Nothing says, ‘all grown up’ quite like the need for a home office does. Monthly budgeting, family scheduling, meal planning, and more all take place in this much-needed command center. If you’re lucky enough to have an entire room dedicated for this purpose, you may have found that clutter has begun to overtake the space. It’s like a purse. The bigger the purse, the more unnecessary crap is crammed into it.
So in the spirit of downsizing and de-cluttering, I decided to convert a closet into a well-organized home office.
1. Keep It Simple
There really isn’t much to it. An office requires just a few basic things: space for a laptop and printer, a writing surface, space for paper sorting/filing, books, and small office supplies. Shelving mounted on tracks and brackets allow ample storage, and can easily be adjusted to suit your needs.
2. Purge. Purge. Purge.
Get rid of all the old office supplies. That printer that you have to tap three times before it will print… throw it away. The same goes for papers. Keep only what’s necessary.
3. Plants
I am an herbicidal maniac, not purposefully, but I have literally killed every houseplant I’ve had. Fortunately, artificial plants have come a long way since I was a kid. Some of them look amazingly alive, and need absolutely no care beyond the occasional dusting. They’re a perfect choice for any space that doesn’t get a ton of natural light (like a closet), or for anyone that’s a serial plant killer (like me).
I think the best feature of this closet office is the fact that when it’s not in use, I can close the closet door and enjoy the rest of the sitting room.
What are some of your favorite home office and organizing ideas?
[…] sip coffee, check my email, and just write. No matter how compact, clutter-free, and efficient my home office is, it’s just not peaceful enough for me to enjoy a relaxing cup of coffee, a game of […]
Loving this post! Thanks for the links too-I have a small area in our bedroom for my office but I struggle constantly to keep it clutter free! Your simplicity is inspiring 🙂
Thanks! I’ve been trying my best to keep things simple. I found myself drowning in ‘stuff’ and I finally had to say enough is enough. <– That last bit totally rhymed and I didn't even do that on purpose 🙂
[…] many of the issues in one of the houses. You can see some of the transformations here, here, and here. There’s still a long, long way to go. I will definitely keep you posted as I continue to […]