Productivity

How To Maximise Space In A Small Home Office – Practical Tips

small home office

Working from home is the new normal, as we learned through the pandemic that there was little need anymore to commute to get our work done. 

While it was acceptable to work from the kitchen table when it felt like a temporary arrangement, it becomes increasingly important to create a separate space when it is more permanent. It is not that you want to have an office so you appear more professional on video calls, though this does have some part to play here. 

It is that you want to be able to close the doorton your work and live in your home with the belief that you can relax here too.

When your house is already cramped for space, setting up an area as an office can be challenging. Yet, with some excellent tips and tricks, you can turn the smallest room into the perfect haven for career success. 

You will be amazed at how much it increases your efficiency and productivity and how much you can switch off at the end of the day.

Pick the right place for your office space

home office space
Not everyone has the luxury of an extra room that can be turned into a bespoke home office. Most have to choose an area of a living room, bedroom, or even under the stairs. Whatever place you choose will impact the furniture you buy. There are desks available in any size and shelving or cabinets that can slip into any small area. The most important factor when choosing this area is traffic. How often will you be disrupted by people walking through or family members stopping for a chat? It is essential that wherever you select, it is fit to get work done.

Draw out a plan

draw home office sketch
When deciding to create a home office, it is crucial to sketch out a plan before you start. When you have limited space, there is no room for inefficiency. Therefore, you must be sure where everything you need will go and how it will go there. It will offer you essential insight into the furniture you can buy that won’t be impossible to work within that space. If it starts to look a little tricky to make the home office work, you could always get a designer to create your plan. The personalized advice can save you time and money in pointless purchases.

Remove all distractions

This one is the most important of all the small home office ideas. You cannot share your workspace with other items not part of your working day. On one level, you cannot also use it as a television room or a place where you house the treadmill. Equally, you cannot allow it to become a spare room where old furniture is deposited. 

Your mindset when working is crucial to your success. Huge organisations like Google and Facebook spend millions creating work areas that are conducive to creativity and efficiency. 

It is not often that this includes the old sideboard that no longer works in the living room.

Store vertically

vertical storage wfh

When floor space is limited, you have to make use of the walls. Having the total height from floor to ceiling can make a small room more than enough for anything you need for work. There are cabinets you can buy and shelving units that can easily be adapted for your space.

Dividers inside your drawers

This hint is a game-changer. Having drawers is a good plan by itself. It is beneficial to have drawers that hold your essential stationery and other items right in front of you without cluttering your desk. The next level organised would be to install dividers inside your drawers to keep crucial things in their designated space. Instead of having to rifle through every time you need something, you can be sure it has its place.

 

You can buy dividers that can keep this work area separate from your living space. If you have no choice but to use the corner of your living room, you can use a simple wall divider to hide your desk away when it is your relaxation time. The divider is also a good message to people sharing your home that you are busy right now and should not be disturbed.

Control wires and cords

wire organizer

There is no better way to waste most of the day than trying to untangle wires and cords. Everything you need in your home office seems to have a wire from the charger for your phone and laptop to the printer cable. Going wireless as much as possible will serve you well. Investing in a wireless mouse, keyboard, and Bluetooth printer will make a significant difference. However, investing in a cord-tidy will be a revolution in the area under your desk if there are cords.

Go big on storage, not on your desk

home office storage

It is tempting to believe that you need a more extensive desk than you do. In truth, your desk need only be big enough to hold your laptop and a cup of coffee. Anything else on your desk will become clutter. Therefore, rather than buying a huge, chunky desk, choose to fill the space with storage instead.

Avoid clutter at all costs

The reason to give primacy to storage is that clutter brings chaos. If you want your workspace to help you be more efficient and effective, then everything needs its place. If your only place to keep things is the surface of your desk, life will likely get out of control quickly. Consequently, investing in shelves, drawers, cabinets, boxes, and more is the answer to maximising the space in your small home office.

Conclusion

The thing to remember about your home office more than anything else is how much time you will spend there. We often spend much time making our homes perfect to live in but forget that we should have pleasure in the place we work too. Give some time to those small touches that bring you joy and practicality.

This article was written by Displaysense, which is a leading supplier of visual display products.

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About Andrew Williams

Andrew Williams is the Founder of Remote Tribelife, an online magazine for digital nomads and remote working. Andrew has an extensive background in SEO and content marketing. His experience with digital marketing goes back to his early age in University when he founded a blog about startups and funding. He does his best writing in the coffee shops in Bali or in the condos of busy cities like Bangkok and Singapore. He is currently based in Singapore. You can connect with Andrew on his Linkedin profile and/or follow Remote Tribelife on Instagram.