How To Make The Most Of A Small Home Office
Big spaces are not easy to come by these days, but everyone needs a quiet place to work at home. You may be resigned to working in a room no bigger than a closet, but that doesn’t mean it needs to feel cramped. Here are a few ideas to make your small home office look and feel bigger and more productive.
Filing
A small pile of clutter can quickly turn into a big mess in a tiny space. You cannot afford to let post, paper documents, and miscellaneous items gather on your desk. Make sure everything is filed in the proper place, shredded, or put away until you need it. Excessive clutter is the death of a small office, so file and shred things on a daily basis. If you haven’t already, start using e-mail as your primary form of communication. No post means no clutter.
Furniture
As more people go into smaller offices, most furniture stores have made desks, drawers and shelving units made for reduced spaces. When furnishing the room, avoid large bulky desks as these will take up more space than necessary. Shelves are the best asset for a crowded room because they usually have more wall space than floor space. To avoid strategic issues, open shelving would be the ideal solution, as well as being a useful way to keep files organized.
Craft drawers are excellent for keeping papers, supplies, and other essential items organized. Try to resist the temptation to buy too many drawers; they won’t all be used and just end up wasting space. Think about what would need to go in drawers and only buy as needed.
Technology
The benefit of living in the digital age is that laptops and tablets have significantly reduced the bulk of the things we need to keep a home office running efficiently. Additionally, many documents and essential files can be stored online, therefore clearing up a lot of the space taken up by filing cabinets. Extra files can be saved on USB sticks or hard drives. If you make sure to only print documents when you have to, then your office should be free of clutter for a long time. Going wireless will also free up space and reduce the risk of tripping over long wires.
Essential supplies
Organize your office based on how often you use certain items. Laptops will be out the most often, but, if you only use the scanner three or four times a year, then it should be kept tucked away somewhere until it’s needed. It sounds simple, but it’s an easy way to keep the desk clear and streamline your work.
Mirrors
If there is any space left on the walls, put up a few mirrors to brighten up the office and make it look bigger. It will make the room feel less claustrophobic and therefore increase productivity. Having a good source of natural light in the room will also reduce eye strain and boost general wellness.