Looking for school counselor office decorating ideas that will take your space to another level? Here are all the best decor ideas that will make your office look professionally decorated.
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Congratulations, you got the job! Now, it’s time to decorate. Decorating your school counselor office doesn’t have to be hard. One of the enjoyable aspects of accepting the job offer is this part.
I’m going to give you the cutest options to decorate your office in a way you and your students will love. Taking the time to thoughtfully design your space can greatly improve your mood and productivity. It also has a great effect on your students as well.
I’ve got you covered so let’s get into it.
This post is all about school counselor office decorating ideas.
THE BEST SCHOOL COUNSELOR OFFICE DECORATING IDEAS:
1. Declutter Your Office Space
Before you unpack any of the adorable decor items that I will mention, you will want to clean out your office. It’s likely that the office you walk into won’t be spotless.
If it’s not needed, throw it away or recycle it.
The school should have a broom, dustpan, disinfectant spray, and disinfecting wipes for staff to use. If the brand of spray and wipes doesn’t smell good to you or you aren’t familiar with it, then get these and bring your own.
Since you will have many people going in and out throughout the day, it is also a wonderful idea to have them on hand so you can spray and disinfect your office after each workday.
2. Frame Your Degrees
After I graduated, I realized the university’s official frames were about $200 or more. I have 3 degrees so I would have to spend over $600 for degree frames.
Absolutely not.
Don’t get me wrong, they are super nice but I just couldn’t pay that outstanding price. Thanks to Amazon, I found the cutest alternative. It’s modern, it adds personality and it’s a head-turner. I love it! You can purchase them with either gold or silver bolts.
If you much rather have the traditional-looking frames minus the $200 or more fee then take a look at this.
3. Incorporate Artificial Plants
Plants can add so much life to a space. I don’t have a green thumb so I’d rather stay away from real plants in my office.
You can place small fake plants on floating shelves, bookshelves, or even on your desk.
I also enjoy nice floor-standing plants. You can put this close to your door, by a bookshelf, or right by your desk. This will make your room more lively.
If you prefer real plants then I say go for it!
4. Get A Decorative Vase and/or Object
A decorative vase or object can make a big difference in the atmosphere of your office. It is entirely up to you whether you add an artificial stem to the decorative vase because it looks amazing either way.
Both of these items will look fantastic on your bookshelf or desk. To give your workspace that extra pop, you can add both, but just adding a vase or a decorative object can work just as well.
5. Frame Motivational Prints
Being a school counselor, it is really essential to have motivational posters on your walls. The presence of those inspirational posters in your office can help a student who is struggling with something but isn’t yet ready to talk about it feel seen. The little things truly matter.
Making your own gallery wall in your office by framing these inspirational printables in various sizes is a fun way to display them. Whether or not your frames are the same color depends entirely on your preference. In either case, this will look fantastic!
You can purchase some adorable prints on Etsy in addition to Amazon.
6. Include A Lamp
So, can we discuss harsh lighting for a moment? Your productivity may suffer, and harsh overhead lighting might also give you headaches and strain your eyes. I don’t desire any of the three. Let’s now discuss how to make your lighting more inviting. Add a lamp! Students adore it because it has a more friendly, serene atmosphere.
For meetings with parents, you can turn on the overhead lights, but as soon as they are gone, I encourage you to use your lamp. A floor lamp or a table lamp will do.
You genuinely want your kiddos to breathe a sense of relief and feel like they can unwind when they enter your office space. Try this out!
7. Make Your Office Smell Delicious
Yes, I intended to say “delicious!” Who wouldn’t want someone saying “Mmm, what is that?” when they enter their office? I want to highlight three methods for creating an inviting smell in your office. You can include one of these in your office: a wax warmer, diffuser, or a plugin.
Make sure you check to see if your school permits the use of a wax warmer before you buy one for your office.
When it comes to filling a space with a wonderful scent, you can’t go wrong with any of the mentioned options.
With that being said, please be cautious of scents in your office space. Some individuals have allergies or are extremely sensitive to scents.
8. Add Photos Of You and Loved Ones
I truly believe that adding personal photos in your office allows the students to humanize us as school counselors. Sometimes students can’t fathom the thought of educators having a life outside of working at their school. Funny, right?
Show pictures of yourself in your cap and gown. Representation matters. Show your students that what they are seeking to achieve is attainable.
Show pictures of you and your family. This can be a nice icebreaker for a shy student who is walking into your office for the first time.
Show pictures of you with your closest friends. Just like them, we also have friends so this just makes us as school counselors seem more relatable.
You can go to CVS or Walgreens to print your photos for just cents. They typically have coupons online too.
9. Hang String Lights
This type of lighting gives your room so much personality! Remember, we work at a school so “fun” decor is okay to incorporate in your office space.
These lights can be hung anywhere you see fit, including across the ceiling and around bulletin boards.
10. Paint An Accent Wall
If you’re truly up for it, paint a wall. Your school may already have a bucket of paint waiting for you if you opt to paint the accent wall in the school colors.
If you’re extra nice, they might even paint it for you!
11. Get Some Shelves
These hanging shelves are so cute! They’ll transform the look of the walls in your office.
If I were you, I would definitely add shelves to any additional wall space you have. Remember those fake plants that I mentioned earlier? You can add those to these shelves too. Photos would also be an excellent addition to the shelves.
Have fun with it. At the end of the day, it is your office.
12. Add A Rug
Talk about cute and cozy! Something so simple yet makes such a difference in a room.
The rug can be placed in front of your desk. When people enter the room, they will immediately notice it. Try to pick a rug that is easy to clean.
13. Put A Mirror Up
With a mirror in the office, you can check your appearance and, if necessary, touch up your makeup without having to leave for the bathroom. Get creative because there are so many different shapes and sizes of mirrors! Since I like having full body mirrors, here is one that I suggest.
14. Add A Cute Trash Bin
Want to take it up a couple of notches? Change your black trash can with one that complements the colors and aesthetic of your office’s decor. Small adjustments such as this can make your office look professionally done.
15. Add A Comfortable Seat
The addition of comfortable seats helps your students feel even more welcomed. Students will be eager to come to your office. Why wouldn’t they? It is so peaceful.
You can replace the uncomfortable guest chairs with comfy ones, or keep the original chairs and move the comfortable chairs to a convenient location in the room.
16. Put A Clock Up
I consider hanging up a nice big clock to be a part of wall decor. It will tie everything together and you can easily look and check the time. Find a stylish clock like this one that will match your office decor theme.
17. Have Candy & Fidgets On Display
Your students will really appreciate having a candy jar on hand and a container with fidget toys. This alone might be enough to win their hearts.
Fidgets can provide stress relief, self-regulation, and improve concentration for students. Given the variety of kids you will face on a regular basis, having fidgets in your office is absolutely necessary.
If you’re unsure of what kind of candy to put in your jar, I’d advise starting with something minty. Studies show that mint candy actually boosts concentration in students.
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