How to Create a Small Home Office with Limited Space

Homeowners who work remotely will need a home office. Sometimes, a residential home or apartment has limited space. When space is tight and work needs are pressing, property owners can find workarounds. Here are ways to create a functional home office in a small area.

1. Find a nook

The first step in creating a small home office in a limited space is to find an appropriate nook. Ideally, this place will be quiet and have limited distractions. A property owner should be able to accomplish work tasks without disruptions—making finding the right space paramount.

Someone who lives in a home with multiple bedrooms has plenty of home office location options. Simply turn one of the unused bedrooms into a functional office space. Or, if the home is a studio apartment, consider setting up room partitions to separate the work and living spaces.

The empty space under the stairs can be transformed into a small office. A hallway offers plenty of horizontal space for a creative home office. A walk-in closet or wardrobe area can be updated to serve work needs. In such tight spaces, every inch is put to good use.

The office nook should be a quiet one. This means finding a space where other householders do not normally congregate. Avoid setting up the office in the center of the busy kitchen, for instance. A functional home office keeps the professional and personal life separate.

2. Install equipment

A computer, office accessories, and a printer will need a desk upon which to sit. When looking for desks, choose one that maximizes the limited office space. Homeowners have multiple options: L-shaped desks that fit into corners, writing desks propped against the wall, or floating desks.

A flip-down desk can be made upright when not in use. Consider that spaces can have multiple uses. A dressing table in the guest bedroom can double as a work desk. Alternately, turn a nightstand, dining table or coffee table into a temporary or permanent workstation.

In small nooks with laminate flooring, add a faux fur rug to soften up the workspace. Keep office supplies, such as staples and paperclips, nearby. Divide drawers, reuse jars, or utilize hanging hooks to create inventive storage spaces for the office supplies.

Even when the space is small, a home office should feature ergonomic office furniture. Opt for a chair with back support. Ideally, the chair’s height will keep the user at eye level with the computer screen. This setup promotes healthy blood flow and reduces back and shoulder problems.

A small office space may prompt homeowners to use a desk chair that doubles as dining room seating. No matter what type of chair is utilized in a small home office, it should slide easily under the desk. For this reason, avoid choosing a wide office chair with bulky armrests.

3. Utilize vertical space

A small workstation may have limited horizontal space. Workers, however, can efficiently utilize the ample vertical space. The full height of the wall can be used for shelving. Drawers can be stacked. Repurpose the area below the desk and optimize storage space.

4. Add lighting

Natural or artificial lighting is important in a small home office, especially for those who work long hours at the desk. Two sources of light are recommended: a main light and a desk lamp. Combine overhead lights with adjustable lamps for ample lighting in the small area.

If practical, set up the home office near a window. Exposure to sunlight is important for not only physical but emotional well-being. Sunlight gives the body a healthy dose of vitamin D, while helping workers feel emotionally charged and alert.

5. Organize cables

A home office will be fitted with technology, from computers to printers. Electronics will cause a chaotic clutter of cables. Keep productivity up by maintaining a clean, clutter-free work environment. Tuck the cables away behind the walls. Prevent tangled cables by using bread clips.

6. Limit distractions

A small home office may have limited desk space. Nevertheless, it is important to keep essentials nearby. A water bottle or coffee mug, for instance, takes up minimal desk space, but keeps the worker refreshed throughout the workday. A visit to the kitchen, on the other hand, can be distracting.

7. Add accessories

House plants are perfect office accessories. Potted plants add visual interest as well as introduce a continual supply of oxygen to the home office space. Plants help to keep the home office user calm, as a result. Consider adding vertical shelving for the plants if desk space is limited.

While the smallest home or apartment can be creatively transformed to accommodate a home office, your company may be planning to relocate to a bigger or smaller facility. If so, choose a top-notch commercial mover, like Chicago Office Movers. We help companies of all sizes relocate successfully.

Work with a Commercial Mover

A corporate move requires months of planning. At Chicago Office Movers, we’ll support you throughout the relocation process. Our experienced specialists offer advice and planning strategies. Moving crews are available to both pack and unpack office goods. We also provide short- and long-term storage.

