When it comes to decorating a home office you always need to keep in mind how to balance design with function. It's great to have a beautiful office but if it doesn't work well for you functional needs, then it needs to be revamped. That being said, especially as a creative person, I couldn't work in a space that didn't have a few touches of design and personality. I know that I personally need to be surrounded by beautiful art and objects and design pieces to keep my creative juices flowing and home offices are one of my favourite spaces to decorate.

When Kristina and I were staging the Glenora house we wanted to showcase this room as a beautiful but functional office. Obviously, staging a home for sale is different than decorating a home to live in but if you're styling your own home office, here are a few tips for creating a beautiful space that's also functional too.

1. Have a Dedicated Work Surface

I love the Catonia Desk from The Brick because it has two drawers and a cubby space to store your office supplies, leaving the full space available for working. For the sake of staging we styled a few pieces on the desk top but for a functional space, styling should be kept to a minimal to allow for the most functional space for your computer, notepad and other necessities.

2. Make Space for Storage

Storage and organization is incredibly important in decorating a home office. For the sake of staging we styled these Peyton Bookcases with mostly decorative objects however they're perfect for lining with storage boxes or baskets and arranging both the necessities of a home office with stylish decor items. Placing two side by side made for a major impact and creates tons of opportunity for stylish decor pieces as well as allowing for lots of room for office supplies and other necessities.

3. Have Enough Light

It's one thing to have a beautiful office space but if there's not enough light, it won't be functional. We lucked out with lots of huge windows in this space but the overhead light and this beautiful brushed steel arc floor lamp add the necessary layered lighting to keep the space functional. In a perfect world you should try to layer your lighting with natural lighting (windows), overhead lighting (ceiling fixture) and task lighting (lamps). Because this arc lamp can be situated above the desk it replaces the need for a table lamp but without it, we'd have chosen a small desk lamp instead. Layer up!

4. Choose the Right Chair

If your home office is going to be an actual functioning workspace, you need to find a comfortable chair where you'll be able to sit for hours to get things done! I love this modern occasional chair from The Brick. The fabric has a great texture and contrasts the desk beautifully plus it's also incredibly comfortable and stylish. For a stationary chair I'd highly recommend it however if you prefer to roll around, I'd suggest the Bexley Swivel Chair (it's the one I have and I love it!)