Betsy Helmuth (@BetsyHelmuth) is an interior designer & decorator in New York City. Her company, Affordable Interior Design, offers, well, affordable interior design. Over the years, she's designed rooms in over 1,000 apartments, as well as many offices and home offices.
In this conversation, we discuss some simple steps that we creative pros can take to improve our workspaces — both while renting an office and in fixing up our home office. We cover lighting, colour, shelving, storage, and other little "hacks" for setting up shop and enjoying a happy, productive, creative work-day.
Show Notes & Links

Betsy is the founder of Affordable Interior Design
She believes you can "maximise your productivity and creativity by changing the atmosphere in which you work"
When looking for an office, look for the basics — location, space, costs
Also look for a building with similar businesses for future collaboration
Many companies overlook their interior office design — they look good online, but it doesn't translate to the real world
Barbara Corcoran says to "overextend yourself" in terms of rent. It creates hustle.
"If you build it, they will come." Betsy applies this to empty desks in your office.

"It's more expensive to move than to pay a little bit more each month."
—Betsy Helmuth
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"A rented space needs to have some home-office flavor."
—Betsy Helmuth
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Noisli.com, plays focus-enhancing background noise
Prescott and Betsy both have home offices, as do many people in creative businesses.
Many couples will keep their second bedroom and turn it into a nursery/office. Bad to mix those two.
Glass desks are terrible, because of their clinking noise for a start
kabelsalat, the German word for "cable salad" aka the mess of tangled cords & cables
Bamboo and Plywood desks
Matt Cremona, a woodworker and furniture maker, appeared on The Busy Creator Podcast, ep. 61
Task Lighting
Studies show you shouldn't have too much white (and blue) light into the evening hours.
Betsy's husband, Jack, is a comedy writer. Their office is "fun."
Ernst & Young, accounts, probably not a fun office.
West Elm
CableOrganizer.com
Betsy Helmuth on Twitter
Betsy Helmuth on Facebook
Affordable Interior Design on Twitter
Affordable Interior Design on Facebook
Affordable Interior Design on Instagram
Affordable Interior Design on Pinterest
Big Design Small Budget podcast on iTunes

Tools

Plug-in dimmer switch on Amazon
Incandescent lightbulbs
Prescott's desk, a ThermoDesk Elite sit/stand motorised adjustable desk
Betsy's [dream] desk, a Steelcase Tanker desk (with legs)
Philips Hue Bulbs (and iPhone app)
Cable Raceways and Channels

Techniques

Get an office near the bathroom so people pass by
Put your logo on the door and welcome visitors
Add colour, design your space
Design your office for the people who use it "350 days per year"
Try to arrange a good view in your work area
Match your dog bed to your logo — simple colour matching goes a long way
Turn off your overhead lights and use hanging pendant lights
Sub-lease empty desks in your office to other creatives and independent pros
Choose an office that's close to your home — otherwise you'll just want to work from home.
Arrange your bedroom work area so you're not facing the desk directly from bed
Keep things tidy to avoid extra stress on your mind
Reduce glare using diffuse window treatments
To get true colour, go outside with your paint swatches. To see how it looks in a room, paint a portion of the wall.
Avoid light blue or sage green for an office, they're too relaxing.
Use pops of yellow or orange, they're stimulating and energizing.

Habits

Wear headphones even if you're not listening to anything. That trains co-workers not to interrupt.
Keep one desk photo or screensaver of your family/pets

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GET THE EPISODE

Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 69 (MP3, 30:54, 15.0 MB)
Download The Busy Creator Podcast, epi