Remember when the concept of a home office was something reserved for a rather small group of people? The rest of us would drag our lethargic bodies all the way to a dedicated workspace where the only real personality you can bring to your space was a photo or two, and maybe a cute calendar if you like. COVID-19 and the reshuffle it caused in the working world means that the vast majority of deskbound employees have had at least a brief taste of WFH life now. And for some of us, it's become a large part of our working experiences.

If that's you, it's probably time to consider giving your home office a style update. After all, what's the fun in setting up a home office if you're not going to make it work for you and your aesthetic?

With that considered, here are some ideas and trends we've found all to do with designing a slick home office space.

Referring to the trends popping off on Pinterest, as well as some trends from home improvement trio Three Birds Renovations, we've pulled together a list of the best ideas to consider when sprucing up your office.

Timeless aesthetics

According to Pinterest's 2022 trend predictions, horology is coming in hot right now. Whether that means designing your space with a nod to the Clockwork aesthetic (up 55 per cent in search) or investing in Oversized clock wall décor (which has increased in search 7 x over), this trend is a pretty perfect option for home office styling.

Besides, what better way is there to remind yourself you're done for the day than with a giant clock?

Make your furniture work for you

Sure, your home office is ultimately a place for work - but that doesn't mean your furniture has to be bland and cold. One of the points Bonnie, Erin and Lana make in their book Three Birds Renovations: Dream Home How-To is that you should decide on a colour scheme, then choose "gorgeous pieces of furniture - the kind you'd buy for your home, not the office".

No more ugly office chairs, please.

Plants, plants, everywhere:

Another booming trend on Pinterest right now is that of biophilic styling. The term biophilic, for those who are unfamiliar, refers to a plant-first design approach and this is particularly popular with offices.

The term 'biophilic office design' has spiked by 3x, indicating that there's a huge interest in plant-filled office spaces right now, which will naturally spill out into home offices, too. If you need suggestions of hard-to-kill plants, here's a list.

Design your space around an artwork:

One of the hot tips Three Birds Renovation shared on office design is that structuring your plan around a central artwork is a strong place to start from.

This design tip can help inform colour choices, textures and even furniture arrangement. Don't assume that an office has to be drab and art-free; a good choice here can inspire creativity and certain colour choices can help with concentration, too. 

Create office 'zones':

If you're working with a larger area and are likely to hold meetings in your home office, the team at Three Birds Renovation recommend creating zones for increased comfort.

Maybe that means a cosy sofa to chat over coffee and a larger table for office work? Or perhaps it simply means introducing an occasional chair next to a bookshelf to offer the option for a relaxed reading zone if you need it.

Warm up your office with natural elements:

Gone are the days of fluorescent lighting and an all-black-everything design approach for offices. I mean, unless you're into that. It's more important than ever to create calming environments to work from and natural elements, like wood finishes and natural light, are great for this.

As Three Birds Renovations write in their book, natural light and loads of open space paired with a long wooden table and some simple cabinetry is the perfect combination for a sleek and welcoming home office.

If you want to get moving on some recommendations from us on home office furniture that's worth your time, may we suggest checking out our review of Koala's collection next?