Here are some simple home office organization tips to keep your workspace neat and tidy.
Whether you have a separate room or just a little nook in some part of the house, an organized home office can be a great asset. You’ll have a dedicated space to organize paperwork and do important, even if no-so-fun tasks like paying bills.
If your home office is a total disaster, it can affect your productivity and you’ll probably find yourself avoiding that space.
Here are some simple tips for how to organize your home office. You’ll declutter your space and turn it into a calming environment you love.
7 Handy Home Office Organization Tips
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1. Purge, Purge, Purge
Before you organize anything. Get rid of stuff you don’t need.
There’s no sense in organizing junk so clear out your cupboards, drawers, files and get rid of anything that:
- Is broken
- You never use
- Is no longer needed
- You have more than one of
Once you’re done this process, then you can move on to organizing the stuff you have left.
2. Give Everything A Home
Find a dedicated spot for every item you’re keeping no matter how small.
Having a home for everything will help you to keep your home office organized. It’s easy to put things away when you know where they belong. Otherwise, you’ll leave stuff lying around or put them anywhere simply because you don’t know where they should go.
This will also go a long way to helping you and others easily find things later. You’ll know exactly where to look.
Make sure to label containers and baskets so you know what’s inside at a glance.
3. Store Like Items Together
One of my favorite home office organization tips is simply to store similar items together. Group all of your notebooks, stationery, electronics and place each category in one space.
Think about which items you reach for frequently. Store these in a readily accessible area e.g. at the front of a drawer or a low shelf. Place items that you rarely use higher up or towards the back of shelves, drawers and cupboards.
4. Banish Paper Clutter
Organizing paper clutter keeps your home office looking its best. All those bills, receipts and other documents can pile up really quickly and get out of hand.
Use these paper storage ideas to keep paper clutter at bay.
5. Create Stations
Store all the items needed for a particular function in one space. This is similar to the idea of creating a tea or coffee station in your kitchen.
Think of tasks you carry out that require multiple supplies. Make a list of all the items you need to complete those tasks. Pick a spot to house all of the items and then store them there.
Some examples of stations you could create are:
- A mailing station where you keep envelopes, stamps, a pen for writing addresses, mailing labels etc.
- A printing station where you store the printer and any accessories, printer paper, ink.
6. Keep Surfaces Clutter-free
When organizing your home office, utilize the vertical spaces available. This includes wall space, the back of cupboard doors and the back of the office door, if you have one.
Use home office organization supplies that can be hung vertically, hooks, install shelves on the walls etc. Even something as simple as a hanging shoe organizer can be a great storage tool for smaller items.
Don’t go overboard and clutter the walls either. Reduce visual clutter by storing items in baskets where possible and stick to a color palette that’s pleasing to the eye.
Minimizing surface clutter will keep your space feeling airy and open.
7. Hide Cords
You probably have lots of cables in your office — computer, printer, scanner, phone charger and more. All of these can look incredibly untidy when left unchecked.
Use cable labels so you know which one belongs to a specific device. Then, corral and/or hide the cords using these cable organization ideas.
So, if you’ve been wondering how to organize a home office, these tips will help you to manage clutter and keep your designated working space looking good.