Design Chat: Office Organization & Decorating Ideas

Hello friends. Sorry for the lack of blog posts the last few days. I’ve been attending the Atlanta Gift and Home Furnishings show for the last week and just couldn’t find time to sit at the computer and finish up the blog post I had planned for the week. The show is over, I’ve caught up on some rest and I’m ready to jump back in the saddle again.

Today I’m bringing you the first Design Chat post of the year and I’m addressing a comment left by Liz about decorating her office space. In addition to decorating ideas, Liz wanted tips on organizing her workspace without sacrificing style. I know many of you are dealing with office space issues too, so here’s some design advice and decorating inspiration that I hope will help.

Decorating an office space, whether in the home or out, can be challenging. You’re trying to strike a balance between functional and organized with inspirational and pretty. When it comes to organization in your office here are the things you want to address:

A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE–disorganization happens when you don’t have an easy and accessible place to store every day items. Add style by using decorative containers to hold office supplies. And when shopping for containers, don’t just shop the office supply area, look for unique containers in the kitchen and bath department, at craft stores and even in home decor stores.

tip: go vertical where possible to maximize every inch of your office space

via

(if anyone knows the source for this glass vase trio please let me know)

via

DECORATE WITH FURNITURE THAT WORKS IN MULTIPLE WAYS–a divided bookcase is one of the best pieces of furniture you can use in a home office. Each cubby can hold different items and items can be organized in baskets, boxes, jars or other containers adding to the decor of your space.

tip: keep smaller objects organized in baskets and bins and use larger items for display and visual impact

via

tip: painted file cabinets (an easy DIY) can be used in place of a side table or console table while offering you loads of storage space

via

USE EVERY AVAILABLE INCH OF SPACE–when you look around your office space, keep your eyes open for unexpected areas where you can incorporate storage and organization. Hang wire shelving or cork boards on the inside of closet doors and place lidded baskets or a small file cabinets under your desk.

via

CREATE ORGANIZATION THAT’S MOBILE–many times a home office has limited space so getting creative with how and where you store supplies is necessary. Rolling carts can be used to hold desk accessories and offices supplies, and can be pulled out when needed and stored in a closet when not in use. Magazine files, baskets and bowls can hold items on the cart and make it easy to move those items to your desk surface when you’re working.

tip: rolling carts are idea for wireless printers and other office machinery

via

CREATE COHESION WITH COLOR–there are lots of ways you can organize papers, files and supplies but using a color system not only adds to the style of your office but can help you create a storage system that’s easy to manage.

Identify a specific color for different categories of products like receipts, office tools, paper or computer/camera accessories.

tip: pick a color theme that energizes and makes you happy so you’ll feel good when you’re working in your office

via

PUT A LABEL ON IT— labels will make finding things in your office easy and make putting things back a breeze. Use a label maker or print labels on sticker paper so that the style, font and color is consistent throughout your office. Consistency=order and visual beauty.

tip: label holders with handles work great on magazine files, cabinet doors, filing cabinets and baskets

via

MAKE YOUR SPACE PRETTY & INSPIRATIONAL: include decorative elements that are pretty, inspirational and remind you of your goals and wishes. Decorative clipboards are my go-to office accessory and not only serve as wall decor but are functional when I need a writing surface outside my office.

tip: make your own decorative clipboards using craft supplies or shop decorative clipboards here.

via

Now that you have some tools to help you get organized, let’s take a look at some of my favorite office spaces around the web…

Office Space Inspiration:

This compact office space does not lace style or personality. The gold accents create a theme and even the extra side chair become a stylish way to store books.

via

I’ve shown this image on the blog before and it continues to be one of my all-time favorite office spaces. The cabinet along with the shelving provide major storage and display space, and the baskets and boxes add the stylish organization every office needs.

via

This office space has a defined style that oozes creativity. I love the idea of using wallpaper (or even giftwrap) to define and personalize your office.