Organize Your NYC Home Office – Be Creative

Whether your NYC home office is the base for your business or is the focal point for managing your household, organizing home office space can be a challenge. According to NYC professional organizer Stephanie Shalofsky, even if your home does not have a dedicated office, you can still carve out functional space for conducting business, paying bills or kids’ homework.

Before you can begin to organize your NYC home office, you first have to establish your work space. As many NYC professional organizers find, most client’s offices will be located in a multi-purpose room. There are a number of solutions that can make shared space more functional. Purchase a decorative folding screen to divide a room and set off separate office space. Some screens have cork boards, which can hold invitations, reminders, photos and creative inspirations. An armoire designed to hold office equipment and supplies can work well as an office when you need it and close up to contain paperwork and clutter when you’re not working. You can find armoires in styles to complement any décor and prices range from inexpensive to designer-furniture. If a desk simply won’t fit, utilize deep, sturdy shelves to hold your computer, desktop files and more. Even a large table can do double-duty, serving as a work and dining spot. Use a rolling file cart to hold supplies and important paperwork so that these can be easily relocated when your table is no longer your office. Utilizing space along a wall puts the “office” out of the way yet keeps kids close by when doing homework. Be sure to coordinate colors and furniture styles when an office is integrated into another room so that the two areas flow.

When organizing a NYC home office, consider non-traditional spaces for your home office. A closet (yes, a closet!) can work great for work. Fit it with shelves to store supplies and a deep work surface for your computer. A detached building, such as a garage or shed, can be built out to house a home office or studio and provides quiet, private space for getting work done.

Thinking outside the box applies to how you organize your NYC home office supplies, files and equipment too. Take advantage of the opportunity to be fun and creative in your office – no need to adhere to a corporate standard when the space is all yours. A few NYC professional organizer favorites include:

Decorative file cabinets – you can dress up plain metal cabinets with decorative paper and a little Mod Podge, creating fun color drawer fronts to coordinate with your décor.

Office in a chest – this simple do-it-yourself project is a great solution if your office is located in a dual-purpose space. A wooden trunk fitted with hanging files and organizing trays keeps files and supplies out of sight when you’re not working.

Go vertical – Use wall space to store often-used supplies such as paper clips, scissors, push pins and more. A wall system provides storage for supplies as well as space for calendars and reminders. A pegboard organizer is functional and flexible, holding office utensils, papers, craft supplies and more. An inexpensive over-the-door organizer (the kind typically used for shoes) with clear pockets is a great way to keep scissors, staplers, notepads, clips and other supplies nearby and easy to find. Hang a clothesline and clip creative inspirations, reminders or children’s artwork.

Make it mobile – if your desktop serves another purpose (such as a dining table), keep office supplies organized on a decorative tray so that you can easily move them.

Use what you have – dress up desktop supplies such as pens, pencils, paper clips and rubber bands with re-purposed containers. Glass jars – either coordinating or in assorted sizes and shapes – grouped together are a fun way to store items on a desktop or shelf. Dig into your china cabinet for crystal and silver bowls and dishes for an elegant touch. Even color toothbrush holders can store pens and pencils, and a soap dish is the perfect size to hold business cards. For a more rustic look, rinse and dry aluminum cans in various sizes and decorate with colorful paper or leftover wallpaper.