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Shop January 3, 2024

5 ways to refresh your desk for a productive new year

PHOTO: Home office desk organization by Ryen Toft.
Ryen Toft
Home office desk organization by Ryen Toft.

It's a new year, which means it's time for an all-around reset.

Looking for a way to bring life and fresh design into your home office? We called on organization expert Ryen Toft from San Diego organizing firm Simply Luxe to give us tips to refresh our workspace.

Read her design advice and shop our product picks below.

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Add a pop of color

"One of the easiest ways to bring life to your office is to add a little color. They have come so far with removable wallpapers these days. The color and design options are endless. Whether you are going for a tranquil design or a statement piece, you'll find it. They even have options with textures like seagrass that give it a dimension you didn't think it needed. Now, putting it up might sound intimidating, but when you break the room up into zones it's a much easier undertaking."

Erfoni Green and White Peel and Stick Wallpaper

Price: $8.99 · From Amazon

Go vertical

"Adding in vertical pieces like an over-the-door organizer helps to organize up and off the ground or desktops -- creating a streamlined look that helps to relieve the clutter. Creating an easy-to-maintain system, while utilizing every inch of wall space (or door space), truly is key. If you do not have any additional wall space, think of adding small storage carts to help contain items as well."

Simple Houseware Over Door/Wall Mount 6 Clear Window Pocket Organizer

Price: $24.99 · From Amazon

Editor's Picks

Add a bit of greenery

"Adding plants and greenery to a space brings in not only fresh air, but a wave of relaxation. If you're not a green thumb, think about adding in faux options."

Der Rose 3 Pack Mini Potted Fake Plants Artificial Plastic Eucalyptus Plants

Price: $32.99 · From Amazon

Add matching containers

"Create a place you feel productive in. By minimizing the visual clutter by having matching containers, you will instantly feel more inspired, and less fatigue. Visual clutter is the number one killer in spaces. Having a cohesive container and basket situation adds that level of design and clarity your office is seeking. After you add in the labels, you've now created a cohesive space but also a very easy to manage system to put everything away in a jiff too."

Crate & Barrel Sedona Tote

Price: $49.95 · From Crate & Barrel

Crate & Barrel Dot Cream White Sherpa Kids Storage Ottoman and Stool

Price: $199 · From Crate & Barrel

Let books double as decor

"You don't have to go crazy and buy books all in the same color scheme (there are sites where you can do this in case you're missing colors in your ROYGBIV design!). Simply start by deciding how you would like your shelves to be styled, how you enjoy grabbing books off the shelves, and then go from there. If you love grabbing by genres, or alphabetically, then start there. If you love color coordinating, then add that pop of color to the room. Having your books organized and designed in the way you enjoy, you'll access them more, feel more inclined to use them or reference them than when they were left unattended on the desk or floor.

More picks

CORDBRICK Weighted Cord Holder for Nightstand, Desk and Travel

Price: $23.99 · From Amazon

Courant Mag:2 Classics Wireless Charging Stand

Price: $99.99 · From Amazon

Lou Rota Nature Table Monogram Mug

Price: $14 · From Anthropologie

Paper Mate Felt Tip Pens Flair Marker Pens, Medium Point, Assorted, 24 Count

Price: $20.49 · From Amazon

Sharpie S-Gel, Gel Pens, Medium Point (0.7mm), Assorted Colors, 8 Count

Price: $20.96 · From Amazon

HP Sprocket Panorama Instant Portable Color Label & Photo Printer

Price: $129.99 · From Amazon

Rubbermaid Brilliance BPA Free Food Storage Containers with Lids

Sale: $32.99 · 34% Savings
From Amazon

Original: $49.99