10 steps to decluttering your home office

Struggling to fit everything onto the oak bookcase in your home office? Or maybe the top of your reclaimed wood furniture hasn’t seen the light of day for some time with all the papers and paraphernalia strewn across it. If this sounds familiar, you need these 10 decluttering tips.

Remove everything from the drawers and cupboards of your reclaimed wood desk, put it in a box and carry on working. As you need something, go an get it. Eventually, over time, you’ll have the things you need and a pile of things you don’t need in a box ready to be recycled.

The home office is or should be, a place of productivity and creativity. There are certain things you need around you but there are other things you may want on your home office desk and shelving. However, some of these things could be cramping your work output. So start with things you need, and then consider carefully what other things you want in the space.

The right storage that is accessible is key to keep any room tidy and uncluttered. The same is true in the home office. Opt for home office furniture that gives you the storage you need, such as an oak bookcase for books and files and a desk with storage for smaller items.

It’s not uncommon to find the home office desk strewn with cables across it or hanging down behind it. There are various cable tidy solutions you can buy. Once they are grouped together and tidy, you’ll be amazed at the difference it makes.

There’s a saying – not being able to see the wood for the trees – and this can apply to when it comes to decluttering your home office desk and space. So take photos – you’ll be amazed at how much more you can see from a photo than when you’re standing in it.

The home office can have all kinds of items in it and finding the right kind of storage can be tough. Think vertically by adding tall industrial shelving for extra space either across one wall or arranging it around your desk so you get instant access to items.

Thinks don’t have to be on display. You can hide a myriad of stuff in boxes neatly lined up on the industrial shelving we’ve talked about in the previous point.

When you add something to your home office, it needs to be allotted storage space right from the start. Clutter builds when things are ‘just left’ or put down on a bookcase or filing cabinet.

Clearing your home office desk when you’ve finished for the day is a great way for you to start your next working day. Cups and glasses need to be returned to the kitchen, papers need to be filed or recycled, and so on.

And finally, we end on a light-hearted note. It’s easy to get obsessive about clutter and become too streamlined, throwing everything away that we feel doesn’t fit only to find we need and have to buy another one. Just relax with it and enjoy your stylish home office!