Some may say you don’t need to pay much attention to your work surroundings. That what you look at and use every day doesn’t really matter. I am not those people. And this is not one of those lists. Beautiful home offices that offer no function are of no help to me. And yet, I am not a robot and don’t want to be in a room that looks anything like an Office Space cubicle. I want a space that resembles the rest of my home aesthetic with items that help me get work done.

I spend a lot of my time looking at my computer monitor, typing, researching different information for marketing or design, video conferencing, and I’m by myself 99% of the time. It’s definitely an office-for-one, unless you count the tiny side table my 4-year old dragged in along with a spare keyboard and post-it notes. She must have heard about co-working somewhere.

Working From a Home Office

I’ve worked from home on and off for nearly 10 years. I’ve had a job where my time was split in-office and from home, a side-gig I ran during our stint in apartment living, and now a full-time business run entirely from my second-floor home office over the last two years. I’ve tried my turn at “don’t care how it looks items”, budget friendly items, splurge-worthy, and plenty others.

Here’s what I’m using today, that I would confidently recommend to anyone looking to create a little style in their home office without spending lots of money, wasting money on items that won’t work, or purchasing items you simply don’t love. To keep things open and honest – this post contains affiliate links. Nothing is sponsored, the things listed are my true favorites.

Things I love in My Home Office

27″ BenQ Monitor

I have to admit that when it came time to replace my desktop monitor, I felt totally out of my league. I didn’t want to overpay, but also needed something with crisp, accurate coloring and a wide enough screen to do design work.

What I love about this monitor is that the screen isn’t too large for single-focus projects, but also works perfectly to open two browsers at the same time. I absolutely prefer this over trying to set up and work from two different monitors. Especially because my home office doesn’t allow for a huge desk to begin with. I need to use the space I have carefully and to its fullest capability. This computer monitor was just under $300, took 10 minutes to set up, and I’ve loved it every day since.

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Ergonomic Desk Chair

When I moved into my current home office I handed over the old Ikea office chair to my husband. He and I have totally different priorities when it comes to our work-from-home space. I had high hopes for a really pretty office chair, but a few months in, and my achy back was ready for something a little more supportive. So, my pretty velvet wingback chair moved to the guest bedroom, and I’ve moved on to a desk chair with lumbar support and adjustable arms and height.

Nobody in the review section can ever agree on things like office chair quality, but I’m loving this one! I find myself adjusting the seat height on a regular basis, depending on how I’m sitting that day. This is another “can’t beat it for the price” item in my book.

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Sleek and Quiet White Keyboard & Mouse Set

Sometimes you have things in your life that continually bring you joy and happiness. Sometimes those things are big and fancy, other times they are your keyboard and mouse set. Remember as a little kid how fun it was to pretend type and run your own makeshift secretary desk? Was that just me? This set reminds me of those days where I could type faster than lightning and sound super professional while doing so.

I absolutely love this set. The battery life on the mouse is impressive. I have found that the keyboard batteries run out rather quickly if left on all the time, but the on/off switch is really easy to reach and I just switch it off at the end of each day. If only turning off “work brain” was that easy.

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Nathan James Wood Modern Bookcase

I debated over the style bookcase I wanted for some time. In a small home office space like mine, something as a big as a bookcase can really set the style of the entire room. I wanted a practical statement piece that wouldn’t make the room look dark or heavy. I wanted it to be able to hold things as heavy as my printer and show off some of my favorite business and design books.

There are so many color choices for this particular bookcase which makes matching it to the rest of your office furniture really convenient. It shipped super quick, and assembly was simple. We did swap out the hardware for something a little more durable. But other than that, five out of five stars for this bookshelf.

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Large Dry Erase 3-Month Calendar

About this dry erase calendar… I have to confess. I did not buy this calendar at first, and chose something different. It is in hindsight that I wish I had bought this instead. And I plan to purchase it in the near future. That being said, my trial and error is your time and money savings because you can go ahead and buy this from the start.

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Glass White Board

This is my other “should have” purchased item. I thought I wouldn’t mind the traditional white board with silver framing. I thought it would be okay because white boards are one of those practical items and it didn’t need to be super aesthetically pleasing. And now I spend my days wishing I had just gotten this one to begin with. I haven’t brought myself to get rid of my perfectly usable white board yet, but if I had a do-over, I’d 100% go with this one.

I’d also spend the extra money and get one larger sized whiteboard instead of trying to save by purchasing two smaller ones. Live and learn I suppose. Or in your case, read this post, learn, and buy the bigger one.

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5×7′ Home Office Rug

A rug is definitely on the luxury list since it doesn’t really do anything to make your business money per say. But it is a perfect place to add some color, texture, or a fun pattern without it being in a distracting place. I chose to put almost all of my office color in my rug choice, and have kept the rest of the space (especially what shows up during virtual calls) to more neutral tones.

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Stylish White Desktop Speakers

I don’t have a lot to say about this other than they look great on my desk and the sound quality is wonderful. They are the unsung hero I don’t want to live without, but don’t really have anything remarkable to say about them. If you need new desktop speakers, these are the ones I recommend. Did I mention their only $20?!

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Extendable Tripod Stand with Bluetooth Remote

This is one of those items I don’t think that much about, but is commonly asked about by others. So that’s why it’s on the list. I’d say it’s best qualities are that it folds nicely for travel, has great height adjustment options, and being able to snap a photo with the remote is obviously super helpful.

I think I purchased this model off of a travel influencer’s recommendation and don’t have any complaints about it other than my kids trying to borrow it as their stand-in microphone stand.

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Adjustable Phone or Tablet Stand

This was an item I didn’t know I needed but now don’t want to live without. You can’t go wrong with it for the price and simple functionality. It’s perfect for video recording, quick zoom calls, and I love being able to charge my phone while it’s on this stand. I have another phone stand that my sweet son bought me for Christmas from Target, and I would choose this one again and again as far as function goes.

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HD Pro Webcam

I feel like webcams are one of those things that feels like it needs to cost a little bit of money to believe it won’t be junk, but feels crazy to spend too much money on. This one felt like a really solid middle of the road choice that I purchased off of someone else’s recommendation. I can’t say I’m a web cam pro, but you’re probably not either, and so this one is probably a great choice for you too.

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Have We Met Before?

In case you’re new here, I’m Katie! As a creative analyst and marketing mentor I know there are better options for business owners like you to find clarity and confidence around sharing your business successfully in online spaces.

My approach is to combine coaching, mentoring, and strategy to give custom solutions for my clients’ website, brand, and marketing messages that not only feel good, but are manageable, and results-driven.

It’s important to me that you feel capable to market yourself, and confident in the goals you are working toward with the effort put into your digital options. I truly believe you are already distinguished, unique and excellent. It’s not about making you something you aren’t. It’s helping you realize and communicate everything you already are! Learn more here.

Enneagram 6 and house project DIYer. In my down time you’ll find me swinging in our hammock on the patio or getting my kids “just one more snack”.

You can always find me on Instagram over at @abundantcollabco. I’m pretty chatty over there, and share a lot of helpful tips too.