I often envy people who leave the house to go somewhere else to work: slipping on high heels, shutting the door on the chaos and going to an office where they can focus on just one thing – their job – all day while eating and weeing in peace.

Being a work at home mum is hard – especially when you’ve got one or more kids in the house – but there are plenty of pros to working from home as opposed to an office, too. Like being able to create your own personal home office space.

home office

Before becoming a mum I worked full time in an office, where the closest you got to stamping your personality on anything was a personalised screen saver, and possibly a mouse mat.

But working from home means you can wave goodbye to identikit work stations and chairs and create a work space which is truly a reflection of you.

 home office

If you’re thinking about, or are in the process of, setting up a home office, or if you just like a good nosey round other people’s houses like me (I’m not judging!) here are 5 simple ways I’ve personalised my home office.

5 simple ways to personalise your home office

1. Invest in a statement chair. While it’s important to have a chair that supports your back, especially if you’re in front of a screen for hours like me, when you work from home it’s your office, your rules, so you can choose a chair to reflect your personality and style as well as your needs. Here’s mine: nice and deep so I can sit back in it and with arms so I can breastfeed in it – plus it’s wipeable which is a must with three kids in the house!

 home office

For more inspiration, office furniture specialists Furniture At Work have created a celebrity-inspired infographic as part of their #MyChairStyle campaign, which is all about bringing personality to workstations, to help you find the perfect office chair. Think Taylor Swift-inspired mesh and Victoria Beckham-inspired red leather!

#MyChairStyle

2. Personalise your mugs. I can’t resist a personalised mug (have you seen the Little Miss Blogger Mug? The Little Miss has a laptop and everything!) My personalised mugs include my ‘This Mama’s Milkin’ It’ mug (currently used for pens) and this one from Emma Bridgewater, which was a Christmas present from Misery Guts.

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3. Make your desk a home for happy mementos. We have a VW camper van (not a real one, obviously). Earlier this year Misery Guts turned 40 and I hired us a two-tone VW campervan for a week. Afterwards I bought him a model replica of the van we hired to remember the trip by, and it’s found a home on my desk. Every time I look at it I do indeed remember the trip!

 home office

4. Frame pictures by the kids. Another good thing about working from home is that there’s no health and safety police or office manager telling you your desk is too cluttered. So, you can decorate it with whatever you want! (My other home office ‘accessories’ which would undoubtedly be frowned upon in an office setting include fairy lights, bunting and a chaise longue!)

 home office

5. Fresh flowers. There’s nothing like a vase of fresh flowers to keep you calm on a stressful day: these are roses from my allotment which flower from late spring to late summer, and they smell absolutely gorgeous!

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Do you work from home or have a home office? Have you personalised your work space in any way? I’d love to know how!

This is a collaborative post.

If you liked this you may also enjoy reading:

Creating a home office when you don’t have an office

Clever ways to fit 3 kids in one bedroom

My top 5 work at home mum essentials

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