Your office move will be handled with utmost care by our licensed, union movers. We have experience safely relocating a variety of delicate office goods, including IT systems, science lab equipment, and fragile electronics. We move office furniture of all sizes, as well as machinery and cubicles.

Working with Chicago Office Movers ensures that your business resumes operations in a timely manner. Disruptions to employee productivity are minimal when our movers handle the packing for you. Once at the new destination, our efficient unpacking services have your company back up and running fast.

Contact Us

Choose Chicago Office Movers for your upcoming office relocation and join the ranks of our countless satisfied corporate customers, like Northwestern University and Alcatel Lucent. We facilitate a smooth office relocation that stays within budget and on schedule.

Contact us today at 312-244-2246 for a free estimate.

An organized desk is an invitation to do your most productive work. Clutter is a stressor. Shuffling piles of paper to find the stapler or digging through a box of paper clips to reach the thumbtacks is a frustrating time waster. Apply desk organization strategies to create an orderly workstation.

1. Use Wall Space

Take advantage of the wall above the desk or around a cubicle. Hang organizers on the wall to add functional desk space. Tack a to-do list on a corkboard. A wall organizer may hold mason jars, into which you can toss miscellaneous supplies, like paper clips and pens.

Buying new storage compartments is unnecessary when you can create your own hanging storage bins. Upcycle empty disinfectant containers by hanging them on knobs attached to a strip of wood. Unhang the filled bins from the wall to use elsewhere, if needed.

A pegboard backdrop can be efficiently used. While hanging décor gives your desk space unique personality, also mix in wire baskets, shelves and cup holders for maximum organization of supplies. Sitting neatly above the desk or along the cubicle wall, the pegboard is within easy reach.

Wall space is also shelf space. So any extra space behind your computer can easily be used for little office decorations, artwork, or plants that can't be mounted on the wall. Simply hammer in the brackets, place the shelf on top and you're good to go!

2. Create an Organization Station

It's important to have enough space on your desk for your laptop, mouse, monitor and keyboard. Again, use the wall space to incorporate additional productivity, adding a cork board with a to do list, calendar with mason jars right next to it to use as pen and marker holders.

3. Color Coordinate Your Supplies

This may not apply to everyone's work space, but for those who love to sew, knit or crochet for instance, materials can be easily color coordinated for easy find. Simply arrange them by color in a drawer or basket where they can be easily found and used for convenience. They will also make your working space much more colorful!

4. Mix in Supplies with Decorations

Whoever said you couldn't mix productivity with decorations? So you can have your pictures, plants and lights mixed in with your pens, clock and books. This is also another modern look of many office spaces and cubicles today. Organized office supplies can also be used as decoration!

5. Write on Chalkboard Tape

Avid notetakers will find chalkboard tape extremely useful. Chalkboard tape is a removable, peel and stick tape that can be cut into any sized shapes. Users can write on its chalkboard surface with a dry erase marker and wipe away once new ideas need to be jotted down.

6. Add Storage Under the Desk

The area under the desk can serve a number of storage needs. Tuck a storage caddy beneath the desk, along its legs, for added storage space. Add a small bookshelf or storage cabinet if space permits. Every inch counts when it comes to maximizing office space!

7. Create a Pegboard Bookshelf

Using a simple elastic band, tie the ends to the edges of a pegboard. Place magazines and books within the elastic bands for easy viewability and reach. A pegboard bookshelf is a great alternative to a traditional, heavy bookshelf. Plus, being flat, it hardly takes up valuable office space.

8. Keep All Accessories to One Side

Depending on the size and set up of your working space, you may not have that much room for accessories. But the first priority should always be having enough room for your supplies, like your computer, keyboard, and maybe some pens and a lamp. But keeping your accessories to one side instead of having them strewn in front of you might be a better idea. you'll have to play around with the setup.

9. Utilize DIY Organizers

Make it personal with DIY organizers, where you can fit all your supplies into little compartments of a standing organizer on your desks. These work especially if you prefer not to use mason jars or shelves, but have a lot of standing desk items.

