Simple Ways to Add Luxury to Your Workday
“A little luxury is something that brings a spark of joy, beauty, or delight to your day. It is not something you need, but it is something that makes your day the tiniest bit more extraordinary.”
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When you think of luxury, you might immediately think about something being extravagant or expensive. However, despite your budget, you can still incorporate simple luxuries into your daily life. I love how Jillian Amodio defines it - “A little luxury is something that brings a spark of joy, beauty, or delight to your day. It is not something you need, but it is something that makes your day the tiniest bit more extraordinary.” You see, you don’t need a big budget to lead a luxurious life. You simply have to find out what sparks joy for you; what adds beauty and delight to your day.
Want some inspiration?
Here’s a list of 20 ways I enjoy adding luxury to my workday:
1. Gourmet Coffee
I love to start my day off with a cup of coffee. But not just any cup of coffee. I specifically love to have a high-quality drink that I can savor. Better yet? Pour it into your favorite mug and each sip will bring a spark of joy! I recently found a Nespresso Vertuo coffee machine on Facebook Marketplace and it has been AMAZING! Instead of going to the coffee shop to get a fancy latte, I can simply make my own at home. Lately, I’ve been on an iced-latte kick because it is still 100 degrees in Texas but I’m looking forward to the cooler months when I can enjoy wrapping my hands around a warm cup of coffee.
2. Fresh Flowers
Adding a small bouquet of fresh flowers to your desk can instantly make it feel more luxurious. I think this stems from the fact that fresh flowers serve no purpose other than to make a space more beautiful. They truly are unnecessary which makes them extravagant, luxurious. I purchase a small bouquet of flowers each week and get so much joy from picking them out, arranging them, and then seeing them every time I walk by my desk. They don’t have to be expensive either! Our local grocery store has bundles that start at $4! A small investment when we consider the amount of joy and delight they bring each time you look at them.
3. Flameless Candle
If your office is anything like mine, there are restrictions on candles. But there is something about the flickering flame of a candle that just adds to the overall ambiance of a space. So, I have one of these flameless candles on my desk and it does the trick!
4. Comfortable Chair
Do you sit at a desk all day? If so, a simple way to elevate your workday is to invest in a high-quality chair that you love! Just think, if you have a chair that you enjoy sitting in, you will feel that spark of joy each time you take a seat (something that you likely do multiple times throughout your workday).
5. Standing Desk
Piggybacking off the last point, if you sit at a desk all day you might enjoy having the luxury of standing up now and then. This year I have made a commitment to stand and move more often; something that is hard to do when the majority of my job requires that I sit behind a computer. So, I purchased an adjustable standing desk that allows me to do just that. I like this one because it’s big enough for my laptop and a mouse but it’s also small and sleek enough that it doesn’t take up too much of the valuable space on my desk. It’s also light enough that I can move it around from one spot in the office to another.
6. Fancy Pens
I like to say that life is too short to use crappy pens. I used to use whatever pen I could find in the junk drawer which sometimes worked fine, and other times led to a lot of frustration because the pen wouldn’t work well, was dried up, or even leaked all over whatever I was writing. A few years ago, I asked for a set of pens as a Christmas stocking stuffer, and I will never go back. There are so many tasks at work that require us to write things down. By using fancy pens (and by fancy, I don’t mean expensive, I just mean pens that you love and have purposefully purchased), you have made that task just a bit more luxurious and enjoyable. My favorites are the U Brand Felt Tip Pens and the Uni-Ball 207 Gel Pen. But don’t just take my word for it! Head into your local office supplies store and test some out!
7. Stylish Notebook
Much like life is too short to write with crappy pens, life is also too short to write in boring notebooks. There are so many beautiful options to choose from, so why in the world are we using the standard composition notebooks? It’s such a simple luxury to open up a hardback notebook, flip through the thick, high-quality paper, and put a ribbon bookmark in its place. Don’t save those beautiful notebooks for something profound. Use them! Each time you do, it will elevate your workday just a tiny bit (which adds up over time).
8. Cashmere Cardigan
My office is always cold, so I like to keep a cardigan draped over the back of my chair. Cashmere is one of the most luxurious fabrics. And while cashmere sweaters can be an investment, their warmth and breath-ability make them worth it in my opinion. With Black Friday coming up, you could score a great deal on one too!
9. Space Heater
I also love having a space heater under my desk. Warm toes during the cold winter months are yet another simple luxury that can elevate our workdays. Some offices only allow certain space heaters (if any at all), so make sure to double-check your organization’s policies before investing in one.
10. Desktop Wallpaper
Much of our work takes place in front of a computer which means that your desktop (or laptop) wallpaper is prime real estate. Why not elevate your background with a beautiful photo, design, or inspirational quote? You can quickly make your own in Canva or purchase some on Etsy. Same goes for your phone and tablet backgrounds too.
11. Art Prints
Another way to add a touch of luxury to your workday is to hang art prints in your office. I understand that this may or may not be allowed in your office but, if possible, it can definitely elevate your space. If you’re not allowed to put nails in the wall, there is likely a command hook or strip that would work. I’ve had great luck finding elegant, yet inexpensive, art prints at stores like Marshall’s and HomeGoods. Goodwill could be a great place to look too!
