Home offices tend to be small spaces. It’s not unusual for the garden shed or the smallest bedroom of the house to be chosen as an office. This makes it important to think carefully about storage when setting up your office. A few clever home office storage ideas could be the difference between an efficient workspace and a disorganised mess!
The best storage solutions do at least one of these things:
- Perform more than one function – such as a coffee table that also acts as a storage box.
- Make clever use of space – say, a drawing table that folds up against the wall when not in use
- Blend into their environment – for example, a trunk that is both a stylish piece of furniture and a container for files.
- Re-purpose objects or materials that would otherwise be thrown away – this might include food cans to hold pens and other stationery.
These little tricks mean that your storage solutions are able to use space efficiently. A normal table with one flat surface and four legs has lots of dead space beneath it. A table that includes storage can make an entire area work for you.
In this article, we’re going to look at some home office storage ideas for small spaces. Though they do, of course, work in large spaces too!
Contents
Storage cabinets & boxes
Storage boxes can often double-up as seating.
For example, this 4-cube storage organizer bench from Better Homes & Gardens offers four separate storage spaces as well as a cushioned seat.
You can also get flexible storage options that can be adapted to your particular space. This 12 cube organizer can be assembled in multiple configurations.
Home office file storage
Filing cabinets don’t have to be big, bulky metal monstrosities. Take this rustic oak filing cabinet, for example. It will blend into a stylish office with wooden furniture while keeping your files safe in two large drawers.
Remember, clever storage solutions often make use of otherwise dead space. A perfect example is this door hanging file organizer. Simply hang it over your office door and store your files without taking up any floor or desk space.
Desk organizers
When choosing a desk organizer, it’s a good idea to look for height. Ideally, you want to find something with a small footprint – so that it doesn’t take up much desk space – but with plenty of storage space. That means finding something tall.
For instance, by storing items vertically, this desk tidy offers 10 storage sections without taking up too much room.
With the right accessories, you can even store items on the side of your desk.
Or why not add your own desk drawers where you need them.
These small drawers can be taped under your desk, or wherever you need them!
Desks with storage
When choosing a desk, look carefully at the amount of storage it provides. Does it have built-in drawers and shelves?
If you only have a small space, try to avoid desks that simply have legs or side panels. Instead, focus on options that have storage included wherever possible.
You need to have enough room to get your legs under the desk, but all other space should be put to good use!
Here are some good options to get you started.
The John Lewis Cuthbert desk is a fantastic little desk, with a single storage drawer that can hold a surprising amount, while not taking up too much room in small office.
The LEXA corner home office desk has several cupboards and shelves built-in. Notice how some of the cupboards and storage space for files makes use of the area underneath the desk.
This desk has a handy shelf tucked away out of sight, but within easy reach.
The LEPAK home office desk has a similar shelf, plus a raised shelf too.
Or, if you’re working with a very small space, you could choose a desk that folds away when not in use. This is a good example.
Wall storage ideas
The more objects you can store without taking up your limited floor space, the better. So it’s important to make good use of your walls.
Shelves are the obvious choice. But there are other ways to store items on your walls too.
You could purchase a hanging wall organizer with multiple pockets
Or a cork board for pinning up documents, with added storage included alongside it.
You could even clip items to a metal grid. Giving you the flexibility to arrange them however you like!
DIY home office storage ideas
Finally, you don’t need to purchase all of your storage solutions.
Some of the best solutions are actually DIY home office storage ideas.
For inspiration, here are some clever ideas from Pinterest users to get you started.
References and further reading
At Homeworker HQ, we like to share our sources and promote other websites that you may find useful. Here are a few recommendations on this topic for you to check out: