There was a time when work meant proudly putting on a power suit or a tie and going to work every single morning. But times change. And people are now starting to turn their backs on crowded offices full of strangers, traffic that’s impossible to navigate, stuffy subways, dress codes, and having to be away from their family for the best part of the day. And that means one thing – contemporary garden offices.

In other words, as the global work force is slowly being taken over by millennials and the generation X, who refuse to be in a traditional office and much rather work on their own terms, spaces in which work is being conducted need to change as well. The same people who said goodbye to corporate offices found that they needed to setup a space for themselves at home where they could create and be productive. That’s how the garden office was born, by repurposing the old garden shed.

But does it need to be drab, boring or ugly? Of course not. This is your personal and intimate space where, as opposed to a classic office, there are no rules. You get to decorate it in a way that will stimulate your work flow as well as your relaxation time the best. Here are some cool design ideas to get you started!

1. How to Choose the Perfect Color

Needless to say, different colors mean different things. Even more than that, since we associate distinct colors with certain things, they are typically used for particular rooms as far as interior design goes. In other words, you need to pay attention to the color code if you are designing your contemporary garden offices on your own. Your office can’t be the same color as a baby’s room!

For example, a lot of people usually go for blue. It’s a color that inspires calmness since it reminds you of the ocean or the sky. It will also help you concentrate better. Green is perfect if you want to be soothed in this environment since we normally associate it with nature.

However, you can go for something a little more out of the box, such as orange or red. They are both very lively and will dare you to be more dynamic. Still, here’s a piece of advice. Cut these colors with some white or grey furniture. Being in an all red or orange room can get stuffy or even give you a headache after a while. Some people even report feeling warm.

2. Go for a Trestle Table

As we mentioned in the beginning, this is not your classic corporate office. Plus, you are working in your contemporary garden offices, which means the space is considerably smaller. A cool and lightweight trestle table will do. It takes up very little space, you can store boxes underneath it, and you can decorate it any way you like. Not to mention that, since it’s so minimalistic it will fit any design you have in mind!

3. Make Your Contemporary Garden Offices Homey

Here’s another cool thing you can do now that you’re in your own backyard and not at the corporate offices anymore. Add a few personal and cozy touches. Put a soft rug under your desk so you’re always comfortable. Throw a few decorative pillows here and there as well as a fleece blanket. You can also take a nap on them if you feel like it!

Decorate the walls with posters of your favorite movies, pictures of your family or a map of the world. And last, but definitely not least, add a bed in a corner for your pet!

4. Place Your Desk Next to a Window

Do you remember the time when you used to work in an office with twenty other people? It would get stuffy and hot and you could only go outside once per day on your lunch break. Everything’s different now. You’re in your own backyard in a gorgeous garden office surrounded by greenery and flowers.

Make sure you place your desk right next to a window. In this way you get as much natural sunlight as possible. Apart from that, take breaks as often as your work allows and simply go outside for a small stroll in the garden. Enjoy the changes you’ve made!

5. Use Patterns to Bring the Office to Life

This is a very cool trick that you can use to breathe new life into your small contemporary garden offices. All you need to do is pick a few accessories that have a very bold print and place them here and there. The design will give the impression of motion and vivacity which will encourage you to be just as up and running in your work.

Bold patterns and designs include zebra and leopard prints, faux of course, large mirrors that capture and reflect light, jungle prints, gold leaf, ethnic patterns, brightly colored flowers on your curtains, metallic geometric patterns for the tapestry on your chairs, and more.

6. Say ‘No’ to Clutter!

The one thing you must always keep in mind is that we are talking about contemporary garden offices. In other words, they are not very big. And they don’t have to be. They are simply small to medium spaces where you go to work separated from your main house and other distractions.

But even so, you shouldn’t clutter them. A garden office space doesn’t need to transform into a storage space where you take books and objects from the house and simply leave them there. Keep it neat and organized at all times!

And don’t go overboard with the shelves, boxes, and storage spaces either. We live in a paper-free world where there is no need for you to keep files and folders anymore. So if there are no more files and folders, there should be no unnecessary shelves.

The great thing about contemporary garden offices is that they give you the unprecedented chance to work in a completely personalized space where you can be as free as you want. Take that chance! And let us know in the comment section below how you plan on decorating your garden office!