Working from home is something that a lot of people dream about doing some day, but that doesn’t mean that you necessarily have the space for a large home office or all of the equipment you may need to get your work done. Many people find that they need to create a home office by carving out space from other areas, such as closets or the area beneath the stairs. When this happens, you need to make sure you’re utilizing every inch of available space to make your home office as functional as possible. While you may not be able to recreate a commercial office design at home, these space-saving home office design ideas will help you to make the most of the space you do have.

Vertical Desk and Shelf Combinations

Depending on the type of work you do at home, you likely need some type of work table or desk. You most likely also need some form of storage, either to hold your printer paper or your crafting tools. So why not combine the two areas into one, vertical desk and shelving combination?

Desk/shelf combos are becoming more popular as more people turn toward home offices. They come in a wide range of sizes and styles, with shelving that ranges from all three sides of the desk, to simply stacking up the back. Choose a model that has enough width to be a functional work surface, then stack the rest of the items you use each day on the shelves above to save space.

Rolling Furniture

If your needs change on a regular basis in your home office, and you’re short on space, consider some rolling furniture options. Rolling carts and work surfaces offer storage and additional table space when you need them, but roll into another room or into a closet when they aren’t in use. This can help you get the space you need when you need it, while keeping your home office as functional as possible. For example, invest in a printer cart that has space for all your paper, ink, and files. Roll it out when it’s time to print, and roll it back when you’re done.

Shelving

If you don’t have the space for cabinetry, shelves can be a real life-saver in small spaces. Shelving can often hold just as much as a cabinet, but is more shallow, allowing you to fit more shelving into a smaller space. Remember that you can adjust where shelves hang, so you can fit taller or longer items on them simply by rearranging their position on the wall. For the most versatile use, go for wall-long shelves spaced far enough apart vertically to allow for tall binders to be fit onto them. You’ll hold more than cabinets and take up less space.

Avoid getting hanging “storage units” or shelves that are enclosed on top. While they look great, they limit how much you can actually store in them. When space is at a premium, you need your storage solutions to be as versatile and flexible as possible. Open shelving gives you that flexibility in a way that other options do not.

Under Desk Pull-Outs

If you have room for a desk in your home office, you may be able to utilize some of the space beneath it for storage. Obviously, some of the room beneath your desk is going to be needed for legroom, but more and more people are turning toward work tables, instead of traditional desks. And work tables are fairly open underneath, giving you a lot of opportunity for storage.

Consider pull-out storage options that can stack and slide. For example, baskets, bins, and other hanging organizers so that you can maximize every inch of available space, putting it to use exactly where and how you need it.

Pegboards

If you use a lot of small items on a regular basis, consider investing in a pegboard system for your home office. Pegboards take up very little space, but are infinitely flexible and changeable. You can hang things directly onto the board using hooks, or hang things like baskets, bins, or shelves for more storage options. Because the board is so thin, it doesn’t take up a lot of space in your office, and can give you a lot of storage solutions you may not have had otherwise. This type of system works best for crafters and people use a lot of different, smaller items throughout the course of their day.

Make the Most of Your Space

No matter how big or small your home office, you may find that you fill it up pretty quickly when you’re using it on a daily basis. Invest in space-saving storage solutions to keep your office as functional as possible, while retaining your floor plan and space.

Thank you Zach Williams from http://www.kireiusa.com for writing this great article!

Space Saving and Modern Home Office Design Concepts

Vertical Desk and Shelf Combinations