Women at work and their tips, challenges, advice, complaints, and experiences

Does your home office need help?  Are you wondering how you can afford to get things organized and ship shape without blowing the entire budget on a re-do?  Or maybe you're a Workerette making the switch from the corner office to a home office and you'd like to make sure your professional environment remains focused and professional, without making "corporate chic" your new home decor.

Check out this list for ideas on how to revamp a small space and make it useful, friendly, and professional without taking over your entire home.  Best part is that with a little planning, the project can be done in a weekend.  I bet you could even use some of these ideas to personalize a company-provided space as well!

Try these ideas on for size - one of 'em or all of 'em!

1. Use a pair of tall table lamps on a good sized desk, rather than shorter fixtures that won't offer you as much task lighting.
2. Add a few simple homey touches, such as a pretty vase or other decorative pieces that really hit your heart.  Remember to keep it simple, though.  You don't want to overdo the "home" in home office!
3. Have a comfortable, functional chair that doesn't suit the standard corporate stereotype?  Toss a crisp slipcover over a slipper chair, add some casters, and you've got your favorite, office ready.
4. Use a couple of coats of paint to give new life to a desk that's seen better days.  Replace old handles or knobs on the drawers with attractive new ones to add a little something shiny, sweet, or smooth to your office's new look.  Need more room than a desk will provide?  Check flea markets, garage sales or estate sales for a farm-style table and give it a coat of paint.  Find storage elsewhere, like in hatboxes, file cabinets, or closets.
5. Trying to make the most of natural light in a room?  Use light colored paints, mirrors, and light-colored objects that will reflect light and make things seem large and airy.
6. Need storage?  Use a baker's rack with baskets and boxes that match your chosen decorating theme and color scheme.  Make sure the patterns and colors are attractive to you, while remaining professional if clients and customers will be visiting.  After all, you want to make a good impression, but you are the one who has to look at it all day!
7. Not the artsy type?  If your preferred look is more form and function than fancy and artistic, make the most of corkboards and whiteboards by framing them with inexpensive molding painted to match your color choices. 
8. Place the board over file cabinets painted and covered with a flat board (or simply placed next to each other in a row).  You've got an instant credenza with storage below, planning space above, and a gorgeous new look for your new home office!