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20 Office Storage Ideas to Keep Your Workspace Pristine

By

Kristin Hohenadel

Kristin Hohenadel

Kristin Hohenadel has written on design for publications including the New York Times, Interior Design, Slate, Fast Company, and the international editions of Elle Decor.

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Published on 05/24/23

Design by Living With Lolo / Photo by Life Created

The fun part of working from home is having the freedom to add personal decor touches to your workspace. But without proper storage for all of those office supplies, paper files, and tools of your particular trade, your home office decor scheme can be wrecked by clutter. The good news is that there are plenty of options for staying on top of your home office storage while complementing and even enhancing your decor.

From choosing the right furniture to sourcing accessories that will help keep things tidy and organized, check out these clever office storage ideas to help you get your home office workspace in order.

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  Add Woven Bins

  Marie Flanigan Interiors

  Marie Flanigan Interiors maximized storage in this small L-shaped home office with built-in cubbies filled with woven storage bins that add warmth and texture while hiding clutter.

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  Source Vintage Storage

  Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

  Emily Henderson Design added a tall vintage filing cabinet to this modern home office that adds a note of industrial charm to the space as well as a focal point. You can source industrial storage pieces and shelving online or at flea markets and thrift stores.

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  Add a Pair of Bookshelves

  Design by Living With Lolo / Photo by Life Created

  Home office storage doesn’t have to be built-in to be effective. In this home office from Living With Lolo, a pair of freestanding bookshelves is positioned behind the desk. Styled here with decorative objects, it makes an instant zoom background. But the accessories can be swapped for stylish storage boxes, baskets, or file folders as the need arises.

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  Mix Open and Closed Storage

  Marie Flanigan Interiors

  Marie Flanigan Interiors added a mix of open and closed storage in this long and relatively narrow home office space. Built-in storage around the periphery is complemented by upper cabinetry to keep unsightly supplies and files out of sight. Floating shelves lighten things up and allow for both display space and a place to house stylish storage boxes to keep things accessible.

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  Maximize Book Storage

  Design by Leanne Ford Interiors / Photo by Erin Kelly

  This home office from Leanne Ford Interiors is visible from the living room, making it extra important that there is a adequate storage to keep clutter at bay. A large vintage desk with plenty of storage allows the desk to be cleared at the end of the workday for a start fresh in the morning. Wrap-around built-in bookshelves are both practical and decorative, creating a home library feel.

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  Build In Storage

  House 9 Interiors

  House 9 Interiors maximized space in this navy blue home office with built-in floor-to-ceiling storage and an integrated desk by the window. The mix of open and closed storage creates room to hide clutter and display books and decorative objects.

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  Go Midcentury Modern

  Design by Emilie Fournet Interiors / Photo by Kasia Fizser

  Decorated with books, plants, and a turntable, this integrated midcentury modern desk and storage unit adds vintage style to this London living room and home office from Emilie Fournet Interiors.

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  Double the Space

  Britt Design Studio

  Britt Design Studio created plenty of storage space in this shared home office with a long countertop on one wall separated by identical sets of drawers. An overhead row of cabinetry and open shelving provides equal storage space that creates symmetry and harmony for coworking partners.

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  Add Asymmetrical Shelving

  Kate Marker Interiors

  Kate Marker Interiors chose simple white shelving with an asymmetrical design to add interest to this home office that lends it a modern feel.

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  Keep It Open

  Design by Living With Lolo / Photo by Life Created

  In this light and bright home office from Living With Lolo, built-in drawers on the desk hide clutter and file folders in leather and neutral tones are spaced around the open shelving to create stylish open storage that will keep things looking tidy.

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  Add Bins and Drawers

  Blanco Bungalow

  Blanco Bungalow added bins and drawers to a freestanding shelf to maximize storage in this home office. A small rolling file cabinet and a corkboard by the desk add additional storage. Keeping everything white helps to retain an airy feel that complements the natural wood desk, plants, and Moroccan-style patterned rug.

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  Use the Walls

  Design by Leanne Ford Interiors / Photo by Max Kim-bee

  Turn the walls of your home office into a place to display everything from inspiration photos to invitations, notices, and other paper items so that they don’t end up cluttering your desk or at the bottom of a pile. In this shared office guest room from Leanne Ford Interiors, large framed cork boards and wall-mounted clipboards keep the large communal desk free while simultaneously decorating the walls.

