Synopsis: While we all know that life would be much more pleasant if we were all perfectly organized, trying to get to that point can feel like a monumental task. The latest addition to Taunton’s Idea Book Series, Taunton’s Home Storage Idea Book, provides a systematic approach to storage design that can help you tackle this big project.

Taunton’s Home Storage Idea Book moves through the major areas of the house with specific storage ideas and examples for each room that are both attractive and functional. This excerpt from Chapter 5, Work-Space Storage, features solutions for home offices of all sizes.

Home is not the sanctuary that it once was, and there’s no longer a distinct boundary between our home lives and our work lives. For an increasing number of people, home and office are one and the same, and even if not, it’s a rare family these days that doesn’t bring work home—be it overtime work for a deadline, freelance projects on the side, or for the kids, good old-fashioned homework. With this in mind, it’s important to try to minimize the feeling that we’re at work even when we’re at home. While it can’t keep you from being a workaholic, a proper workspace setup can help prevent the paraphernalia of work from invading the rest of your living space, and it will help you stay focused when work is necessary.

Since work spaces almost always include a computer these days, they aren’t just about drudgery anymore; surfing the Web has become a national pastime, while computer games are a childhood (and sometimes adulthood) staple. Many people are now more sophisticated in their approach to running a household as well and may use a computer for taxes, bills, shopping, and even home-improvement projects. With all this activity centered around the computer, it’s wise to not just plop the thing down anywhere you see a flat surface.

Make room for a home office

It’s a matter of degrees when it comes to the difference between office storage for a home business and office storage for people who bring some work home. Each setting will need to include storage for a computer and all of its electronic peripherals, plus storage for office supplies. But the peripherals for a home business will likely be bigger, more expensive, require more space, and be used more frequently, making it essential to keep all equipment easily accessible. The components of an occasional office can be stored away into pockets of space and pulled out when needed. Ideally, either setup will have its own room, but with efficient storage, the occasional office can find a home in a shared room. While it may be ideal for a home office to have a room of its own, budget and space constraints often call for a home office to fit within the fabric of a shared room. This can make functional storage tricky due to limited space and aesthetics.

After you’ve selected a room (keep in mind how you’ll use the space and how that will affect other household activities), think about how you can best supply storage without disrupting the room’s flow and style. For instance, an antique desk or table that’s refitted to accommodate modern computer equipment may be a better option for a traditional living room than a sleek, modern computer desk. Make peripheral equipment easy to conceal—in drawers, on carts, behind doors—not only to maintain appearances for guests and family but also to protect work from family and guests.

For photos and more on utilizing storage space for a home office, click the View PDF button below.