Pro Organizer’s Top Tips For Styling, Organizing + Saving Space in Your Dream Home Office

A streamlined home office environment ensures the ultimate in work life balance and can even help boost productivity and lessen stress. Whether you run a home-based business or just a busy household, creating a dedicated workspace that’s functional yet personal is key, and now is the perfect time to create or update yours, says pro organizer Juliana Meidl, co-founder and owner of Serenity At Home, a home organizing company in Rochester, Michigan. “Summer gives us more sunshine and longer days, which is a great motivator to refresh and organize any space, including your home office,” she says. Here, Meidl shares top tips for making your office space a part of your home where you love to be. Keep reading for the easy home office organizing and styling ideas.

Home office organizing: 6 aesthetic ways

Home office organizing: Expand desk storage with cube cubbies or bins

“One of the best ways to keep an office streamlined is to have organizational systems in place,” says Meidl. “Bins and baskets go a long way in keeping your office a place that doesn’t create additional stress.” To create more storage space on a desk that also corrals bulky desk items, simply place a single cube bin or cubby atop your desk, then use the inside to store binders and books, and the top to display plants, other handy essentials and decorative items like photo frames.

Home office organizing: Add life and bring on calm with houseplants

“Plants help create a more peaceful, comfortable and enjoyable environment,” says Meidl. “Plus, they’ve also been shown to increase productivity and reduce stress.” To bring their benefits to your office space, simply place potted easy-care houseplants (like monstera, spider plants or dragon tree) on or around your desk, or drop potted plants into pretty baskets for a stylish touch.

Related: 6 Easy Houseplants That Are Low-Maintenance Wonders, According to Plant Pros

Home office organizing: Streamline reads with sleek bookends

Personalized bookends featuring your initial or a favorite animal compress a collection of tomes together and keep them upright so they take up less real estate in your office, while also showcasing your personality and reminding you of the things you love.

Tip: For a cohesive look that’s pleasing to the eye, Meidl suggests organizing books by color. Simply gather books and group like colors together, then showcase them on a desktop or a nearby shelf from light to darkest shades, creating a gradient of color.

Home office organizing: Free up desktop space with a mounted reading light

Utilizing a lamp that attaches to the edge of a desk, instead of sitting on top of it, frees up valuable desktop space for your laptop, paperwork and other essentials, notes Meidl. Look for lamps that have an adjustable clamp or clip on the bottom of it, which makes it easy to attach it to the back edge of a desk where it is out of the way but still able to illuminate your workspace.

Tip: Natural light is key for comfort and mood, so try positioning your desk near a sunny window.

Home office organizing: Keep paperwork out of sight with magazine files

Magazine files aren’t just for storing periodicals — they’re also great for stashing paperwork, mail, chargers, snacks and more, says Meidl. “Plus, they look great in any space!” To do: Line up files on a desk or shelf and sort essentials in each. Success secret: Add pull handle label holders (available online or at office supply stores) to front of files so you can ID what’s inside at a glance and easily grab what you need!

Home office organizing: Store small office supplies in old mugs

Mugs are a more charming, affordable option for storing pens, pencils and other supplies than traditional office organizers, says Meidl. “And they can be more aesthetically pleasing than a traditional office organizer.” Consider putting a chipped or old mug from your kitchen or a pretty souvenir mug that you picked up on a recent vacation to new use as a home for pens and pencils or odds and ends like paper clips, rulers, scissors and the like.

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