A pin board is a great idea if you have the space for it. Instead of ruining your wall with blu tack, nails and sticky tape, a pinboard means you can change its appearance frequently and move it around at free will. Having a place to express your creativity helps get your ideas from your mind into reality. It is a creative process that will help you with other design ideas. 

Emily Wright: "I find that taking short breaks every hour helps keep my mind sane. If I sit in front of the computer for too long I find myself loosing concentration. During my breaks I like to take a short walk, or do something I enjoy, like reading. The breaks are a time for me to relax my mind, and not think about the work I am doing. Once I come back from my breaks, I find my mind is fresh."

No matter if your design station is tidy or messy, you will still need space to put all your things. This is where storage comes handy. Depending on your space there are plenty of different ways to create storage:

• Wall shelves
• Storage cabinets 
• Drawer units 
• Bookcases
• Shelving units
• Cabinets and sideboards 
• Desks 
• Boxes

Usually we run out of space to put everything, and we begin to rethink how our workspace can adapt so that we can store more things. If you are designing your new workspace, it is important to incorporate a lot of storage options, starting with your desk. The desk is one of the most important things you will buy and one of the hardest to change. It doesn’t need to have storage options, but if your house is lacking space then it is ideal. You can find desks with shelves, draws and pigeon holes that can help you.

If you already have a desk and need other options then I would look towards shelving units if you have enough space. If you have no space on the floor, then look towards wall shelves. They can be quite stylish and it keeps the clutter away from the floor.

Having adequate storage will help you organise your design station so that you keep the clutter away from your desktop. Once your design station is organised, your life will be too.

Here are some cheap workspace storage options from IKEA.

Desk lamps are important and contribute to the overall light in your room. You should try and have three sources of light:

1. Natural light: Coming from a window, preferably with a blind so you can filter the light. 
2. Ceiling light: This will light your whole room.
3. Desk lamp: This is a task light and helps you focus light on your desk. 

I talk about lighting more in my earlier post 'Natural Lighting'.

The current fad are these industrial looking desk lamps. They are perfect for design workspaces because their height and focus can be adjusted easily. I found a great range at IKEA.

A recent fad in the office workspace is fur throw rugs. Most commonly sheep skin rugs, are being used over chairs to bring comfort and warmth. I personally love this idea, especially because my workspace gets very cold in winter. It feels amazing and looks very stylish. You usually see white throw rugs, but other colours (like the grey above) can be used to, depending on your rooms colour palette. 

I found a cheap sheep skin rug at IKEA.

Johanna Lynch: "As an artist I find that having an inspirational environment helps my creativity. I have a wall behind my computer that I pin my recent inspirations onto. I pin my favourite drawings, artworks, pictures, photos, quotes, or anything that inspires me to do my best work. I use my own material and the work of others. I change the wall constantly to keep my mind excited. I really enjoy redecorating my wall and spend time making it look great."

A nice little desk tour of a work and home office. It shows you what most designers use technology wise and how it is set up.