Home Makeover: How To Redesign Your Den For Under $1000

If you are as lucky as I am to work from home, you could probably list the same benefits I would: we don't commute, we set our own hours, we surf the web whenever we want without someone breathing down our necks, we respond to very important emails in our pajamas. Yes, working from home is a luxury, but we've all heard that too much of a good thing isn't so good. And working from home can be the same way.

About three months after I started working from home, I sat at my computer-something I'd been doing for nine solid hours-and realized I might be going crazy. I went to a coffee shop just so I could see other people, hear human voices, interact on even the most superficial level. I realized that my living at home, combined with my working from home, was a little too much of home. And a change was needed if I was going to keep my sanity.

Salvation came in the form of a room redesign-an idea I had as I was standing in line at the market waiting to pay for frozen vegetables. I don't know why, we'll just call it a cosmic gift.

Being only three months into my freelance career, I was far from earning the income I aspired to earn and decided I'd have to remodel the whole room, furniture and all, on less than a grand. And I did it. And quite frankly, it was worth every penny to sit down at my computer refreshed and invigorated, and without fantasies of ordering mocha lattes in ten different intonations running through my head. Here's how I did it:

$662 bought me an amazingly comfortable task chair and a brand new, ultra sleek, highly customizable computer table and ergonomic keyboard tray from Versa Products, Inc. Since shipping was free, I saved a bundle by ordering it online. They had cheaper desks and chairs, but if I'm going to spend 10 hours a day using something, I want it to be functional and comfortable.

$23 bought me two colors of paint-one for the walls, the other for the accent wall and floor crown moulding. It's amazing how much energy comes from color. Pick one that inspires you.

$74 went toward plants to liven the place up. Bringing nature inside has a calming effect and plants bring life. I chose palms for the floor and spider plants (super cheap) for the shelves. They're both easy to maintain and don't need exorbitant amounts of light.

$88 bought me a new desk set-color coordinated pens, folders, mouse pad, stapler, the works. Organizers reduce clutter, which reduce stress. And the color-coded files save me time when I'm looking for something I would have misplaced before.

$55 for a new desk lamp. Proper light, I found an adjustable halogen lamp with a sleek, slim base at desklamps.com.

$45 for an individual cup coffee maker and a bag of really good French Vanilla coffee. Now I get to smell the coffee being made right at my desk.

Add it up, less than $1,000. And so worth it. I'm convinced my productivity has increased since my little makeover... but even if it hasn't, at least I enjoy working from home all over again. Paradise found.