Getting Organized: Office Spaces

Office spaces are another hard are to keep organized.  Many people simply don't have the space to dedicate an entire room to an office, and even when they do, the mass amounts of paperwork and files contained in these rooms is easy to get overwhelmed by.  Keeping a desk organized and efficient is a chore all in itself, as well as keeping mail organized, bills up to date, to-do lists in order, etc.  It can be a nightmare.  Some of these fabulous organizations tips are easy to do, and can make your office space a whole lot less of a headache.

Clean out old paint cans, and turned sideways, these can be used as wonderful storage.  You could easily attach labels, and have each can designated specially for bills to be paid, bills to be mailed, mail to be sorted, etc.  Having a designated day to sort through all the cans each week would really be helpful too.

Keep the closet in your office/storage room well-organized.  Carts with wheels make it easy to take supplies in and out of the closet.  Have labeled containers and all the supplies you need in one place makes you more efficient, and allows you to get those tasks done easier.

Dedicate one wall to a chalk-board calendar.  Making it large like this allows you to have room to write activities for every member of the family, and allows quick glances.  Bet you'll never forget another doctors appointment again.

If you're like me, throwing away magazines is nearly impossible to do.  Instead, keep them neatly organized by buying magazine holders.  You can label them and tuck the magazines away neatly inside.  This looks better than staring at a stack of them, and really maximizes your storage space.

Build a pegboard frame, and you it to store all of your essentials.  Elastic across pegs can easily allow you to store mail and bills, and different hooks allow you to keep your most used office supplies in easy reach.

Going with the same theme as above, you can make an entire pegboard wall.  This ensures that everything is in plain sight, and if you can keep it organized, really can make your office space super organized and efficient.

Maximize your storage space.  Having a bookshelf as the legs of the desk double your storage space without taking up any more room than what the desk would love done.  Buying pretty boxes and labels maximizes your space, and gives some major visual appeal.

Glue envelopes into the inside of your notebooks, which allow you to have easy storage for receipts, recipes, ticket stubs, or anything else you don't want to loose.  Just make sure you go through and further organize these every once in a while, or else you'll just amass a pile of paper clippings.

Office space for a pair?  By placing your desks along the same wall, you really maximize the space and give your office a cohesive feel.  Additional file cabinets and drawers are definitely a plus.  I think this room would make a beautiful crafting area, no?

Cover a bulletin board with some pretty fabric, and hang using a large ribbon.  This gives your office space some visual appeal, and easily allows you to tack up important papers or things you don't want to lose.

This is a great idea anywhere you have a lot of cords running together.  LABEL THEM!  So simple, and then you never have to worry about unplugging the wrong item again.

I love how this space looks.  To do this, wallpaper some free-floating shelves.  This gives them some visual interest, and easily allows you to decorate the office area without having to paint the walls.  You could use some really bold paper for a dramatic look, and keep it more simple and subtle.  Either way, I think it adds a beautiful pop of pattern and color!

Cover a variety of clipboard in different paper or fabric, add labels, and hang on the wall.  This allows you to easily visualize everything at once, and you won't ever have to search for that missing paper again.

Use a chest as a hanging file folder area.  This maximizes your storage because the chest can be used as additional seating.  

Make friends with chalkboard paint.  This allows you to easily label drawers, boxes, jars, etc. and can be changed as easy as 1-2-3.  I LOVE chalkboard paint!!

What about you...do you have any favorite office organizing techniques?

All images/ideas via Martha Stewart