10. Install Your Own Keyboard Tray

Many desks may not already come with one, but you can definitely install your own keyboard tray if there's room under your desk. That way you'll have more room to put down some paperwork as you work. Also consider putting the mouse and mouse pad down there if they fit.

11. Establish and Follow a "One In, One Out Rule"

Again, for those with less space, such as apartment-dwellers, less is more. So if you see something online that you just got to have, follow a one in, one out rule and figure out what you will be replacing it with before you hit that "buy" button. Even if you decide there's nothing you want to remove, you'll be saving yourself money by not adding another item to your desk space.

12. Use Drawer Dividers

On the other hand, if you have a larger desk with drawers, you've got some extra space for office supplies. But little things like paper clips, staples, pens, highlighters and business cards can all wind up in a giant mess and clutter up the drawer space. But simply adding a few drawer dividers to hold the little things in place can make everything a whole lot easier, especially when you're searching for what you need.

13. Declutter Cords

Electrical cords are a necessity, but the resulting mess is not. Position a cable box near the desk to keep the tangle of cords out of view, while allowing them to serve their purpose. Binder clips can also be used to keep the cords organized and out of sight.

Another trick to organize each of the monitor, light, telephone and miscellaneous cords is to label each of them with different colored tape. Write “phone,” “computer,” or “lamp” on each piece of tape and adhere. This clever hack will help distinguish your electrical cords from those of a colleague.

14. Roll in a Rolling Cart

Position a rolling cart next to your desk for additional storage space. Fill the rolling cart with jars or bottles, into which may be placed supplies, like pens, markers or paper clips. When your work takes you to an adjacent office, simply roll the portable cart to its next destination.

15. Mount a Coat Rack

An alternate use for a coat rack is to hang technology, like headphones, cables and cords. Mount the coat rack on the wall above the desk for easy reach. Add intrigue to a drab workspace by choosing a trendy coat rack featuring a colorful, contemporary design.

16. Try Kitchen Organizers

Rather than stick to conventional office organization bins, venture into using bathroom and kitchen organizers at your office desk. Storage bins cheaply purchased from retail stores’ kitchen and bathroom aisles can lend cost-effective convenience and practicality to the office realm.

Silicone cupcake liners, for instance, can be used to hold small office supplies, like paper clips and push pins. Colorful and eye-catching, silicone cupcake liners add a burst of color to the desk environment, while keeping the office supplies tastefully organized.

Likewise, recycle coffee pods for use as office desk organizers. The little plastic cups hold a variety of small supplies, from staples to safety pins. Diminutive in size, the cleaned K-cups can be placed throughout the desk to keep a range of office supplies at your fingertips.

17. Attach Clamp-on Lights

Extra lighting is a must-have in the office. But floor and desk lamps take up valuable real estate. Instead, opt to clamp lights to the edge of the desk. The clamping feature will take up less space, while providing sufficient lighting—so that you can get your best work done.

A well-organized office desk has been known to reduce stress levels in personnel. The presence of clutter overwhelms the brain, triggering a stress response. Desk organization tends to diminish this stress and gives office employees a feeling of being in control.

Plus, efficiency noticeably increases in staff who work at organized office desks. These personnel simply do not waste energy searching for supplies or paperwork amidst unnecessary clutter. An organized workstation also gives a positive impression to higher-ups and other colleagues.

Office Renovation Assistance

Setting up a desk space so that it is organized is easily done right after an office renovation. Employees have a clean slate with which to work. But office managers will need help to shift office furniture in preparation for a renovation—which is where Chicago Office Movers comes in.

Chicago Office Movers crews are experienced and dedicated to making an office renovation or remodel happen seamlessly. We pack and label boxes, disassemble all types of furniture and move large equipment to a storage area so that the remodeling can take place.

Once the remodeling is complete, our office movers will assemble new furniture or appliances and help with installation. We take care of the heavy lifting, so that your employees can take care of organizing their new space. Unpacking small items is also a responsibility we undertake.

