When I started out I didn’t know how to organize a home office. The fact is my office was from a laptop on the kitchen table. Like other fully remote workers, my office has been transformed into my space, my zen.
Remote work can be a great way to stay productive while maintaining flexibility.
However, it is also important to create a workspace that allows you to stay organized and focused.
If you’re new to working from home you’re going to need an organizational system with some basic things that will make a difference in productivity.
There are 11 essential items that will help you create and organize a home office.
Start With The Top 3 things you need to Organize a Work From Home Office
1. Desk or Table:
Sounds obvious but it makes a world of difference. One of the top three most important pieces of office equipment for working from a home office is a desk or table.
This will be the focal point for all your work-related activities, so make sure it’s spacious enough for all your needs and comfortable enough for long hours.
Additionally, make sure that you have enough desktop space for all of your essential items such as a laptop or computer monitor, mouse pad, and keyboard tray.
It’s also important to choose one with enough storage space for all your office supplies and documents.
Get a desk with drawers: A desk with drawers will give you a place to store all of your office supplies and paperwork.
Make sure to measure the space in your home office before you purchase a desk so that you know what size will fit.
2. Comfortable Chair:
You’ll naturally spend a lot of time at your desk or table, so it’s important to invest in a comfortable chair that offers good back support.
A good chair is the second most important piece of office equipment.
It should be adjustable and easy to move around, so you can switch up positions throughout the day if necessary. Look for a chair that offers support for your back and has adjustable height and tilt.
Bad posture leads to ergonomic issues and it all starts with the chair.
Fact: According to osha.gov, the most common areas for ergonomic hazards are equipment layout and operation. these cause, lifting, pushing, pulling, and lighting.
3. Great Lighting
Good lighting is essential for any workspace, particularly if you work in dimly lit areas of your house like the basement or attic.
Investing in adjustable lamps and natural light sources like skylights will help keep things bright and cheerful during those long hours you spend working at home.
Once you have the desk, chair, and lighting the next items will make home office work so much easier.
4. Printer/Scanner/Copier
A printer/scanner/copier is also key when it comes to keeping things organized at home. These handy devices will allow you to quickly scan documents, print out hard copies as needed, and even copy multiple documents without having to do everything by hand.
5. Organize a Home Office with Storage containers
Super organized office uses storage containers as they provide extra room and can help to keep your home office organized.
Usually, a home office has small spaces, they provide a proper place to store items such as paperwork, files, and office supplies.
Look for containers that are stackable or that come with labels so that you can easily find what you need and maximize storage space.
Baskets are great for storing items such as magazines, mail, or extra office supplies. They can also be used to corral cords and cables.
Most people use filing cabinets in an empty corner, to store documents like tax returns or papers not directly related to every task.
Also, it can be a file organizer for the entire house and not just the home office.
Every home office should have at least one filing system to store papers or records. Organizing the drawers with an easy filing system makes files easily accessible.
Many people feel a filing cabinet is a permanent storage container and It can be. But you’ll need to make sure you purge old documents at set intervals as good housekeeping.
One last point. think like an interior designer, get matching bins as these will make your home office stylish and organized.
6. Use a bulletin board
A bulletin board can be used to organize paperwork or to display important documents. You can also use it to pin up reminders or inspirational quotes.
It can display items like a to-do list, reminders, bills, and items related to your tasks.
I use sticky notes on my memo board to avoid the clutter on my desk.
7. Get a whiteboard or chalkboard
A whiteboard or chalkboard can be used for brainstorming ideas or keeping track of tasks. You can also use it to write down reminders or inspirational messages.
Use it as a memo board for easy reference and organizing tasks. I write my daily to-do list on mine.
Some really cool ideas are a pegboard wall using paper clips
8. Install Shelves
Shelves can provide additional storage space for items such as books, files, or office supplies. You can also use them to display decor items or plants.
Floating shelves are a great solution for creating space in home offices. They make the most of empty wall space while giving an extra dimension to a room’s appearance.
It is possible to purchase floating shelves in a variety of materials and colors, so even the pickiest interior designer can find something that will suit their needs – this means you can match existing furniture and décor easily.
Floating shelves can also be used to give order to books and stationery that have been otherwise forgotten about, making your workspace feel calm and productive.
9. Hang hooks
Hooks can be used to hang coats, bags, or umbrellas. They can also be used to hold headphones or other small items. These will save your workspace and home office from clutter.
