Need a home office but faced with the fact that you don't have a whole lot of space for one?
Very few homes were designed with home offices in mind, so it's not surprising that people often end up trying to squeeze one in somewhere – often into a room that's designed for some other use entirely, such as a bedroom, kitchen or even hallway.
If you're in the position of trying to design a home office in a small space, use these tips to make the most of the limited space you have.
1) Choose a multifunction printer.
Also known as all-in-one printers, multifunction printers, which combine printing, copying, scanning and sometimes faxing functions in one office machine, can be the ideal solutions for home offices short on space.
Note that when you're choosing an all-in-one printer for a home office, you should take its noise level into account as well as the printer features I explain in Before You Buy a Multifunction Printer.
In a truly small home office space, you will also want to consider just how much space the printer will need and where you're going to be able to put it. Will it fit on your home office desk, for instance, or will it need to be sitting on a separate piece of furniture?
If you are shopping for a multifunction printer, here are my recommendations:
- Top Monochrome Laser Printers
- Top Color Laser Multifunction Printers
- Top Multifunction Color Inkjet Printers
2) Pare down your needs.
Consider what you truly need to work effectively and store and retrieve documents. I need a desk, because I need the desktop space for a large monitor and office equipment such as printer and phone, but you might not. One woman I know uses a divan and a laptop instead and is perfectly happy with the arrangement.
Similarly, do you need a filing cabinet? Or will a cupboard in a piece of furniture already in your house do?
3) Don't get a desktop computer unless you need one.
Laptops take less space and are mobile to boot. Or maybe you don't need a "full-sized" computer at all, but can do everything you need to do to run your business through your smartphone or other mobile device.
4) Incorporate storage into your design.
If your designated home office space is a nook on the stair landing of your house or a small table in the corner of your kitchen, how can you get the storage you need for paper files and office supplies? Is it possible to use storage that is already there, such as cupboards or drawers? If not, is there the possibility of creating some kind of built-in shelving or enough space to add pre-built bookcases, filing cabinets etc.
5) Make the most of all your space.
Place your home office desk out from a wall instead of right against it so can have a bookshelf or storage unit behind. If you are adding shelves, consider creating built-in shelving that runs floor-to-ceiling; with a small fold-up footstool, things stored overhead are easily accessible.
6) Choose furniture with hideaway storage.
My ideal home office desk would be the classic roll top with lots of little cubbyholes and shelves to store things and of course, the ability to be able to pull down the desk's roll top when you're done using it for an instantly tidy workspace.
If this isn't feasible for you, look for desks with drawers, computer stands and bookshelves with built-in cupboards – anything that gives you more built-in, covered storage to help keep your home office organized and neat.
7) Divide and conquer.
It's great if you have a spare room you can dedicate to being a home office. But if that's not the case, remember, there's no rule that everything you need to run your small business needs to be in one place. If space is at a premium, you can always put some of the bulkier items away from your desk.
For instance, in the world of wireless, there’s no need for your printer to be next to your desk – or even in the same room. Printers, copiers, fax machines and filing cabinets are all prime candidates for putting somewhere other than your main home office space.
8) Kill the clutter.
Invest in tools such as desk drawer trays to help keep office supplies organized. Resist piling by setting up a filing system and developing the habit of filing paper away before you leave your home office space.
If you are a messy desk user who has trouble breaking the habit of piling paper and cluttering your desk surface with pens, tape dispensers, lip gloss etc. use the sweep method; keep a good sized plastic tote close by your desk and sweep all the clutter into it at the end of the day.
Your desk will look good, the clutter will be out of sight and after x number of times digging through the stuff in the tote to find what you’re looking for, you'll start developing neater desk habits.
For more on clearing the clutter from your office space, see 5 Small Manageable Things You Can Do to Organize Your Home Office Right Now.
9) Get the lighting right.
Chances are good that the space you've chosen for your home office doesn't have the kind of lighting you will need to work. Standard overhead fixtures tend to be dim and too far away. Add task lighting by investing in some well-placed track lighting or standing lights such as gooseneck lamps to provide the illumination you need.
10) Finishing Touches
Have a picture serve as a window. With the right placement a painting or print can serve the same function as a window, providing relief for the eyes and giving your space a pleasant visual break.
If you do have a window in your home office, splurge on the window treatment to give your home office some oomph. The more inviting and organized your home office, the more productive you’ll be when you're there.
The End Result: A Home Office You Can Actually Use
Designing a home office for a small space can be challenging, especially when your work space has to fit into your family space. But with careful planning and selection, you can have a functional small office in your home - right where you need it to be.