When you are planning an office renovation or remodel, consult Chicago Office Movers. Given the current coronavirus health crisis, we take all precautionary measures to protect our customers and crews.

Contact Us

Call our friendly representatives at 312-244-2246 for a free estimate to get started.

Bringing style to a cubicle is a DIY task. No hard and fast rules come into play when uplifting the mood of an office cubicle. The best part of designing the interior of a cubicle is that your personality takes center stage. Add a splash of color, throw in a few accessories, and end up with a comfortable, lively work space into which you can retreat for the entire workday.

1. Embellish a Cubicle Wall

You are surrounded by three walls when working inside a cubicle. As a first tip, these panels deserve the most attention. Decorating the walls is super easy, especially given the cushion-like texture of standard cubicle walls. Tack up calendars, favorite photos, and framed art in a cinch.

Feeling dramatic? Take the cubicle wall panels to new heights. Cover the entire expanse of the panels with colored fabric or wallpaper, like shimmery aqua blue for a tropical feel, bright yellow to evoke the cheeriest of temperaments or even camouflage for the occasions when you feel like hiding out.

When you fancy a new look, the existing wallpaper or fabric can be easily switched up. The temporary nature of hanging wallpaper onto cubicle panels makes altering the ambiance of your cubicle simple and quick. Change out the panel décor as often as you fancy!

2. Perk Up the Floor

The dull carpeting of the cubicle floor is no match for the vividness of a spectacular floor rug. Add a hefty dose of personality to your office cubicle by laying an eye-catching rug along the floor. If you kick off your shoes during the daily grind, the soft rug will keep your feet cozy.

3. Add Plants for Vibrancy

Nature may not thrive in the well-contained atmosphere of an office. But you don’t need trees to experience nature from nine to five. Several plants flourish in the bright, white lights and cool temperatures of an office environment. Just remember to water the plants so they stay hydrated.

Known for growing in limited natural light, the fern is an ideal plant for cubicles. If your cubicle features a window, set an Aloe Vera plant along the windowsill. The trellises of the English Ivy plant accentuate the desks of any cubicle. Little time for care? Bamboo plants are low-maintenance.

4. Add Some Light to Influence the Ambiance

Lamps come in all sorts of sizes and designs, from liquor bottle lamps to rustic design lamps to comical vintage lamps. Unique floor lamps, custom table lamps, bookend lamps and hanging lamps add massive flair. A mandala lamp shade, for instance, is a perfect conversation starter with colleagues.

Bring a lamp into your cubicle and plug it in for warm, subtle lighting. The golden light of a lamp boosts an officer worker’s mood and streams a cozy ambiance throughout the cubicle atmosphere. Say goodbye to harsh office ceiling lights with the placement of a desirable, functional lamp.

5. Add Little Furniture

While hauling in a sofa will not pass in a cubicle space, bringing in shelving might. Cubicle panels are ideal places to install shelving or vertical bins. Shelves can be painted to your preferred color. Supplemental shelves add a personal touch while serving the functional purpose of refining organization.

Office workers may also bring in their own chair to add vibrancy to the cubicle. Consider a brightly colored ergonomic chair to increase physical comfort, an upholstered chair that matches your preferred cubicle color scheme or a chair that features a no-nonsense, contemporary design.

6. Make it Your Own

Adding items that are personal to you like pictures, drawings and handcrafts are some of the best ways to really personalize your workspace. This can also improve productivity as you feel more comfortable being surrounded by memories that are unique to you.

In addition to adding pictures of family and friends, you can also add pictures of your favorite things, such as an animal, plant, flower, car, etc. This is your own space so you can personalize it according to your preference!

7. Incorporate Some Quotes

Adding some inspiring quotes can go a long way and even give you some motivation for those Mondays where you just don't want to be at work! We're also not talking about "Live Laugh Love", but something from celebrities or world figures like Walt Disney, Tony Robbins, Abraham Lincoln or Albert Einstein.