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  Stick to Black and White

  Twelve 15 Design Studio

  If you are looking to add storage to your home office without breaking the budget, sticking to a simple color palette will allow you to incorporate a variety of pieces while maintaining a cohesive look that will help reduce visual clutter, like this black-and-white home office from Twelve 15 Design Studio.

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  Repurpose Antique Furniture

  Malcolm Simmons for Emily Henderson Design

  In this home office space from Malcolm Simmons for Emily Henderson Design, an antique glass-front cabinet is repurposed as a place to store office supplies. Using vintage, retro or antique pieces adds style and charm to a home office.

  Tip

  Sourcing vintage or secondhand desks, shelving, or storage units that were built for the smaller spaces of the last century is a great trick for outfitting the small spaces of today.

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  Hide Everything

  Kern & Co.

  If space and budget is no option, turn your home office into a clutter-free oasis by adding tall wardrobes to the space where you can hide everything, like this light neutral-toned home office haven from Kern & Co.

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  Add a Library Ladder

  Design by Living With Lolo / Photo by Life Created

  Living With Lolo chose a freestanding shelving unit with a built-in library ladder that stylishly maximizes vertical space in this home office.

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  Be Shallow

  Morse Design / Heidi Harris and Tara Carter Photography

  Shallow open shelving on the upper half of the wall above a row of lower built-in cabinetry creates extra storage space that can be used to offload your desk of everyday home office essentials or simply display decorative objects like the blue-and-white plates in this home office from Morse Design.

• 18
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  Add a Corner Shelf

  House 9 Interiors

  House 9 Interiors added a corner shelving unit that is painted in the same dark green as the rest of this cozy London home office to store books, while a simple wire basket on the desktop organizes paper clutter and built-in drawers under the built-in desk keep the small space tidy.

• 19
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  Make Storage a Feature

  Marie Flanigan Interiors

  If you’re designing a home office from scratch, consider building in a wall of open and closed storage that creates multiple options for housing all of your supplies and files while creating a focal point that anchors the room, like this polished home office from Marie Flanigan Interiors.

• 20
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  Use Every Inch

  Design by Martha O’Hara Interiors / Photo by Spacecrafting

  Martha O’Hara Interiors created a U-shaped peninsula-style desk that conceals a ton of hidden storage in this cheerful pink home office, adding lower and upper cabinetry and open shelving to lighten things up.

How do you create storage in a small office?

You can add storage to a small home office by choosing a desk with built-in drawers for office supplies and paper files, or a wall-mounted desk with built-in shelving to store books and stylish bins. You can create small office storage by repurposing a credenza or buffet that will provide a mix of closed and open storage.

Maximize wall space by installing a pegboard shelf or hanging open shelving, add a tiered rolling cart, a stylish filing cabinet, or optimize existing shelf space with accessories such as woven baskets or plastic storage bins.

How do you organize office storage?

When organizing storage in your home office, be sure to keep the items you reach for everyday within arm’s length while keeping your desk clear enough so that you can focus on work. Depending on the tools you need or like to have, this can mean organizing a storage drawer with office supplies or choosing a stylish desk organizer. Store lesser used items, paper files, and back-up supplies out of sight in a filing cabinet or storage closet. 

25 File Organization Ideas for a Small or Home Office

Published: Jan 10, 2019
Last Updated: Sep 27, 2022
by Annie Pilon
In Small Business Operations2

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Your business likely has plenty of files on hand related to clients, finances and daily operations. Ideally, you should have a system set up to keep these files sorted into categories so they’re easily accessible but not cluttering up your desk. These systems can range from the very simple and traditional to high tech and creative options.

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Here are some file organization ideas to consider if you work in a small office or from home.

File Cabinet

Your standard file storage solution, you can fill it with labeled folders to sort all of your important documents and keep them easily accessible in one place.

Flat File Cabinet

A flat file cabinet like this one from Safco provides a similar organization structure, but allows you to lay your files horizontally rather than vertically. It just depends what type of files you have and how you prefer to access them.

File Drawer

Maybe you don’t need a whole cabinet just for files. If you can condense them down a bit and keep the rest in digital files, you could simple add a file sorting system to the drawer or cabinet under your desk.

File Boxes

Another more compact solution, you can also get boxes that have file folder inserts so you can easily transport them or store them in different spots around your office.

