Organize your Home Office
Spring is upon us and I have caught the Spring cleaning fever. It never fails to spring up (pun intended 😉 ) right about this time and this year it was screaming “clean your office!” My husband and I both work from home. It is a gift and a joy. We love that we can work side by side but that means our home office has a lot of stuff in it (read: way too much stuff in it!) We moved to our master bedroom last year when I went full time as a Blogger and we could no longer fit in the guest bedroom without going insane. We had an okay set up but then we launched Shop Oak + Oats and our office exploded with packing material and modern planters. I knew it was time to head to Target. Today I want to share with you 5 tips for organizing your home office whether or not you run three businesses out of it or not! We all could afford a little more organization in our lives because an organized space is a restful space.
5 TIPS TO ORGANIZE YOUR HOME OFFICE
BE INTENTIONAL WITH FURNITURE
Not to much, not to little. You need to think of the needs you have for your space and purchase accordingly. For us that means two desks, two desk chairs, and two Threshold cube organizers (one for him & one for me.) We love the cube organizers because you can get them in the size you need (I have 6 boxes and he has 4) and you can also fill them with bins to match your space. It gets things off the ground, helps you hide things that are not pretty, and gives you a place to set things (like my printer, pens, and gold office supplies). Also, make sure you get everything else out that is not serving a purpose or taking up too much space. Maybe you can move that coffee table you found at the craft fair to another room or decide how important it is for you to have a couch in you office – does it feel more cluttery or more comfortable?
GIVE EVERYTHING A HOME
I use a lot of items daily. My checkbook, my journal, my note cards, my pens, my packing tape, my mailing boxes, etc. I need them all to be easily accessed but have a home so I always know where to find them. Make sure the things you frequently use have a home in an available place. Letter boxes, storage bins, and cute coffee cups help organize these things closely and cleanly. Clutter builds up when you don’t have a place to put things when you are done using them.
HAVE ONE OR TWO TRASHCANS
I don’t know why, but I can forget to put trashcans places. I think it is because they are normally not very pretty so I tend to hide them in bathrooms and the kitchen. Your office needs one or two of these to help keep your desk clean and clear (aka not stacked with La Croix cans and crossed off to-do lists). We have a recycling bin in our office too because we recycle. Not only is it important for you to have a space for your trash/recycling but you need to also make sure to empty it every other day (or as needed). Keep the space clean and fresh.
USE CALENDARS
I love having a hanging calendar to write important things on and be able to glace at. Google calendar is also always open on my computer and I have a planner sitting near me that I can take on the go. I always feel better knowing when things are due and what is coming up. These three work for me in unison because they all fulfill different functions.
PURGE OFTEN
One of the best ways for an office to get overwhelming is when we hold onto everything. Unpack and breakdown boxes right when you get packages in the mail. Throw away notes on napkins once transferred to your notebook. Put the pens & office supplies you don’t like using in a box for Goodwill. Speaking of pens, throw away the ones that don’t work anymore (don’t put them back in your jar!!) You don’t need to keep everything. Keep what you love & what you use, and get rid of the rest.
No matter where your home office is – whether a corner, a closet, or your master bedroom, these steps can help you clean out your office and create a space that you enjoy being in! Clutter free.