You can certainly achieve a lot if you adopt their strategies and views on life as they certainly did something in life to be successful! So why not surround yourself with your favorite quotes. Below are some of our favorites:

• "The best way to predict the future is to create it" - Abraham Lincoln
• "The best way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." -Walt Disney
• "The pessimist sees difficult in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficult." -Winston Churchill
• "Don't let yesterday take up too much of today" -Will Rogers

8. Keep It Organized

No cubicle or office will look good with a ton of decorations and no organization. With a few file organizers, mini desk shelves, pen holders and room to put your papers, you can keep things neat and organized. Outer order contributes to inner calm! Here are some more tips on office desk organization.

Some of these organization accessories can also be personalized. So if you want to paint or draw on them, or even add some stickers, go crazy! The sky's the limit.

9. Make it Seasonal

Of course you can never forget the holidays! what better way to decorate the office space than to incorporate some holiday pizzazz! Whether it be streamers and little party favors for the new year, a little Christmas tree or menora for December, or some colorful leaves in the fall, there are a ton of trinkets available on Amazon to scroll through.

Some people go as far as setting up a whole fireplace right beside their desk, complete with garland, plants and a holiday picture above. That's definitely going above an beyond!

Others have completely gift wrap their entire desk and everything on it! There's also those that set up an entire Christmas village, complete with little lights and cotton padding for snow.

Bonus tip: Think ahead of how these accessories will fit on your desk before purchasing. Many customers make the mistake of buying a ton of items and not having enough space to place them all. That's how things become cluttered.

10. Give It a Theme

Many cubicles have a whole theme incorporated into their working space. Some are straight blue, purple and pink while others will have a full football field mouse pad that covers their full desk space. Other ideas to consider are Disney, holidays, flowers, retro, beach, nature and patterns.

Just be sure that the theme is appropriate and doesn't contain anything offensive or too personal to make others uncomfortable as they will still be walking by.

11. Add Accessories for Gusto

Unless you have a tendency toward minimalist design, go all out with accessories. Even standard office supplies, like deep blue paperclips, markers and bright green pushpins, can be decoratively housed inside mason jars to simultaneously serve as office supplies and brilliant cubicle décor.

Play with washi tape. The variety of designs makes decorating with the tape fun and unique. Stick the colorfully designed tape around the edges of file cabinets or around table-top jars. The ornamental tape provides beautiful accents to any materials or objects upon which it is adhered.

Have fun with paint. Large rocks may be painted in metallic colors, like silver or gold, and strategically placed next to books. The rocks serve a dual purpose—as decoration and as bookends. Add metallic sheens to the tops of the mason jars or trays that house office supplies.

Toys are not just for kids. Mini action figures, stuffed animals, and building blocks line some cubicle shelves for a brilliant effect. A themed approach works best. Customize your work space with a sci-fi theme or an animated one. Avoid the mess of clutter or items considered inappropriate for work.

When your office cubicle is dull and dreary, take decorating your workspace into your own hands. The options for infusing your cubicle with humor, vibrancy or scintillating color are endless! Once you take to reinvigorating your space—just once or every few weeks—your colleagues are sure to ask who is your new office cubicle designer.

Moving Cubicle Decorations

Whether your office cubicle décor features attractive pastels or bold hues, you’ll require the services of a dependable mover, like Chicago Office Movers, during an office renovation or remodeling project. As Chicagoland’s premier office mover, Chicago Office Movers handles moving office goods from start to finish.

Included in the company’s comprehensive business moving services are disassembling cubicles and office equipment, packing and labeling boxes, unpacking and setting up in the new space. Moving specialists also are available to provide assistance with the installation of furniture or appliances.

Moving to another building during an office renovation demands the help of experienced professionals. Chicago Office Movers is equipped with the manpower and equipment to make moving an easy task.

Expect only quality service and exceptional work from our skilled movers. Chicago Office Movers is dedicated to serving Chicagoland’s large and small businesses.

Get a Free Estimate

Before the office renovation or remodeling is set to start, contact us at (312) 244-2246 to get a free estimate from Chicago Office Movers.