Trying to keep your home office space neat and tidy? Whether you work from your own home workspace or share an office space with your household, there are simple tips and tricks that can help keep your work area decluttered. Check out these 15 organization and storage ideas for creating a tidy, productive workspace!

Take Inventory of Everything

Before you start organizing, take stock of your work area and declutter by getting rid of the items you don’t need! Start by going through your file holder, desk, and shelving to find old receipts or papers you no longer need. Then, go through your office supplies, and be sure to take into account any office furniture like chairs, file cabinets, and bookshelves you no longer use. While taking inventory, separate the items into groups to keep, toss, sell, or donate.

Differentiate Work Areas

When working from home, it’s crucial to separate your workspace from your living space. When turning an area into your home office, use a spare room or flex space, like a basement or nook. Once you’ve decided where you’re going to work, start making plans on how you’re going to organize your office space. Having a designated office area will make it easier to find office supplies and documents when you need them!

Choose a Desk with Storage

When choosing a desk, pick something that allows you to work comfortably and provides plenty of storage. Whether you select an option with several drawers or overhead storage, the right desk can help keep your home office tidy. If you already have a desk and it lacks room for storage, free up space by using a monitor stand or installing a keyboard tray to help create a more productive workspace.

Buy a Desktop Organizer

Tired of a messy desk? Keep your space clean by adding a desktop organizer! Choose from a variety of organizers, from file sorters large enough to hold folders, to monitor stands that include compartments for storing notepads, pens, and pencils. Do you have a small desk in your office? Consider using stackable cubes or letter trays to help save on desk space. Or save time and money and upcycle household items into office supplies—like turning cans, mason jars, and tea containers into utensil holders and desk organizers.

Streamline Your Desk Drawers

After decluttering your desk, designate a specific spot for each office item with drawer organizers. By using plastic, wooden, or metal divider trays, you can easily store and find pens, pencils, paper clips, notepads, and other essential supplies. Plus, dividers come in a variety of sizes, making it easy to find the best storage solution for your needs. Or if you prefer DIY drawer organizers, consider repurposing old muffin pans or old egg cartons to store paper clips, push pins, cables, and other items.

Keep Wires & Cords Out of Sight

While most modern office desks have some form of cord management, you might still need to keep cords and wires tidy. A cord organizer is the perfect home office solution for keeping wires from getting all tangled while also helping you find them quickly. For a DIY home office solution, keep cords accessible by attaching a binder clip to the edge of your desk and looping wires through them, or secure cords underneath your desk with velcro.

Create a Paper Filing System

If you’re running a home business or working remotely, it’s likely you still have files and business receipts. Home office organization ideas for paper files can be simple! Consider using expandable folders, file boxes, a drawer in your desk, or a file cabinet. If you’re up to making your own DIY filing solutions, you can create a filing system out of a shower caddy, basket, dish rack, or cereal box—or even turn a storage chest into a multi-purpose filing cabinet. If you prefer to limit the need for storing papers at home, consider scanning important documents to make an electronic filing system or renting a cheap commercial storage unit for business documents.

Take Advantage of Closet Storage

If your home office is located in a shared flex space, it may be a good idea to designate the closet for your office. Take advantage of pre-existing shelves to neatly organize supplies, books, and papers. Add movable cabinets to make the most of the space. Use bins, baskets, and storage cubes to further maximize your home office closet space. Or remove the existing closet system and add customized shelving or drawers to provide easy access to supplies.

Consider Storage on Wheels

Furniture on wheels brings versatility to your home office. Rolling storage drawers, a movable desk, and filing cabinets on wheels provide portable storage options so you can keep your office neat and move your work and supplies to other parts of the house as needed. A multi-purpose utility cart is another portable office storage solution that won’t take up a lot of space.

Invest in a Filing Cabinet

 

File cabinets are an office storage solution staple for keeping all of your files organized. They also provide extra space to keep office supplies out of sight. From small filing cabinets and lockers to storage hutches and credenzas, you can find a filing cabinet to work for any space and budget!

Utilize Vertical Wall Space for Storage

Take advantage of open wall space in your home office by creating vertical storage! This small-space storage solution keeps frequently-used items nearby while freeing up space on your desk. Mount wire or acrylic folder organizers on the wall to keep important papers easily accessible. Hang a shoe organizer on the back of a door to store office supplies like pens, paperclips, or thumbtacks.

Incorporate a Notice Board

Another way to utilize wall space is to hang a corkboard, dry erase board, or even a pegboard, which can also provide additional storage space to hang office supplies. This is one of the best home office organization ideas because you can easily display important items like a calendar, daily reminders, memos, inspirational notes, and more! Embrace your workspace’s full potential by turning a whole wall into a DIY pegboard.

Install Floating Shelves

An excellent small-office storage solution, floating shelves are a simple DIY project that allow you to maximize your wall space and avoid cluttering your desk. When deciding what to store here, make sure to account for heavier items so as not to overload your shelves. For instance, store a few books and binders alongside decor like small potted plants and inspirational messages.

Label & Categorize

Once you’ve chosen dedicated places to keep files, documents, and supplies, make sure to label everything so you can always find what you need. Attach printed or handmade labels to folders, drawers, or storage containers that say the contents or identify the category of the item. Keep papers organized in binders with dividers.

Set Up a Printing Station

 

 

Printers can take up valuable space on a desk, so keep your printer and related supplies together and out of the way in a home office printing station. Use a bookcase, cubby system, or bar cart to store the printer on the top shelf and all of the supplies below. Or use a shelf system with a pullout drawer, so you can tuck your printer away when it’s not in use.

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