According to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, about one-third of U.S. workers able to work from home do so on a fulltime basis. The study conducted at the beginning of February consisted of 5,902 responses from the center’s American Trends Panel members.
Working from home on a regular basis can make home offices a necessity. But not every home is set up for remote work. If you lack square footage but require the ability to work from home, you may need a small office setup.
“Having a well-organized home office is incredibly important for your sanity and success as a small-business owner,” says Amanda Augustine, a certified professional career coach for TopResume, a resume-writing service. “When your workspace is uncluttered, you’re less likely to lose your focus, waste time and energy hunting for items, or look unprofessional speaking with clients.”
Regardless of the available space in your home, it’s possible to set up a functional, well organized home office, believes Jon Morgan, CEO and editor-in-chief of Venture Smarter, a business growth consulting firm. “Even in small spaces like under the stairs or in a closet, you can make it work by optimizing every inch of the area,” he says.
Minimize Clutter
A top priority in a small office setup is minimizing clutter. Accomplishing this can require being judicious about what you keep and using smart storage solutions.
“Start by decluttering and only keep items that are necessary for your work,” says Morgan. “Use organizers, bins, and baskets to keep things tidy.”
Making sure to declutter on a regular basis is also important, believes Michael Nova, founder and CEO of Nova Custom Label Printing, which provides businesses custom branding solutions. “To minimize clutter, each week take an hour or two to file and throw away items.”
If you have paperwork that you must keep, your best option can be to store it in a filing cabinet or storage containers.
The key to no clutter is having a place for everything. Otherwise, you may end up stacking items here and there. Stackable storage containers can help with this. Try to make sure to label them so you can quickly find what you’re looking for.
Label Your Cables
For Elena Nunez Murdock, CEO of Ascend PR, organizing cables is one of her biggest challenges in her home office. “For the most part, my cables always end up a tangled mess. I have found that using different colored hair ties has been the best solution.”
Other solutions can include Velcro cable ties or cable clips, as well as a cable management under desk kit.
Cameron Johnson, founder and CEO of the furniture leasing company Nickson Living, suggests using large power strip for plugs, which centralizes things, and connecting the cables with zip ties and feeding them down a desk or cabinet.
Define the Space
Having your small office setup well-defined can help to offset the space from the rest of your home. This can give you a sense of separation between your work and personal life and it helps to create a well-functioning small office space.
“Defining the space is essential for a productive home office,” says Morgan. “You can do this by painting the walls in a calming and inspiring color or using removable wallpaper for a personal touch.
“Alcoves and corners can be transformed into workstations by installing floating desks or shelves,” continues Morgan. “Choose furniture that complements your décor while providing functionality, like ergonomic chairs and adjustable standing desks.”
Ideas to consider for defining your small office space include:
- Zone with paint. Try choosing a color that corresponds with the rest of your home yet clearly delineates between your office and the rest of the house. This can also make the space aesthetically pleasing.
- Corner off space to fashion a workstation. If you don’t have any obvious choices in your home when it comes to space for fitting in a home office, you may need to separate out a portion of a room. This could be a section of a bedroom, family room, or dining room. One effective way to section off a workspace can be to use folding room dividers.
- Use white as a backdrop. The color white can tend to make a space look larger than it actually is. Using white as the backdrop in your small home office may open up the space and make it seem less cramped.
- Panel your home office. Paneling can add a businesslike touch to a space and can act as a good space definer. Depending on the surrounding décor, you can also paint the paneling in a contrasting color.
Squeeze out Room
If all the rooms in your home are being used, you may need to get creative and carve out office space somewhere. Try to look for areas of the house containing “dead” space that tends to collect clutter or dust.
Possible locations include a closet, wardrobe, under the stairs, stair landing, corner of the living room, breakfast nook, alcove, built-in storage cabinet or bookcase, basement, attic, or even the entryway.
Pick the Right Desk
There are a variety of desk options to choose from depending on your specific home office setup. If you have enough room for a traditional desk, try to ensure that it has ample storage space. Other more compact options include wall-mounted desks, foldable desks, workstations on wheels, corner desks, and repurposing a dressing table as a desk.
If you use a laptop and space in your home office is very limited, Nova suggests working on a TV table. “They are compact, economical, and save so much space,” he says.
Let the Light Shine In
Lighting can be one of the most important aspects of your home office, as its quality can affect your productivity and mood.
“If possible, locate your home office near a window so you can take advantage of natural light,” suggests Augustine. “When you don’t have access to outdoor light as you work, you’re more likely to experience eyestrain, have trouble concentrating, and find it difficult to sleep at night.
“If your workspace doesn’t have windows to let in the natural light, then fill the space with lights using bulbs that are designed to mimic sunlight,” continues Augustine. “Ideally, you want to cast light evenly throughout your space to avoid harsh glares on your computer screen and dark shadows across your table.”
Augustine also suggests using a ring light to perfect lighting when conducting conference calls. “Ring lights that come with colored filters for additional customization can make even a poorly lit room look good during a video conference,” she says.
Morgan suggests adding task lighting to reduce eye strain and improve focus. He also advises using adjustable lighting options to customize the brightness according to your needs throughout the day.
Check Out Innovative Design
Design inspiration for your home office can be found in many places. Morgan finds it helpful to explore interior design websites, digital mood boards, and social media platforms.
“Magazines and home décor books are also great resources,” says Morgan. “Additionally, you can personalize your space with artwork, houseplants, and other decorative items that resonate with your style and work preferences.”
Another great place to get home office design ideas and build your list of must-haves can be to check out traditional offices and co-working spaces, suggests Johnson. “In such spaces, you will see the latest and greatest in furniture, design, and accessories."
Think Vertically
By thinking vertically, you can make the most of your home office space, no matter how small it may be.
“Utilizing vertical space in your home office is an efficient way to increase storage and organization,” says Morgan. “Install wall-mounted shelves or bookcases to store books, office supplies, and decorative items. Floating shelves are a sleek option that doesn't take up floor space. Consider using a pegboard or corkboard on the wall to keep important notes and tools within reach while keeping your desk clutter-free.”
Make Your Monitor Mobile
Consider putting your monitor on an adjustable arm so you can easily move it out of your way when you want more desktop or workspace. There are arms that may adhere to the edge of your desk or the wall.
A version of this article was originally published on August 25, 2011.
Photo: Getty Images
