A home office should provide the perfect location for focusing on your career: free from distraction yet within the comfort of your own house. A tidy room equals a clear mind, so curate your belongings to create an elegant and personalised workplace. Here are a few clever home office organisation ideas that combine function with style.
1. Install open shelving
A simple way to create space in any office is with the addition of open shelving. Create a visual statement with asymmetrical cubbyholes, or make the most of smaller spaces with a clever corner unit. This puts trade magazines, books and decorative objects alike within easy reach while freeing up the desktop.
2. Invest in an attractive filing cabinet
A well organised home office starts with high-quality office furniture, including an adequately sized filing cabinet. Look for an eye-catching piece that will be a pleasure to use, whether it’s a vintage apothecary chest, industrial metal cabinet or modernist cube-shaped chest of locking drawers. If you’re filing away important documents like marriage certificates and passports, opt for a secure, fireproof container.
3. Adjust your lighting
A freestanding light source can be placed next to the desk and aimed at the workspace to offer a dynamic interplay between light and shadow. Choose a statement desk lamp with a reflective metallic interior to create a warm glow on late work evenings, or fit energy-saving LED bulbs to save on business utility bills.
4. Banish cords and wires from sight
Nothing makes an office look more cluttered than a tangled mess of wires, which also doubles as a fire hazard. Do away with excess cords and cables by opting for wireless devices whenever possible, or installing a USB hub. Another home office organisation idea is to hide your wires in a single, stylish storage container, or bind them together with Velcro wraps and route them behind the desk.
5. Hang personal items
Too many personal items on the desktop can potentially detract from the task at hand. Instead, mount photos, awards and diplomas at eye-level to showcase your accomplishments to clients. Inject personality into your space by installing wall hooks to hang prized coffee mugs or air-purifying spider plants.
6. Use a drawer caddy
Rather than filling your desktop with pens, pencils and other essentials, use your top desk drawer as storage. Fit it with a custom-sized caddy or tray, which contains separate sections for everyday office supplies like paper-clips, tape and sticky notes.
7. Create activity zones
A common theme in many of our interior design blogs is dividing rooms into activity zones – and the same principle applies to home office organisation. Create a distinct workspace containing your desk and most-used office equipment, a separate reference centre with dictionaries and professional materials, and a supply area where you can go for printing paper or new pens.
8. Set up a paper processing system
As part of your home office organisation efforts, create distinct zones for paper processing within your workstation. Use a simple metal basket or a stand-up magazine filing box as an inbox for papers requiring immediate attention. The next area should be easily accessible within your desk drawer, including papers or reference materials for ongoing client projects. Finally, tuck financial records away into organised hanging folders.
By taking the time to declutter with these home office organisation ideas, you’ll create an attractive, well-sorted space conducive to both creativity and productivity.
