Find a Place to Call Your Home Office

In a small home, every square foot under your roof is valuable real estate, but that doesn't mean you have to forgo a workspace to call your own.  Keep reading to learn how to turn a closet, corner, or your kitchen into a confortable and organized work station.

photo: Homes & Gardens, October 2009

Define Your Needs

Your collection of vintage Encyclopedia Britannica may look charming lining the walls of your office nook, but do you really need them at your finger tips as you tap out emails to your mom?  Identify what you’ll be doing in your work space and make a list of what needs to be accessible.

Dual Purpose

My one goal in life is to own a home with a bookcase that opens up into a secret room.  In the meantime, I'll settle for dual purpose objects that serve my home office needs, but can operate on another level when I’m not browsing the Internet. 

• Create invisible floating shelves from your old books (Here is where your cumbersome collection of old resource tomes can come in handy.)
• Say no to large, black office chairs.  Comfortable chairs can be stylish and work in other parts of your house like these and these.  Or, just pull up a chair from your kitchen table.

Organization is Your Friend

Invest in a few keys office supplies that will help you keep your space organized and practical.  Unclutterer.com has some great ideas on how to manage cable and cords, and paper clutter.

You invested all this money and time creating a special place to call your own so, give a hoot and don’t pollute.  Don't let your workspace become a catch-all for miscellaneous junk.  Take time every couple days to put away loose papers, receipts, coffee mugs, keys, etc...

Where's It Gonna Be

You can set up your home office anywhere that works for you, but popular spots tend to be  kitchens, closets, and corner nooks.

Kitchens

It may not make sense if you're going to be crafting and sewing, but if you just need a spot to use a computer and organize paper work a kitchen may have the space you need.  Unplugged.com has a great project for turning an old laptop into a kitchen computer.  Elle Decor and Real Simple have helpful articles on controlling clutter and cords in a shared-space home office.

from top left:  This Old House; Real Simple; Elle Decor

Closets

You may not have a spare closet just laying around, but if you're going to gain and office maybe you can move your clothes into a dresser, or store your vaccuum under your bed.  The Container Store has some ideas, or you can get inspired from these designs.

from top left:  TypeFiend;Unclutterer via Kimberly Hurst; Apartment Therapy via Decorology; House to Home via Home & Gardens

Corner Nooks

If you can't spare a closet you can at least find a nook.  Just make sure you can access an electrical outlet without running wires all over the room. 

from top left:  Unclutterer Flickr pool via Barb McMahon; Apartment Therapy via Dora iz Londona; Unclutterer via Maureen.Ayer; Better Homes & Gardens; House to Home via Ideal Home

I have a love/hate relationship with IKEA, but can't deny they have some killer small space workstation options.

1.  IKEA PS, $59.99; 2. ALVE, $399.00; 3. GUSTAV, $199.00; 4. MICKE, $149.00; ALVE laptop table, $69.99

 For hundreds of inspiring home offices check out House to Home.