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Home Decor

Our best tips to organize a home office

Save time and create an efficient workspace with these expert organizing tips.
Interior designer Jo Alcorn Whitewash & Co home office chevron wall blue Photo, Sian Richards.

Here's how to get your workspace in pristine shape.

Step one: Clean

Start by doing a thorough clean and dust of your office. Follow this checklist to ensure you get every nook and cranny dirt-free.

  • Vacuum and scrub the floors.
  • Wipe down your desktop, phone, computer keyboard and computer screen.
  • Wipe the windows, switches, light fixtures, handles, and door knobs.
  • Throw away anything that you no longer use or need, such as outdated documents and old pens.

Step two: Organize

Once everything is clean, you’re ready to tackle the main attraction of your workspace: the desk. Before getting started, think about how you use your office. Is this the place where you do your personal finances? Organize the family calendar? Once you have a clear idea of what you do in this space set up a system that allows you to work effortlessly. If you use your workspace to pay household bills, an inbox and outbox tray could help keep things organized. Or perhaps a handy filing rack with different folders can help you keep track of school calendars and household tasks.

Before you go out and purchase new office stationery, consider these tips:

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1. Go paperless

The easiest way to keep your office clutter-free is the paperless route. Calendars can be synched between home computers and smart phones, and bills can be electronically received and paid online. If you prefer working with hardcopies, don't let it pile up – make it a point to process paperwork every week and file it away if necessary. Check out these organizational apps:

Hub: Share events, calendars, lists, tasks, notes and more to help you and your family manage your busy lives. Free, available for Android, iPhone and iPad.

Evernote: Makes things easy to remember and you can sync your notes, pictures, business cards, recordings and more with your computer, phone, tablet and on the web. Free, available for Android, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Blackberry, Chrome and Windows.

2. Drawers

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If you have a drawer that is deep enough, consider splitting it into sections. First, remove anything in your drawers that you don't use on a regular basis. Then using dividers, create a filing system using coloured folders that best suits your needs. Or try this alternative: repurpose cereal boxes into file holders by cutting out one side of each box.

3. Cords

Cords accumulate quickly and let's be honest, they’re not very pretty. Bind cords together using Q-Knot Reusable Cable Ties and make sure to label your cords. We like using Lovable Labels and Mabel's Labels, or you can repurpose bread clips and labelled pop-can tabs for the same result.

DIY label electronic cords power bar bread clips

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