Small Home Office Organization Ideas

Living in a small space is nothing. The real struggle comes when you have to also work in it!

Besides finding your way through your normal clutter, you also need to fit some of your office equipment, probably an extra folder or two (or three or four), and it would be really nice if you have extra space for a cookie box (I know you do that).

Well, today, we share 15 small office organization ideas with you that will help you fit everything in your tiny home office, including that cute water bottle you never actually drink from (but love it regardless).

15 Ways to Organize Your Small Home Office Better

1. Install floating shelves

If you don’t have a choice but to work from a small home office, then you might want to consider installing floating shelves on the walls. Adding extra furniture may overwhelm the space. That’s why you should mount the desk to the wall and put floating shelves. They can also be used to utilize space around corners. Floating shelves provide more storage space and make them look more organized.

2. Put a chalkboard calendar on the wall

If your home office is small, you should make use of every empty spot, even on the walls. Put a layer of chalk paint on a section of the wall and divide it into a grid. That’s how you can reflect on your weeks and keep track of important deadlines and events.

If you don’t want to paint over your wall you can simply buy a chalkboard and attach it to the surface. In this case, it might also be easier to get a whiteboard. It’s less messy and equally functional. One thing is for sure – organization and productivity go hand in hand. So make use of all the space. No matter how tiny it is.

3. Install a shelf over your desk

This one works even better if your desk is in the corner of the room. With just a few nails and a hammer, you can expand your workspace and install extra storage. There you can store books and files and it’s also an excellent way to display artwork to make your tiny home office even cozier. 

By installing selves over your desk, you will keep your work area decluttered. When you’re trying to get things done the last thing you need is a disorganized space. In fact, a decluttered workspace will increase productivity and will embrace your remote work mentality.

4. Have a storage caddy

You can buy a storage caddy basically anywhere. I bought mine at IKEA, but I’m sure you can find other cheap options online. You can keep one on the desk itself, but keep in mind that you’ll have less space on your desk if you do that. If your desk is already small then you might want to put it on the shelves above it.

Storage caddies help to keep equipment organized and eliminate clutter in the workspace, which we already know is incredibly important for productivity. It will also make it easier for you to clean your workspace as it provides a set space for your stationery items and folders.

5. Use drawer dividers

If you keep your stationery on your desk, you may have noticed that it’s unhandy, and it looks pretty messy. That’s why you should use drawer dividers. So, if you have a small home office, this is one of the best things you can do in terms of organization.

Some drawer dividers are designed to split the inside of a drawer in half. Others create the illusion that you have more drawers by dividing them into even smaller segments. Figure out what works best for you and store your home office materials easier.

6. Stick magnetic knife strips on the wall

When I was in college I used to share a room with a girl (Stacy) that was obsessed with organization. And as you might already suspect, our dorm was very small, so we had to make the best out of it. So Stacy had the amazing idea of installing magnetic knife strips on the wall above our desks. They were a super-effective way to store just about anything metal.

On the knife strips, we used to attach rulers, scissors, even metal staplers, and paper clips. Everything was still accessible in a pinch, and it also made our desks less messy. I have to admit that it doesn’t look great, though. Imagine a bunch of stuff attached to a wall. But if you’re currently struggling with organizing your small home office, you might want to use this tip until you find a better solution.

7. Consider a pegboard wall

Pegboards are usually garage storage items ideal for tool and hardware organization. However, they could also be a stylish solution for your small home office. You can use pegboard to keep all types of stationary off, which will make your deck look cleaner. Also, you can attach different accessories to the pegboard panel, such as pegboard hooks and baskets. This way you’ll be able to extend your storage space which is great especially if you don’t have the chance to install shelves.

8. Get a cable box organizer

We all know how many electronics we use nowadays during our working hours. Laptop, phone, printer, monitor, webcam, headphones, mouse, and a speaker – these are all things you can find on my desk at home. But what happens when you need to charge most of them at the same time? You create a hot mess that makes your workspace cluttered. 

Instead of trying to fit all the cables under your desk, you should get a cable box organizer. The options are countless depending on the number of electronics you have. I can honestly say that a cable box organizer is one of the best investments I made in the past months.

9. Install a bookshelf up against the ceiling 

I know this sounds weird but trust me, it looks great, and it’s handy. So if there’s no room on the walls or floor for shelves, you really have no choice but to use the ceiling. Use it to store files and anything that you want out of the way but still use. 

Here’s another idea for your ceiling bookshelf – get a clip lamp and attach it above your head. This way you don’t need to make space on your desk for a lamp and you’ll also have a better source of light as it comes from above. 

10. Get a cart for extra storage

I got this idea when I was still in college, where (as I already mentioned) my dorm was relatively small. During that time I worked as a waitress and we used a 3 level wheeled cart to transport glasses easier. I got one from my local home depot, and it literally changed my life. 

I have to admit that I tended to keep the card a bit messy. There were stationery items, books and notebooks, and even some make-up supplies. But I still kept them on the cart itself, which made my other workspace way tidier.

11. Lean a vertical organizer

Vertical storage has a lot to contribute ergonomically. In many cases, it makes more sense to store items vertically especially if you have a tiny small office. You can install vertical shelves on the wall next to your desk and even on different furniture items. In my case, I attached my vertical shelf to my closet, which is next to my desk.

But before you do that, make sure to evaluate your options. Is it better to use normal shelves or vertical ones? That depends entirely on the structure of your room. 

12. Install a coat rack above the desk

If you install a coat rack above your desk you’ll have extra space to hand headphones, cables, and other tech at arm’s reach. And it doesn’t have to be ugly. You can find some creative coat racks on Etsy that will additionally serve as decoration on your wall. 

13. Reuse coffee pods to organize small items

If you’re a coffee drinker like me, then this one’s for you. Make your workspace eco-friendly – store paper clips, safety pins, and staples in coffee pods. You can also use them to organize small craft items. I put mine in my drawer dividers, so I don’t accidentally scatter them all over the floor. In any case, it’s important to reduce and reuse the coffee pods. 

14. Add wall pockets for file and paper storage

I attached the wall pockets on my wall because the vertical shelves already occupied my closet surfaces. But if your furniture isn’t already taken then you should seriously consider getting wall pockets. You can story any paper and files there, so you don’t need any desk shelves underneath. I’m pretty sure you can find them in your local stationery store or even better – support small business owners and get one from Etsy. 

15. Keep decorations off the desk

If you’re like me, then you need decoration items around you to feel good. But remember that sometimes they do more harm than good. If you have a small space then it’s probably better to keep them away from your desk. Don’t waste premium desktop space on decor. But you don’t have to sacrifice your aesthetic. You can keep plants and decor on your shelves. Just make sure to optimize your space so that it’s functional.