Spring cleaning time has arrived and the one place we should not over look is our office space. With all the different ways to get organized why is it so hard to do it. My personal opinion is that there are too many different ways to store the same things and it gets overwhelming. So I want to share with you what has worked for me. Hopefully it will help you manage your clutter and make your office a place you want to be.
FIRST:
Shelving - I actually think that this is more important than a desk, why? Shelving is what gets everything up and out of the way! This way your desk is for doing actual work. I found this
great shelf at none other than Ikea, I know shocking! But Ikea has some of the greatest tools for organizing, including this shelving unit {pictured below} at prices that won't break your budget.
This bookshelf is great for a couple of reasons, you can stand it up or lay it down {as I have it} for the type of space you have. But it also has different sized cubby holes to help keep you organized. As you can see in mine some of the holes have
galvanized steel bins in them which you can add labels to to make finding items super easy. If you are trying to be Green and would rather use recycled pieces to hold your items you can find hundreds of sellers on
Etsy with a great selection of old crates, boxes and bags for you to choose from.
You can also use floating shelves or wall mounted shelves to display your stuff. You can place ribbons, yarn, beads anything with lots of color in
glass jars . Use a cigar box to store paint brushes or other loose odds and ends. Just to give you some ideas.
SECOND:
Your desk - You need to get what you are most comfortable with. I personally have a wood top with 4 metal legs. Super easy and sleek {in fact you could make this after I trip to the hardware store, buy some MDF board, metal pipe and flanges and your are good to go}. If you would rather have some storage underneath for paperwork you can get a filing cabinet or a desk with them built in. Craigslist.com is a great resource for office furniture when you are not looking to spend a lot. Of coarse you can always go to garage sales, this is the perfect time of year for those! Another option is to look for a desk with storage options above the desk or a desk that can close up {great if you have small children that like to get into things} just make sure that your monitor will fit in the place it allows for. I will tell you know if you have a 24" screen {like I do} it will not fit in that hole it's suppose to...
THIRD:
Make sure that you have thought about a place to write notes to yourself, keep orders out while you are getting them ready, and keep packing materials. This will save you tons of frustration later on. Also something to think about if you have kids make sure that you have a space for them in the office too. My son is 2 and loves to "help mom" especially when I am in the office working on things, so I have a second table in here just for him to have his coloring books, crayons, paper and such things. This way he thinks he is getting to help and do what I am doing but he stays out of my way, most of the time.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST:
Decorate with items that will inspire you, not hinder you. Just because it's an office doesn't mean that it has to be a stiff environment. Paint your walls with colors you love, hang art you are drawn to and don't be afraid to change it up. If you have a memo board or magnet board fill it with your inspirations and make sure you look at it daily as well as add to it. Lastly, if something isn't working fix it, don't live with it. I hope this helps you in your quest for an office space that you can actually work in.
If you have other ideas or things that have worked for you feel free to post your ideas here too for others!
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DON'T FORGET YOU STILL HAVE UNTIL JUNE 14 TO GET SIGNED UP TO WIN MY GIVEAWAY!
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