Ways To Make Better Use of Home Office Space

If you have a cramped, inefficient home office, you can transform it into a roomy, functional work space. The right furniture combined with a little creativity (and the strength to remove any furniture that is not serving a specific purpose) can help you make the most of your home office space.

1. Make your office flexible by using modular furniture. As your needs change, simply move your office furniture around. Consider function over aesthetics. But don’t buy cheap furniture that will fall apart after two moves. Check out furniture dealers and office furniture stores (not just the office supply superstores) to find quality home office furniture.

2. Use sturdy shelves or tall bookcases to store books, reference materials and supplies nearby. Don’t overload the shelves. The heavier books should be on the bottom shelf. (I know that’s common sense but people forget that.) Store similar items together and place these items strategically. Keep books you refer to often within reach while supplies and other materials you use less frequently should be placed on higher or lower shelves instead of middle shelves.

3. Make one piece of furniture serve more than one purpose. For example, the top of a lateral file cabinet can double as an extra surface for a paper cutter, fax machine, copier, etc. An antique dresser (something I used in a former home office) looks nice and can be functional.

4. Be creative and use two file cabinets with a board across them for an extra surface. I used to recommend that to clients long before a certain retailer offered this option in their catalogs. This trick used to be reserved for starving college students but I've seen expensive home offices furnished this way using high-quality file cabinets and durable surfaces.