Super storage solutions for your workspace

Put paper and all accessories in their place

By Ilona Biro

Does anyone ever have enough storage space? Probably not, but in a home office, it’s absolutely vital or we risk being buried by mounds of paper and stacks of computer equipment.

If your home office is in an extra bedroom, equipment and office supplies can be shut away in an empty closet. Mount shelves inside, place your desk close by, and everything but your monitor and keyboard can be shut away behind a door or curtain.

But assuming you can’t use a closet, what other options are there? Professional organizer Beth Picariello says the key to organizing an office is planning ahead.

“People often splurge on organizing products before they know exactly what they need. You need to look at what goes on in your office and what tools you need for those activities,” she advises. “Once you’ve investigated all the storage products that are available, then it’s time to go shopping.”

Combine old with new

Storage solutions run the gamut from graceful baker’s racks to high-tech wire shelves. Check used office equipment stores for bargains and recycle furniture from other parts of the house. Be open-minded: an old chest of drawers can function as a printer stand and has drawers for stashing away office supplies.

If your home office ends up having a “mix and match” effect, there are many different ways to dress it up. Former Designer Guy Steven Sabados, now host of CBC Television’s talk show Steven and Chris suggests professionally spray-painting gray metal filing cabinets for more impact.

“A row of candy apple red or green cabinets could look great,” he says. “Or try disguising them with box-pleated fabric covers. Put glass tops on them and you’ve got a pair of attractive side tables. And no one will be the wiser.”

Accommodate more than one person

Storage is even more critical when two people share a home office, such as Toronto graphic designer Rachel Ott and Patrick McCaully. Their home office space took shape while they were shopping at IKEA. Ott bought two table tops and separate sets of table legs to form a wonderful, long desktop with enough space for two.

Make space for everything

Ott and McCaully then mounted pull-out wire baskets underneath the desk for storing office supplies and fit plastic organizers inside. At Home Depot, they discovered heavy-duty wire shelves (capable of supporting up to 300 pounds) where they put their printers and scanners.

To avoid a tangle of cables and cords, McCaully used inexpensive plastic tubing and tie-downs from IKEA and Home Depot. For the bargain price of about $300, Ott and McCaully managed to create a workable office where everything has its place.

Conceal office equipment

For those of us whose offices have to double as entertaining space, Sabados recommends hiding them away entirely. “Today you can find work stations built into armoires with places for computer towers, cubbyholes for CDs, pull-out keyboard trays and anything else you need.”

David Cooper, owner of Cooper’s Office Furniture in Toronto, recommends mobile pedestals or filing cabinets on wheels. Inexpensive and practical, these can be rolled under a desk to save space. Then, as your office expands, they can function as stands for printers, scanners or other equipment.

Tidy and organize

Once your storage problems are solved, you need a strategy to keep your desktop free of clutter. Picariello says there are many basic ways to organize your workspace without compromising desk space.

She suggests buying a layered file stand and labelling files for three sections: to do, pending and follow-up. Bits of paper can all go onto a single corkboard or magnetic board hung within reach of your work area. And to get pens, paper and other office supplies off your desk, a four-drawer storage unit with transparent acrylic drawers can hold printer cartridges, extra paper, calculators or paper clips.