About one-third of U.S. workers who can work from home do so full-time, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey. The survey, conducted in early February, was based on 5,902 responses from members of the center's American Trends Panel.
If you work from home regularly, a home office is a must. But not every home is suitable for remote work. If you need to work from home but don't have enough space, you might need to set up a small office.
“Having a well-organized home office is crucial to your mental well-being and success as a small business owner,” says Amanda Augustine, a certified professional career coach at resume-writing service TopResume. “If your workspace is neat and tidy, you're less likely to lose focus, waste time and energy searching for items, and come across as unprofessional when speaking with clients.”
Regardless of the amount of space available in your home, it's possible to set up a functional, well-organized home office, believes John Morgan, CEO and editor-in-chief of business growth consulting firm Venture Smarter. “Even a small space like under the stairs or in a closet can work if you optimize every inch of the area,” he says.
Minimize clutter
The number one priority when setting up a small office is to keep clutter to a minimum, and to achieve this, you need to be careful about what you store and use smart storage solutions.
“Start by decluttering and keeping only what you need to get the job done,” says Morgan. “Use organizers, boxes, baskets, etc. to keep things organized.”
Michael Nova, founder and CEO of Nova Custom Label Printing, which provides custom branding solutions to businesses, also believes in regular decluttering: “To keep clutter to a minimum, spend an hour or two each week sorting through and throwing away items.”
If you have documents that you need to keep, your best option is to store them in a filing cabinet or storage container.
To avoid clutter, it's important to have a place for everything, otherwise you'll end up stacking items all over the place. Stackable storage containers can help you solve this problem. Make sure to label what you're looking for so you can quickly find it.
Label the cables
For Elena Nunez Murdock, CEO of Ascend PR, cable organization is one of the biggest challenges in her home office. “Most of the time, my cables end up in a tangled mess. I've found that using hair ties of different colors is the best solution.”
Other solutions include Velcro cable ties, cable clips and under-desk cable management kits.
Cameron Johnson, founder and CEO of furniture-leasing company Nickson Living, suggests using a large power strip to centralize plugs, then connecting the cables with cable ties and running them through a desk or cabinet.
Define Space
Having a clearly defined small office setup will help you distinguish the space from the rest of your home, which will help you separate your work and personal life and create a functional small office space.
“Defining the space is essential for a productive home office,” says Morgan. “You can do this by painting the walls a calming yet inspiring color or by using peel-and-stick wallpaper to add some personality.”
“Installing a floating desk or shelf can turn an alcove or corner into a workstation,” Morgan continues. “Choose furniture that's functional but matches your décor, like an ergonomic chair and an adjustable standing desk.”
Here are some ideas to consider when defining your small office space:
Create zones with paint. Try to choose a color that blends in with the rest of your home but still clearly distinguishes your office from the rest of your home. This will also improve the aesthetics of the space. Create a workstation in a corner of your space. If you don't have the space for a home office in your home, you may need to separate a part of the room. This could be a bedroom, a family room, or a part of the dining room. One effective way to separate your workspace is to use foldable room dividers. Use white as a background. White color tends to make a space look larger than it actually is. Using a white background for a small home office can make the space look larger and less cramped. Use panels for your home office. Panels add a businesslike touch to the space and are a good way to separate it. Depending on the surrounding decor, you can also paint the panels in a contrasting color.
Squeeze the room
If every room in your home is being used, you may need to get creative and find some office space somewhere. Try to find any “dead” spaces in your home that tend to collect clutter and dust.
Possible locations include closets, wardrobes, under stairs, stair landings, corners of the living room, breakfast nooks, alcoves, built-in storage cabinets or bookshelves, basements, attics and even entryways.
Choose the right desk
Depending on the specific setup of your home office, there are a variety of desk options to choose from. If you have enough space for a traditional desk, make sure it has enough storage space. Other more compact options include wall-mounted desks, foldable desks, workstations on casters, corner desks, or even repurposing a vanity table as a desk.
If you use a laptop and have very limited home office space, Nova suggests working from a TV stand. “TV stands are compact, economical, and save a lot of space,” Nova says.
Let the light shine
Lighting can be one of the most important aspects of your home office, as its quality can impact your productivity and mood.
“If possible, position your home office near a window so you can take advantage of natural light,” suggests Augustine. “If you can't get some outside light while you work, you're more likely to experience eye strain, have trouble concentrating, and have trouble sleeping at night.”
“If your workspace doesn't have windows that let in natural light, flood the space with lighting using bulbs designed to mimic sunlight,” Augustine continues. “Ideally, the light should be evenly distributed throughout the space so that you don't get harsh reflections on your computer screen or dark shadows on your table.”
Augustine also suggests using a ring light for perfect lighting when conducting conference calls: “A ring light that comes with color filters for extra customizability can improve your appearance in poorly lit rooms during video conference calls,” she says.
Morgan suggests adding task lighting to reduce eye strain and improve focus, and recommends using adjustable lighting options so you can customize the brightness as needed throughout the day.
Check out the innovative designs
Home office design inspiration can be found in a variety of places, and Morgan finds it helpful to look at interior design websites, digital mood boards, and social media platforms.
“Magazines and home decor books are also great resources,” Morgan says, “plus you can personalize your space with art, plants, and other decor items that fit your style and work preferences.”
Another great place to get home office design ideas and create a must-have list is to check out traditional offices and co-working spaces, Johnson suggests. “These spaces are where you'll find the latest and greatest in furniture, design, and accessories.”
Think vertically
Thinking vertically can help you make the most of your home office space, no matter how small it is.
“Taking advantage of vertical space in your home office is an effective way to increase storage and organization,” says Morgan. “Install wall-mounted shelves or bookcases to store books, office supplies, decorative items, and more. Floating shelves are a stylish option that won't take up floor space. Consider installing a pegboard or corkboard on the wall to keep important notes and tools within reach and keep your desk clutter-free.”
Make your monitor mobile
For easy movement when you want to expand your desktop or workspace, consider mounting your monitor on an adjustable arm, some of which can be attached to the edge of a desk or to a wall.
A version of this article was first published on August 25, 2011.
Photo: Getty Images