How to Keep your Desk Organized at Home & at the Office

Entry #381,  January 10, 2011

If you are like any other working adult on this planet your desk represents the place where you talk, communicate, work, and a host of other activities that we won’t mention. If your desk is turning into a parking place for everything under the sun, it is time to get organized.

Here are 10 ways to keep your desk organized and add creative storage from Peripheral Visions blog.

Image courtesy of Emeraldesign

1.) Use small decorative containers:

For paper clips, tacks, and rubber bands, use small decorative containers to keep small items in their place. Pick a coordinating color scheme for your desk or use the company colors to make your desk look organized and festive.

2.) Clear mason jars make great display:

Use jars in varying sizes to hold snacks on your desk or inside a lower cabinet. Glass or plastic jars with closable lids will keep nuts and other snacks at arms reach and sealed tight.

3.) Vertical storage:

Use paper or stationery organizers at your desk, bookshelves on the floor, and in/out boxes that hang from your cubicle/permanent wall. Vertical storage will help free up your desk space for important day to day papers and reports.

4.) Use dry erase boards:

For keeping track of day to day schedules and coordinating meetings at a moment’s notice, dry erase boards will keep your monitor free of sticky notes. If you still prefer the desk paper calendar, block of a dry erase board in blocks for a greener approach to a calendar.

5.) Organize drawer clutter:

Use rectangular drawer organizers intended for silverware in your desk drawer. They are sold in multiple sizes and colors and can be used for pencils and pens to glue sticks and scissors.

An organized desk will help you work better

6.) Hidden storage:

f you have a desk that backs up against a wall, consider using low stacking storage boxes or bins to store office supplies, binders, and items that aren’t needed on a day to day basis. Use vertical storage from the floor to the underside of the desk, against the wall, but not hindering with open space for your legs.

7.) Publications storage:

Use coordinating colored magazine storage to organize the piles of print publications at your desk. Storage also comes with labels to organize subscriptions and find at a glance.

8.) Coordinate recycle bins:

For the office space that is going green, decorate small cardboard boxes with subtle colored wrapping paper to separate your color and white paper in your office. Recycle storage bins don’t have to be unattractive!

9.) Hooks:

For hanging work and conference badges use hooks on the wall to keep them organized and easily accessible.

10.) Planning board:

Use a pinup or bulletin board to assemble loose ideas and swatches for client projects and assignments. These work great for professionals that have many samples, i.e. interior designers, journalists, etc…  This will organize your thoughts and double as a presentation area for clients.

For more home organization ideas on Stagetecture, click here.