Whether it’s a home workspace in desperate need of decluttering or a corporate office that could use a healthy dose of organization, we asked local expert Claire Paquin, founder and principal designer of Scarsdale’s Clean Design Partners, for some tips on tidying up your workstation.
Prioritize Storage
Make sure you have “a place for everything and everything in its place!” Think about your storage needs: What works best for different items? Typically, a well-designed office should have a variety of storage: closets, cabinets, file drawers, cubbies, and shelves.
Cut the Cords
Cord management must be thought about in advance. When designing an office, it’s important to think about where the outlets will be — as well as phone and Ethernet ports — so that the office can function in the best possible way. Along with this comes cord management, as hiding unsightly cords is especially important if desks are floating in the middle of the room.
Place the Printer
Locate a convenient place for the printer. These days, people are printing less often, but it’s still necessary to have a multifunction printer in the office. When designing built-in cabinetry, consider hiding the printer behind cabinet doors and using a pullout tray for it to sit on. This way, the printer is easily accessible when needed but can be tucked away when not in use.
Upgrade With Appliances
Don’t forget the appliances! For the amount of time we spend in our offices, they might as well be our homes. Think about adding fridge drawers to your space for convenient access to water for you, your team, and your clients. This is also a great place for employees to keep their lunches refrigerated if they bring food from home. It’s also nice to add a coffee machine so that people can help themselves to some java throughout the day. Just make sure to organize the space so everything is easily accessible.
Go Green
Make your office feel fresh and alive with organic materials, like a potted plant or fresh flowers. Offices can be sterile environments, so adding plants and flowers will help make them feel more warm and inviting.
Stand Up
Comfortable chairs, sit-stand desks, and glass chair mats are a must. More and more people are realizing the benefits of alternating sitting and standing throughout the day while working. Consider sit-stand desks if your office can accommodate them. If it can’t, even having a taller countertop or island to work at occasionally can break up the monotony of sitting in a chair. But when you do sit, make sure it’s in a comfortable and supportive chair, and think about getting a glass chair mat to make rolling around as smooth as possible.
Go Acrylic
Stay organized with acrylic desk accessories. I love to use acrylic desk accessories because they minimize the visual clutter while helping to corral it. Penholders, risers, letter trays, and even staplers and tape dispensers come in acrylic material.
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