How to clear space for a home office

Once upon a time a home office may have only been reserved for the rich and famous. Well, the rich at least. Nowadays, or in 2020 for now, things have turned on their head. The coronavirus pandemic has forced more companies to allow their staff to work from home – with some taking the plunge to insist on this on a permanent basis.

While working from home was dubbed the pyjama dream for some workers, for others it’s anything-but. It can be a logistical nightmare, whether it’s the kids ‘getting in the way’, or just not having the physical space to put a long-term workstation.

Today isn’t about telling you how to extend your property but will instead focus on some quick hacks to boost your home office work environment if you are struggling.

Use the time to declutter

Decluttering is one of those activities that most of us are keen to put off. In fact, we put it off to an extent that it never happens. Well, now is a ‘real reason’ to take it forward. You’re in desperate need of space to work effectively and efficiently, so try personal storage from Safestore to move those items that seem to just clutter up your workspace.

You by no means need to live a minimalistic life, but if there are any items which haven’t been used in the past year, these are excellent candidates to either put in storage or give away permanently. Sometimes, the issue isn’t about not having enough space in your home, it’s about filling it with too many unnecessary items.

Rework unused spaces

There are certain areas of our home that many of us decide not to use. Common examples are the hallway and an awkward corner of a room, that seemingly can’t accommodate any type of furniture.

When it comes to a home office, these spaces are your best friend. In the case of the hallway, in its present state it’s probably not going to work. However, what about converting a sideboard into a desk, or investing in a fold-down desk that can double-down as decoration in your non-working hours?

Or, when it comes that awkward, small space, don’t discard the idea of custom furniture. Particularly for smaller items, constructed from budget-friendly wood, the prices are surprisingly competitive and can result in a trendy and accommodating solution for your limited space.

Bask in multifunctional furniture

While space will always be at a premium for some, it could also be argued that the wealth of furniture options means that you can always get creative and ‘make space’ if you put your mind to it.

For example, a room may contain a huge bookcase. Once upon a time this would have been a dealbreaker in most home office environments, but nowadays there are clip-on desks that can attach to bookcases and create something that serves for multiple purposes.

In truth, this is just the tip of the iceberg, but a quick search around Pinterest will reveal lots of different pieces of furniture which double-down to be used in different ways.