12. Noise Cancelling Headphones
Is there anything more luxurious than silence? A few years ago, I purchased a pair of light pink (surprising, right?) noise cancelling headphones and I love them! They make working in a busy office or bustling coffee shop possible.
13. Desk Plant
Besides just being beautiful, research has shown that having plants in your office has a number of significant benefits such as improved perceptions of air quality, concentration, and job satisfaction. Not only that, but office plants have also been linked to improved productivity. If you don’t have a green thumb, don’t worry. There are plenty of plants that are easy to care for. My favorite one is the ZZ plant. It seems to be happiest when I ignore it!
14. Beautiful Planner
If you’re serious about creating a work-life balance that you love, planning is something that you engage in on a regular basis. So, why not use a beautiful planner that makes the planning process a luxurious experience? We all have different preferences for our planners. If you love paper planners, Èccolo planners are some of my favorite because they are simple and to the point (I never get around to using all the fancy stickers or goal pages that you find in other planners). I’ve recently moved to a digital planner on my iPad that I use in the Goodnotes app. If you’d like to go that route, I encourage you to check out my Elegant Balance Digital Planner.
15. Desktop Light
Zoom calls have become a workplace staple. But there is nothing worse than logging into a virtual meeting only to be self-conscious of the way you look on-screen. I’ve found that having a quality desk light can transform the experience. Lighting truly is everything! I recently purchased this one for both my work office and my home office because it will sit behind, and shine above, my monitors. It has a handful of different settings (warm, cool, and combo) and has made it where I can show up on camera feeling confident and beautiful – a much more enjoyable experience!
16. Chic Cord Storage
A tangle of cords has also become the norm for the modern workplace. Up until a few months ago, I was carrying around a bundle of cords in a dedicated pocket of my backpack. I was prepared for anything – a dead phone, headphones, charging my FitBit – you name it, I had the cord for it. The problem was that they were all in a tangled mess and it took me a good 10 minutes to find and untangle the one I wanted. I finally declared that “there has GOT to be a better way!” and I’m excited to share that there is. This cord storage bag is small enough to slide into my backpack but has enough storage spaces to hold every cord that I need. Remember back to the beginning of this post where I said little luxuries are things that bring delight to your day? I get a sense of delight every time I open up this bag and easily pull out the cord I need. It’s effortless and luxurious!
17. Upgraded Backpack
There are so many chic handbags and briefcases out there, but the reality is that a backpack is much easier to carry on a commute or trek across campus. Not to mention, it’s nice to have both hands free. However, if we don’t want to be mistaken for students, it’s important to find a stylish (but functional) backpack. I’m currently carrying this Joan & David one and have enjoyed it. It’s chic, can easily be wiped off if something spills on it, and is roomy enough to carry everything I need. Add a silk scarf for some personality, and voilà!
18. Favorite Treats
What better way to break up the mundanity of the workday than by rewarding yourself for a job well-done with one of your favorite treats? You know the ones… those dark chocolate sea-salt caramels that you hide from the kids and sneak out after they’ve been tucked in bed.
19. Beautiful Office Supplies
If there are specific office supplies (stapler, tape dispenser, etc.) that you use each day, why not make the experience a bit more luxurious by investing in beautiful ones? Even better if they are highly functional. There is nothing luxurious about a stapler that constantly gets jammed or scissors that are too dull to do any good. A simple upgrade can make a world of difference! In my office, I have a pink stapler loaded with pink staples and a golden pair of scissors shaped like the Eiffel Tower. Necessary? No. But using them makes my day just a bit more extraordinary. Obviously, you can find office supplies in a number of places, but I’ve noticed that Target has some really beautiful options. Sometimes I’ll just walk through that aisle just “in case” I find something I might need to add to my collection.
20. Inspirational Quotes
Finally, you can elevate your workday by placing inspirational quotes around your office. These could be printouts that you put on your bulletin board (with beautiful push pins, of course), framed quotes that sit on your bookshelf, or even just post it notes on which you’ve written out some of your favorite quotes. Seeing these quotes each day will undoubtedly spark some joy and inspiration to design your workday in a way that allows you to be both productive and enjoy it.
And there you have it! 20 simple ways to add luxury to your workday. We spend a great deal of time at work. In fact, the average American will spend approximately 15 years of their life working! When we consider the amount of time spent at work, it becomes even more apparent that little luxuries like the ones listed above can go a long way in elevating our lives. Like Annie Dillard once said, “How we spend our days is how we spend our lives.” I encourage you to look around your office and see what steps you can take to add simple luxuries to your workday because in the grand scheme of things, they will add up and lead to a luxurious life!
What are your favorite ways to make your workday a bit more luxurious? Let me know by sending me a message on Instagram or an email at kaylee@kayleehackney.com. I can’t wait to hear from you!
We spend a great deal of time at work. Like Annie Dillard once said, “How we spend our days is how we spend our lives.” I encourage you to look around your office and see what steps you can take to add simple luxuries to your workday because in the grand scheme of things, they will add up and lead to a luxurious life!