How to Maximize Space in a Small Home Office – lets take a look at some great ideas
Once upon a time, many people considered a home office a “nice-to-have” that didn’t play all that large of a role in their daily lives. But the COVID-19 pandemic has changed everything as vast numbers of office workers have switched to temporarily or even permanently working from home. Suddenly, the home office is the center of your professional universe.
Many times, a room that’s not ideally suited for office work has had to be pressed abruptly into service. Even a well-suited office room might be feeling a little cramped these days as the work expected to be done from home has expanded. With all of that going on, it’s understandable if you feel like you need a little more room to breathe and a more organized space.
How to Maximize Space in a Small Home Office
How to Maximize Space in a Small Home Office
Never fear! We’ve got some practical solutions lined up for maximizing your home office’s space efficiency. From taming the jungle of cables to the magic of the dry erase calendar wall decal, here are six ways that you can make your home office a more streamlined and pleasant space.
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Get a desk that fits your workflow and your space.
For most workers, the desk will be the center of your home office, so it needs to be both comfortable and space-efficient. Measure your space and spend some time looking at different desk options online. Consider options like standing desks and wall-mounted floating desks that can help you create a more spacious setting and a more efficient workflow.
You should also consider what other duties your desk could fulfill. Many desks come with features like built-in file storage and cord management that can eliminate the need for additional separate purchases. A large desk might seem extravagant for a small home office, but it can be practical if you also use it to store necessary work equipment. The more roles a single piece of furniture can fulfill, the better.
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Cut down on cord clutter.
Is there a more 21st century problem than the persistent plague of cord clutter? The numerous devices that are part of most people’s office routines can choke a workspace with their jungle of cords, so it’s important to reduce the cords whenever possible. One obvious choice is to switch to wireless devices such as a wireless mouse, wireless keyboard and wireless printer.
Many of today’s professionals opt for a laptop over a desktop due to their portability and reduction in cord clutter, although this will obviously depend on your available resources and the needs of your position. Finally, if you can’t eliminate the cords, you can at least make them easier to manage by using accessories like cord organizers and power strips.
How to Maximize Space in a Small Home Office
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Make your storage more efficient.
You’ll probably need some storage in your office, so it pays to look into how to do it efficiently. Vertical storage options such as wall-mounted shelves are great for providing storage while maintaining a generous sense of space. Shelves are also great for holding plants and other decorative items that give the space pizzazz.
Remember that doors are a big cause of wasted space in many small offices. You can utilize door space through clever products like over-the-door shelving. Just make sure they’re durable and securely attached. (Use closet doors, too!) And don’t forget to purchase or create an organization system for your paper files, as they can get jumbled and out of control more quickly than you might imagine.
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Choose a color that gives the desired spatial effect.
Design professionals know that choosing the right color can make all the difference in how you (and others) perceive your space. That’s because certain colors tend to have certain effects on the human brain. So, when setting up your home office, think about color as one of the key elements, rather than an afterthought.
Light colors tend to create a sense of spaciousness, so if you need to open up your office a bit, consider colors like white, beige, sky blue and mint green. Dark colors, on the other hand, can be a great choice if you want to create a warm and cozy vibe. Extremely bright colors like hot pink or bright red should be used with caution. For some people, they set just the right energetic vibe, but others will find them distracting and overwhelming.
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Maximize Space in a Small Home Office by Making your Lighting Choices Work for You.
Lighting is another crucial element in creating an office space that feels spacious, welcoming and pleasant. If you can get natural light from a window, take it. It’s good for your body and your brain (although you’ll probably want some curtains to control how much gets in).
If you’re still getting by with just an overhead light but don’t have room for more space-intensive lighting solutions like floor lamps, consider the potential of smaller light fixtures.
A good desk lamp will take you a long way––even a clamp-on model. Wall-mounted sconces are also a great option that can free up a lot of placement options. Speaking of which, remember that the placement of light fixtures is often almost as important as the fixtures themselves, so try placing your light fixtures in corners of the room to provide a more even light coverage throughout the space.
How to Maximize Space in a Small Home Office
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Consider the applications of your walls when trying to Maximize Space in a Small Home Office
The walls of your office aren’t just for storage. In fact, they can offer organizational tools of their own that free up space elsewhere. For example, if you like to have a physical calendar, a dry erase calendar wall decal can replace a desk calendar. A whiteboard wall sticker, meanwhile, can provide an easy and wall-safe space to quickly jot down notes.
Of course, since many people working from home now take video calls frequently, you should make sure to “Zoom-proof” your space. That means considering where your computer’s webcam will be pointing and whether the things it will show are something that you want your boss to see. Adding a video conference backdrop can go a long way toward making your space presentable.
How to Maximize Space in a Small Home Office is a feature post