Organize your home office to improve your work flow and efficiency

Customize your space to fit your needs and your business

Before you begin to organize your home office, print off the Analyze Your Home Office Worksheet and fill it out if you haven't already done so. This will give you a clear picture of the space you already have or need to allocate as you plan to organize your office.

It will also help you recognize the type of activities and functions that you need to accommodate as you start to organize your home office.

Space Planning is Important as you Organize Your Home Office

Is the space you have allocated for your home office large enough to accommodate your needs? Do you have room for all the electronic equipment (computer, fax, printer, etc) you need.

Do a realistic evaluation at this point. Does your business only require a computer and a telephone? If so, do you really want to give an entire room over to this space? Is there room under a staircase to house a desk and a telephone? Perhaps a large closet in a spare bedroom could be made over and that you could develop to organize your home office.

If you need a larger space because you have a walk-in clientèle, could your office be adjacent to a small sitting room in order that you could have more working area?

If you have a guest room, how often do you use it? Could it be turned into a home office by removing the bed and replacing it with a daybed or sleep sofa? Consider installing a Murphy bed and surrounding it with shelves and bookcases on that wall. (If you are too young to remember Murphy beds, these are beds that pull down from the wall when you need them.)

Whatever the situation, first plan how much space you actually need. Don't give up on the idea of a home office because of space limitations. Be sure to look at attics, basements, and garages with a critical eye toward using it as a home office. Even a front or back porch could be closed in to make a terrific home office space. This would be ideal if you have clients who come to the home because they would have direct access.

Deciding on Working Space

When you organize your home office, naturally the first thing that comes to mind is working space. Where to put the desk? What type should it be? How large should it be?

Many home offices are built with a counter top along the wall. In this way, you have a place to put everything you need in one area and within arms reach. For total efficiency working with everything at hand so that you don't have to get up is the way to go.

However, you may be a person who hates working facing a wall. Perhaps you like to look out the window while you are thinking, or feel claustrophobic if you are staring at a wall. Or you may be a person who absolutely loves the traditional look of a large mahogany desk with a leather Eames chair to sit in.

There is no right or wrong way to design a home office. You are the one who will be working here every day. Whatever you decide, the main factor should be one of working comfort and efficiency. You can truly customize your space. This is your office, so treat yourself as you would your favorite customer. Think about your needs and fill them.

Plan for Storage as You Organize Your Home Office

Once you have decided on where to put your working area, you want to be able to have as much storage as possible for maximum productivity. As I mentioned earlier, no matter where your desk is, everything you use regularly should be close at hand. Telephone, computer, waste basket, files, etc. should all be within arms reach.

If your workspace runs along a wall, make maximum use of the wall space. Shelves for holding reference materials, notebooks, computer paper can be installed within easy reach. Short filing cabinets can be installed under the counter. Free standing cubby cubes can also be utilized in this area.

Clocks and calendars for time management can be put on the walls of this area.

If you have a free standing desk, be sure to use drawer dividers to help keep all those small office supplies, pens, staples, paper clips, etc. in their place. Try to keep the top of your work area clutter free. If you only use a stapler or hole puncher occasionally, don't keep it out in plain sight. Keep these items tucked away so you have more usable working area.

Shelves can be installed under windows or over doors to hold seldom used but necessary items. Bookcases can be installed under windows and over doors to hold seldom used items. Buy or installed bookcases on awkward walls such as behind doors and in unused corners.

Home Office Furniture Doesn't Have to be Cold

As you organize your home office, keep in mind that it is your home. Let your office reflect your decorating tastes and preferences. You don't have to break your budget and go out and buy professional office furniture. Some of the most charming home offices I've been in have a mix of professional office and home furniture.

If you have a specialized business and need some professional furniture of course you should have it. However, don't overlook furniture you may already have in your home that is ready for office use. Look at what you already own with a critical eye as you organize your home officed.

Would that armoire or entertainment center double your storage area? Could that cedar chest serve as a storage center and double as a coffee table in your break area? How about that interesting table with several draws or the bureau in the garage that is holding nothing but clutter items at this point?

Walk around and check out what you already own. You may find you can almost furnish a complete home office without any expense.

Organize Your Home Office for Your Needs

Always remember, this is your working space and it has to work for you. If you are not happy to be here and don't feel good about your work space, you won't want to come here and won't be able to do your best work. Organize your home office for you and no one else (unless of course you share it).

Please yourself as you organize your home office and the work you perform in this room will please you.