Saving money, no commute, wearing pajamas to work these are all fantasy work conditions for most of us. But for those who actually work from home, these conditions aren’t necessarily realized every day.

Although working from home has its benefits, many find it challenging to separate work from personal life. The two can slowly become integrated to a point where the line is undistinguishable. How can you keep your work-life from spilling into the rest of your home? You can start by creating your own private work space in your pad.

Keep It Separated

In a survey conducted by online project management software company Wrike, it was found that out of 1,000 working participants, 83 percent said they worked from home for at least a portion of their day. Separating space for your work and personal life helps you focus and adjust your brain psychologically from work to leisure. It helps remove distractions and can get you ‘in the zone.’

In a Los Angeles Times article about balancing working from home, developer Billy Lehman described having a home office completely separated from the rest of his home. The psychological journey to walk from the house to the guest house is gigantic,” he said. “We bring our work as close to where our heart life is.”

While most of us may not have a separate guest house we can use as our work space, most of us can make small adjustments to make a home office more manageable. If you do not have a room to use as an office, physically separate the space you work in from the rest of your home using a room divider, drapery from The Shade Store or a large bookshelf to designate your working space. Then only use that space for work.

Creating Your Work Space

Once you’ve sectioned-off your working space, the next step is to create an ambiance that inspires you to work. To do this, you’ll want organize your office essentials.

If you’re tight on space, use narrow stacked shelves and a desk with storage space underneath it. Turn walls into a whiteboard with dry erase paint or into a drafting table to save space. Choose small pieces of furniture, such as small storage units with wheels, that are easy to move and always ready to fit your changing day-to-day demands.

Keep decor relatively simple. Bright colors inspire creativity while curved lines and rounded edges of furniture create comfort. Keep things as open, light and uncluttered as possible. When choosing a desk, opt for glass, metal or a lightly-stained wooden antique. Pair it with a bright blue office chair and one wall coated in a pastel tone of the same color. Paint another wall with whiteboard paint and leave the rest of the area white.

Keep It Tidy

A cluttered environment makes for a cluttered mind; keep the space you work in as uncluttered as possible. Throw away junk as it is created, and do not litter book shelves and desktops with an abundance of knickknacks. You shouldn’t have more than three extra “things” in your work space. Items like a bamboo plant, a clock and a globe are functional and inspirational and won’t overwhelm your space.