With many people working from home and modified school schedules, having an organized office space is important. In fact, home office organization and other similar topics have been consistently trending on Pinterest as people try to get organized. Whether it’s to adapt to your new normal or you just don’t want the clutter, here are a few tips to get your home office area organized.
Create different “stations”
You want a clean desktop to give yourself room to read, write, and work, so the less clutter you have on it, the better. You can elimination desktop clutter with different organized “stations” in your office. Use your wall above the desk, the drawer in the desk, or a cart near it to organize office supplies. Control paper coming in and going out of the office by creating a mail station with a spot for outgoing mail, items to file, bills to pay, and folders for each member of the family. With most printers now being wireless, there is no need for it to be on your desk. Instead, create a print station where the printer and supplies for it can be kept. Whether it’s a cabinet, a bookcase, or cart, having a place for the printer will help free up desk space.
Go vertical
If you are limited on space or just want to keep things less crowded, look to the walls for additional organization space. Installing shelves, corkboards, pegboards, or other similar systems on your walls is a great way to organize a smaller space or avoid too much furniture and clutter.
Organize supplies by categories
Place like items together to create a more functional office space and avoid wasting time looking for things you need. Categories may include paper products (notebooks, stickie pads, etc.), tools (stapler, staple remover, hole punch, scissors, etc.), writing tools (pens, pencils, markers, and so forth), mail (envelopes, stamps, address labels), and filing (file folders, labels, etc.). These are suggested categories – do whatever makes the most sense for your office area.
Color code your files
Paper is one of the biggest challenges of an office area, and it’s easy for it to pile up. Help make filing and finding paperwork easier by color-coding your files. When it comes to home office paperwork, HGTV.com suggests using the following color coded system:
Green: Financial
Red: Medical
Orange: Personal
Yellow: Insurance
Blue: House
For the kids: a school basket/bin
If your kids will be using the office for homeschooling, a school basket or bin can help them and help keep your office clean. Put workbooks, reading and study materials, and anything else your kid may need for the day of studying in the basket/bin and label it with his or her name. When the day starts, they can grab the bin and head to the office or other study area and get going on their work for the day. When they are done, your kids simply put everything back in the basket/bin, and the study area is clutter-free.
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