Although hooks can keep your workspace cluttered free it makes sense not to use too many. If you do the clutter from your desk just moves to the wall.
10. Use magazine holders
A magazine rack is great for storing magazines, catalogs, or manila folders in your new home office. They can also be used to hold notebooks or journals.
11. Label everything
Labeling everything in your home office will help you to find things more easily and will make your home office look more organized.
Certainly one of the office organization ideas that I never thought of.
Home Office Organization Ideas
Once you have these 11 tools the next step in organizing your workspace is to declutter your desk area of papers and post its.
This means getting rid of any unnecessary items that are taking up valuable space on your desk or around it.
If possible, try to keep only essential items on the desk. Things like your laptop or computer, a notebook, pen, pencils, markers in mason jars, and maybe a small lamp.
The less clutter you have around your desk space the easier it will be for you to focus on work tasks without distractions.
To organize your home office effectively, you need to think beyond just desk space and consider the walls, vertical space, and empty wall space.
This includes utilizing available floor-to-ceiling shelving units or racks for added storage opportunities such as file folders or other documents that are needed often but don’t take up much physical space when stored vertically instead of horizontally on shelves or cabinets.
Utilizing vertical space can also help prevent clutter from accumulating on top of desks and tables which can lead to feelings of distraction and stress within the workspace environment.
Organize Your Files & Documents
Once you have decluttered the physical space of your workspace, it’s time to tackle digital clutter as well.
Make sure that all documents are stored in an organized folder structure on your computer so that they can be easily accessed when needed.
With Remote work, I find it helpful to set up cloud storage services like Dropbox or Google Drive so that files can be securely backed up online and accessed from anywhere with an internet connection.
Create A System For Staying Organized
All the organization ideas in the world for your home office won’t do you much good unless you maintain organization over time.
Create a system for staying organized by designating one day each week as “organization day” where all paperwork is sorted through, files are backed up online, and any necessary papers and supplies are put away in their designated places.
This will help ensure that clutter doesn’t accumulate over time and make it easier for you to find what you need quickly when needed.
Relocate Personal Items
An organized home office includes pictures, magazines, greeting cards, awards, flowers, coffee mugs, pens, etc. They can be stored in your office, but they should be part of a strict office organization plan.
Make your family photos framed and keep them on the wall or open shelving. You could see them every day without taking up room on your desk. Put your plants on a window sill or in an office cupboard, or hang them on a hanging hook.
Organize Office Supplies
Keeping office supplies properly organized is key to productivity. When everything has its place, it’s easy to find what you need when you need it.
Start by sorting office supplies into categories that make sense for you. Are all your pens in one drawer?
Do you have a designated area for paper? How about a recycling bin?
Once sorted, designate an area of your office or desk space that’s clutter-free as the main storage spot even if it’s just a corner of the room.
Having a designated area will ensure office supplies don’t become spread throughout various drawers or valuable desk areas.
Lastly, use dividers or small containers within office drawers to further categorize and organize office supplies if needed.
Doing so will save valuable time spent sifting through cluttered drawers and keep office supplies for easy access.
What are office essentials?
Home office essentials vary depending on the job, but there are some office supplies every office needs.
Pens and paper are obvious office must-haves. As mentioned a good chair, lighting and a desk are necessary for any productive workspace, and drawers provide excellent ways of organizing paper and office supplies.
To organize a larger office, it’s also important to consider not just individual desk setups but the overall office interior design. Larger items in a room like a filing cabinet, bookshelf, or coffee machine can make the entire work space more streamlined and conducive to work.
Ultimately, office essentials should accommodate whatever tasks need to be done efficiently and in high quality.
Keep important accessories handy
The best way to ensure you have the supplies you need is by keeping important office accessories handy. Things like tech accessories, headphones a quality pen set, reams of paper, and colorful post-it notes for ideas and reminders.
You’re not the only one with a home office! In these trying times, many of us are making do with what we have and setting up shop at our kitchen tables.
But just because you don’t have a dedicated space doesn’t mean your work life has to suffer. With a little bit of creativity and organization, you can make any space work for you. And who knows? You might even find that you prefer working from home.
After all, there are plenty of advantages to it. So if you’re feeling stuck, take heart and get organized.
Your home office awaits! Are there any additional Office Organization tips you can suggest? Let us know in the comments below!