DIY decoration is as simple as possible and does not require special preparation.

Decorating a table with tiles

Give an old table an attractive look with your own hands possible with tiles. It could be:

• ceramic;
• mosaic;
• based on plastic composite components.

It’s worth taking a closer look at the mosaic decor.

How to make a table mosaic with your own hands

Mosaic tiles are very convenient to work with; they are simply cut using a knife, which removes excess parts of the tile.

To update your table yourself using mosaic tiles, for starters place it on the table, but do not glue it until you decide what the drawing will be. And only then can you start working. Its stages are as follows:

• clean the surface of the table, starting from its edges;
• glue should be applied to small areas of the tile, then carefully glue them one by one;
• the mosaic should dry for about a day;
• treat the seams with grout, apply it carefully with a brush;
• Remove any remaining grout with a rag.

As a result, the table will look fresh, stylish and original.

Other decoration methods

If you have mastered simple methods table decor, you can try to do more complex decoration options with your own hands. For example, if you like a marine theme, you can use different shapes and sizes for decoration. seashells and pebbles. Naturally, it will be difficult to assemble this with your own hands, but the result will be magnificent.

The work begins by attaching plywood to the table with screws, its sides are decorated with edgings based on laces or other materials. Then bamboo sticks are attached to the plywood in the form of a frame and coated with varnish. And after that, you can place pebbles and shells at your discretion as the main decor. There will be no need to cover them, since they will be covered on top with glass cut according to the parameters of the table.

Another option for table decor is this mirror finish. In this case, for work you will need:

• mirrors;
• box with chipboard base;
• liquid nails;
• silverfish

The stages of work are as follows:

• the box needs to be turned over, the chipboard-based bottom will act as a tabletop;
• take silver and cover the surface;
• attach five mirrors to the edges using liquid nails;
• Secure everything with masking tape and wait until it dries.

Table decor is great solution in order to bring back to life an old work or kitchen table that you were planning to throw away because it had lost its former attractiveness.