Hanging File Folders

Or you may want your files to be more easily accessible. If that’s the case, you could buy a small structure like this Pendaflex products to organize your files as you would in a filing cabinet.

Neat

If you mainly keep digital files, you might consider a system like Neat. It gives you a way to easily track expenses and even integrates with bookkeeping software.

OneDrive

OneDrive is Microsoft Office’s solution for digital cloud storage. You can use it to keep your files accessible from anywhere. So you can access them even if you’re telecommuting or using a mobile device.

Desktop File Sorter

For easy access to all of your important files and other office gear, you can get a simple desktop organizer like this one from Poppin.

File Folders

If you only keep a small amount of physical files on hand, then you may be able to get away with just a few labeled folders that you can store in a drawer or even in your briefcase.

Binders

A slightly larger system, you can fit files of a few different categories inside one binder and still transport and store them very easily.

Project Organizer

This product is similar to folders and binders. However, it offers a bit more information that you can fill in about specific products so you can keep everything organized very specifically. This one is from Staples.

Color-Coded Folders

Whether you use a cabinet, drawer or some other kind of receptacle, you can keep all of your files organized in folders of different colors so you don’t even need to get very close to read labels.

Wall Organizers

If you don’t want to take up space on your desk or floor, you could invest in a small folder system that mounts directly on your wall so you can access everything at eye level.

Mailbox Organizer

This type of product is often used in classrooms or offices where multiple people may have ingoing or outgoing materials. However, you could also use it as an organizer if you have many different types of files and need each of them to be pretty easily accessible. This product is from Wayfair.

Letter Boxes

If you don’t need to access your files all that often but need to keep them around just in case, you might hold onto some small letter boxes. Store them in these and keep them out of your main workspace so they don’t take up valuable real estate.

Magazine Racks

If you want a solution that’s a bit more decorative, you could turn magazine holders into a simple file system. Just label each one and keep them accessible in your office.

Letter Bin

For a more visible system that still doesn’t take up much room around your desk, you could use a hanging letter bin like this one from Pottery Barn.

Google Drive

If you’d prefer a cloud based solution for your files, Google Drive is a free tool that allows you to set up folders and create documents. You can also pay for upgraded storage beyond what’s available in the free plan.

MyOrganizer

If you prefer to go the traditional software route, opt for a product like MyOrganizer Ultimate that you can install to track documents, reports and expenses.

File Cart

If you’re often on the go, then consider a portable file organization system like this rolling model from iBuy Office Supply.

Dropbox

Another cloud based solution, Dropbox can be especially useful for teams that need to access or share data and files from anywhere.

Paperless

Paperless 2 is a software for Windows systems. It helps you get rid of those hard copies of files so you can keep everything organized on your desktop.

Desktop System

A larger option than a simple desktop file organizer, this full system from eBay still fits on most desks and has places for plenty of files and other office supplies.

Safe

If you keep files on hand that are especially sensitive, you may want to invest in a locked safe. You can keep files in folders so they’re still organized, while ensuring that no one outside your organization can access them.

Digital Desktop Folders

If you want to keep it really simple and don’t like having a lot of hard copies on hand, you could simply set up folders on your computer’s desktop where you sort files. Then keep them in categories so they’re easy to find when you need them.

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How I organized the storage of documents at my home

In the fall of 2016, I took part in the course “Professional Organizer of Space” with Yuliana Myznikova.

One of the tasks of the course was as follows: it was necessary to organize the storage of some category of things.

I chose the organization of a shelf with documents, at the time of the training – this was my most “sore” topic.

Step 1 – assessment and plan

First, I made a questionnaire for myself and answered it, for example, here are some questions and answers from it:

Why do you need an organization?

So that everyone in my house would be comfortable and beautiful, and it would also be convenient to find the right thing quickly for all family members.

How long have you had the disorder?

The mess in the documents for about a year – gradually accumulated after the birth of the 3rd child, before that everything was organized carefully.

What do you think is an obstacle to maintaining order?

Mother’s lack of free time and not fully thought out storage system.

Does the family make efforts to keep order?

Only I put things in order with the papers, my husband returns the papers as they are used, but not always.

Do you have any special needs for the organization?

So that the documents can be easily found for me and my husband

Which organization works well in your home?

Previously, when I sorted out all incoming documents on time, this system worked well. All in folders. Daddies are signed. One separate folder with the most important documents.

What doesn’t work well or doesn’t work at all?

