Getting organized: Creating a workspace

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Whether you are working from home full-time or you just need a decent place to sit down to pay your bills each month...everyone needs a well-organized work space at home. But it can be a challenge to carve out a spot if you don't have an extra room to dedicate as your office. 

There are so many inspiring blogs and websites filled with great ideas for carving out a work space in any room (just search on "convert closet to office" for example) and Pinterest has loads of inspiration, too.

Recently I was quoted in a very nice article by Lindsay Olson on the US News blog about how to set up a spot for working at home, even if you have limited space. Below is the full text of my tips that she excerpted for her article. 

1. Forget the guest room—As nice as it is to accommodate the occasional overnight visitor with their own private space, you'll get so much more out of that room by accommodating yourself and your dreams for working from home. If you want the room to do double-duty, buy one of those modern foam loveseats or chairs that convert to a small bed.

2.  Convert a closet—It's easy to do yourself with a few bucks and a trip to your local home improvement store. Take off the sliding doors, pull out the shelf and hanger rod, and install some modular cubes with a sheet of painted plywood to create a desk with storage space above and below. If you want to be able to close it off, install foldable shutter doors, or hang some pretty drapes from a tension rod.

3.  Use a rolling cart—Replace the legs with castor wheels on a small bedroom nightstand that has a drawer and cupboard space. Move it with you to wherever you and your laptop are comfortable sitting - the dining table, the sofa, your favorite recliner.

4.  Convert an armoire or entertainment hutch—Armoires look nice in any room when not in use. Place lightweight tower shelves and/or hanging sweater racks in the tall space for files and office supply storage. Even if you're using an open-shelf entertainment center, you can keep it from being an eyesore with coordinating baskets, trays, and storage cubes.

This is part of my weekly series of posts on getting organized - click here to see the tips you might have missed!