Having a small office space at work can be a bit discouraging. No one wants the feeling that they’re living in a box, and it doesn’t help with your productivity or your overall happiness. You need to maximise the office space you have to unlock your full potential, and here are some handy ways to do so.
Ditch the clutter
Paperwork, unnecessary furniture, knickknacks – they’ve got to go. When you’ve got a limited amount of space, anything that you don’t need is just taking up room that you can’t afford to spare. Invest in space-saving furniture, go through your paperwork regularly, and use your walls to display personal mementos.
Think about where things go
When you’ve de-cluttered, you can start to think about where your stuff is going to go. You should keep the supplies that you use most often easily accessible and close by. Anything that you don’t use frequently can be moved further away from your main work area. Keep paperwork in specific places for quick reference. Avoid the temptation to spread your supplies all over your office. Try to think vertically when it comes to your office materials – use your walls to maximise your storage space.
Decorate to your advantage
How your office space is decorated can have a big role in how you perceive the space. Dark colours will make you perceive the room as being smaller than it actually is. Paint your office with light colours to make it appear more open and bigger.
Lighting can help. Remove your table and floor lamps and replace them with wall fixtures. You’ll also want to let natural light in as much as possible.
Flooring can add to a sense of space. Narrow floor boards, or carpets with busy patterns, will make a small room feel cluttered. Wide plank floors and light carpets open up smaller spaces. Floorboards are also easier to clean and add character.
If you can, add mirrors. Putting a mirror in front of a window will reflect light and colour, tricking the mind into making your office feel better.
Avoid putting up too many prints – you don’t want to slide into clutter-filled habits, do you? They’ll busy your walls and eat into your storage space.
Keep on top of your storage
Avoid having wasted space in your office. The spaces under your table or desk can be used for storage boxes and containers for your office supplies and documents.
Don’t add clutter into your office just because ‘it fits’ and you’ll think of a use for it later. Think about why you need it, and why it deserves to take up your space. Do you really need to have it? The answer is probably no. Get rid of it.
Shelves are good. Add shelves to hold your printer, books, and other supplies. Keep them close to your desk so they’re in easy reach while you’re working. Put hanging shelves on the back of your door to use all the space available to you.
Store as much as you can on your computer, keeping paperwork to a minimum.