A separate temporary folder for folding incoming documents, it has become a permanent storage of all documents for the year.

What do you want to get as a result?

A well-ordered filing system that makes it easy for me, my husband and any other relative to find the right document.

What difficulties are expected?

• Documents not sorted for the whole year
• Documents are stored in more than one place
• I have a one-year-old child who can tear up all the documents if you organize in his presence (the middle child can also show interest in what is happening and start “helping” mom.

How can they be overcome?

Organize stages when children are either sleeping or away from home (walking with dad or grandma, visiting grandma, staying in another room)

Next, I made a detailed organization plan based on the answers to the questionnaire. I determined the deadlines for the implementation of each task, correlated the plan with the available organizational materials and budget.

I had the following organizational materials available:

• several file folders,
• three ring binders,
• several folders,
• large zippered folder for important documents,
• many files,
• plastic folders in different colors and sizes,
• identification stickers,
• one plastic organizer.

I had to buy three large cardboard organizers according to my plan, which I did.

Step 2 – sorting documents into categories

First, I wrote down the possible sorting on paper, correlated it with the existing structure, changed quite a bit.

I did it without perfectionism: in sufficient detail, but on a simple sheet in a notebook in 2 minutes.

This is what it looked like:

Then I started to estimate the amount of work.

Here are pictures of what I needed to disassemble:

Yes, I always had a lot of papers: I have a big family, there were and are quite a lot of directions for which I personally need to keep papers.

Step 3 – Minimize

Quick Document Disposal List:

• spam – never happened
• advertising catalogs – throw away immediately
• advertisements and promotional booklets – throw away immediately
• magazines older than two months, if there are no plans to collect a collection to return to the necessary publications – I have one collection and one from my husband, the collections are well organized. Journals are reviewed periodically.
• Expired coupons, guarantees, invitations – none
• Operating manuals for equipment that no longer exists or is completely broken – revised, such manuals were not found
• Important documents for which the retention period has expired – there were quite a few of them
• Worked out documents – there were also a lot of them

Step 4 – put everything in its place and step 5 containerization

I divided all the remaining documents into 3 parts:

1. documents that I always carry with me
2. the most important documents we take with us in an emergency
3. other documents

The documents that are always with me I placed in a small green plastic folder.

In this folder, I separated the documents for each daughter separately into three blue files.

Basically, I take these documents with me when I go somewhere with all my daughters.

But I can only take documents for one of my daughters. Now it is very easy and fast to do this.

The most important documents we take with us in an emergency.

Before the start of the organization, they were all stored in one locked folder and it looked like this:

The documents were all together, but it was not very convenient to search for the necessary documents in this folder.

I have sorted these documents inside the folder into several categories.

I placed each category in a plastic folder of my own color, I signed the folder.

After that, I placed all the folders in the same large lockable folder, which is easy to take with you in an emergency (fire, for example).

It turned out very cool. The search for the desired document is now carried out in less than a minute. And not only by me, but also by my husband.

I also sorted the rest of the documents into categories and placed them in separate folders of different formats.

I placed the folders in large cardboard organizers to keep them from falling.

As a result, my shelf with documents began to look like this:

Separately, I paid attention to organizing the storage of magazines, clippings and printouts by type of hobby. I love needlework and devote a lot of time to it.

I organized storage by type: for sewing, for weaving and knitting on a fork, crochet, embroidery, various other types of needlework (quilling, scrapbooking, etc.)

I placed everything in separate folders, signed everything with the help of special stickers.

This is what it looked like in the end:

Step 6 – Disposal

All the papers that needed to be disposed of, I immediately sorted into three parts during the second step:

1) Drawing backs for children , I immediately put the children in a special organizer in their room,

2) Papers for kindling in the country or for collecting waste paper at school – I packed these papers in a large bag that we took to the country.

3) I tore some important documents with signatures into small pieces and threw them in the trash can.

Step 7 – Making a plan to keep things organized

After I finished sorting all the paperwork, I created a buffer folder for bills and papers to sort.

Placed this folder on my desktop. To make it convenient to store the folder, I purchased a special convenient organizer for my desktop.

I now keep documents in it for sorting, as well as my diary and some books and notebooks for daily use.

I have determined that I will parse the buffer folder at least once a month , ideally once a week (two).

In order not to miss the analysis time, I appointed a specific day and time for the analysis of papers.

If I analyze once a month , , then it is convenient for me to do this after paying the bills, that is, after the 10th.

