Organizing Your Home Office

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A dedicated home office is practical for everyone, whether it’s where you pursue a career or simply pay the bills. But finding the space to set it up, let alone make it efficient and comfortable, can be daunting.

Don’t have an entire room to convert to an office? No problem! With some reconfiguring, a surprising number of spaces throughout the house can be transformed into working niches.

When space is truly at a premium, an ordinary hall or bedroom closet can be pressed into use. Think vertical! By adding a functioning vertical component to even the smallest closet, you immediately gain valuable space. Start with a desktop, and then go up. Add adjustable shelves and a bulletin board. Add a rolling file cabinet that can slide underneath the desktop when not in use.

An ideal desktop should be approximately 27 inches high. Adjust the height of your chair so your thighs are horizontal and your feet are flat on the floor, and make sure that the top of your computer screen is at or just below eye level. A chair on wheels reduces unnecessary reaching.

BONUS! Install more phone jacks and electrical outlets than may initially seem necessary –you never know when you need an extra!

You need two sources of light: one for the overall room and one for task lighting. To reduce shadows, position task lighting above your work surface and to the left if you are right-handed, or vice versa if you are left-handed.

Let’s not forget the side walls of the closet. This is the perfect place to create a storage wall for common essentials. Install hooks for scissors and tape, trays for pencils and pens, and a magnetic board or bulletin board for notes.

Smart storage…ample, accessible, and practical.