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Large spaces are not easy to come by these days, however, 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 tips to make your small home office look and feel bigger, which will make you more productive.
How To Make the Most of Your Small Home Office
Filing
In a small home office, a little pile of clutter can quickly turn into a big mess. You can’t afford to let mail, paper documents, and miscellaneous items gather on your desk. Make sure that 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. Less mail means less clutter.
Furniture and Accessories
As smaller offices are becoming more popular, most furniture stores have made desks, drawers and shelving units specifically for smaller spaces. When furnishing the room, avoid large bulky desks. These will take up more space than necessary. Shelves are the best asset for a crowded room because they utilize more wall space than floor space. To avoid strategic issues, open shelving would be the ideal solution. This is also 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 probably won’t all be used and will just end up wasting space.
If there is any space left on the walls, put up a few mirrors to brighten up the office and make it look bigger. Mirrors 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.
Technology
One benefit of living in the digital age is that laptops and tablets have significantly reduced the things we need to keep a home office running efficiently. Additionally, many documents and essential files can be stored online. This reduces the amount of 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. For example, you probably use your laptop more than anything. However, if you only use the scanner three or four times a year, 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.
Images Courtesy of Canva.
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About the Author: Patricia Davis Brown