If I sort documents once a week , then it’s convenient for me to sort documents on Wednesdays.

So far, for several months now, I’ve been able to stick to this routine.

True, for the time being I sort out the documents not weekly, but once a month on the 11th.

Another important thing to remember is to control documents at the entrance: that is, immediately throw away unnecessary ones.

My husband and I throw away checks as soon as we enter them into a special program. The rest of the papers I track about once a day when I sit down at my desk.

So far, all documents are in order. The resulting system works well! And it’s great!

This is how I organized the storage of documents at my home. How do you store your documents?

Please share your impressions of the article and your personal experience in the comments below.

Organize your workspace at home: storage ideas for your home office (40 photos)

Author DW Read 5 min Views 11.2k.
Updated 02/03/2014

Many psychologists say that any undertakings in work directly depend on the order in your workplace. It is up to everyone to decide whether such a statement is correct, but no one will argue with the fact that the beauty and functionality of the desktop already makes any business successful. Therefore, wherever you build your work area (meaning in which room in the house), always pay attention to even small details.

Organization of order at the workplace at home photo

Contents

1. Storage and order in the home office in detail
2. Documentation
3. Office trifles
4. Notes, stickers, calendars
5. Order on the desktop 90 104
6. Waste bin

Storage and order in the home office in detail

To store various small things, you can use a variety of things that you can either buy in stores or do it yourself. Here are a few examples of such details – document boxes, holders and stands for papers and postcards, sticker boards, jars and cups for stationery, and much more.

Keeping and ordering at home workplace in detail

Boxes for papers and documents

Stand for notepads

Postcard stand

Storage of small things

Storage for needlewomen

Paper holder

Home office details

Order in the workplace

Documentation

Statisticians have determined that we spend approximately 140 hours a year looking for the right document. Therefore, remember the main thing – any documents must be stored in folders! For example, files with documentation for a month can be put into perforated folders. But already quarterly folders are easy to store in segregators or, as they are also called, archive folders. There are only four of them per year. Choose sizes and colors according to your taste (A4/50, A4/75, A5/50, A5/75, etc.) Such folders take up a lot of space and are best stored somewhere on the upper shelves above the table. As for the documents that you will use every day, it is better to keep them close to you. This is where paper trays come in. They are vertical and horizontal, plastic, wooden and metal. Less space is occupied, of course, vertical.

Folders and drawers for storing documents in the workplaceStorage of documents in the home office photoBasket for storing papers and documents in the office at home

Where to store documents

Storing papers and pencils

Documentation Ideas

Documents in a box

Stationery

Small items such as pens, markers, paper clips, staplers, stickers, etc. also cause confusion and inconvenience. Remember how much time it takes to find a pen of the right color or a writing highlighter. This will help special containers for paper clips and cups for pens. An advantageous option would be a spinner organizer, which collects all the small items. However, you can beat more original ones and make several “chests” for paper clips, staples, adhesive tape and other small details. But lay out the writing accessories in cups, which you can make yourself or buy in stationery stores.

Storing pencils, paper clips and other office supplies at home

Stationery

Office on the desktop

Jars for pencils and pens

Pencil cups

Notes, stickers, calendars

Also on the table there are always a bunch of notes, pieces of paper with phone numbers, advertisements, calendars and so on. A quick and easy way to get rid of such “garbage” is to purchase a special reminder board. It can be magnetic marker, and maybe cork. The first, of course, is a more profitable option (not in terms of price, but in terms of convenience), you can not only hang the necessary information on it, but also quickly write down a phone number, address, or make some sketches. All the same numerical notes, business cards and stickers are simply pricked onto the cork board.

Board for stickers and notes above the desktop photoStickers and notes at the workplace at homeSide surface of the table for calendars and notes photo

Order on the desktop

And of course the desktop. Depending on the area in which your workplace is located and you need to choose a table. It can be square, simple rectangular or angular. The main thing is that it has a lot of compartments and shelves. An ideal option can be considered a table with four drawers and two mini safes. If the volume of boxes allows zoning then go ahead! Break them into cells for invoices, invoices and other necessary pieces of paper. An excellent option would be a double bottom in a drawer. Any top-secret documents and materials can be hidden there, and even the tax authorities will never dig them out.

How to organize your desk at homeIdeas for storage and order in the home office

Don’t forget about the different hooks that are sometimes so necessary for bags and packages.