An office is a useful space in any residence. For folks who work from home, it’s a virtual necessity. However, not everyone has a spare room just waiting to transform into a roomy office. A lot of us have to make do with whatever works, be it a corner of a bedroom or even a closet repurposed as a cloffice. When the space is smaller than you’d like, it’s important not only to choose a suitable desk but also to adopt some small home office ideas that are attractive, uncluttered and conducive to productivity.

Choosing the Right Space

If you can’t have a dedicated room, just where do you set up your home office? Some people work at the kitchen table, but it’s better to have a place where you don’t have to go away when someone else wants to use it. Many people will designate a section of a room, either a corner or a space along the wall. It could be in a bedroom, living room, dining room or rec room.

The ideal spot is one without much foot traffic. Also, proximity to a window for natural light is advantageous. Some people will loft a bed and set up shop underneath, the way college students sometimes do.

Many WFHers are opting for the cloffice. You can clear and remake a closet anywhere it works – living room, bedroom, hallway. A cloffice is hard to beat for quiet privacy, and you can decorate it any way you want. Colorful paint or bold wallpaper turns it from a forgettable space to an invigorating one.

Making It Bright and Colorful

If your desk offers a view of a window, so much the better. Natural light is natural fuel for productivity. Sometimes – with a cloffice, for example – that just isn’t possible, and you’ll have to manufacture your own colorful cheerfulness. You might paint a wall, hang some outdoorsy art or keep a few blooming flowers on hand.

Whether you’re painting a wall, choosing cabinet colors or selecting decor, choose shades that make your space feel open and larger than it is. That means avoiding dark colors. Whites and neutrals constitute a pleasant background, but blue or green adds a motivating lift. If it’s a cloffice, you don’t need anyone’s permission to adopt sunshiny orange or yellow.

When you choose artificial light, use more than just task lighting. A desk lamp in an otherwise dim area can dampen your mood. Include overhead lighting or a nearby floor lamp for ambient light. In a cloffice or corner space, a stylish pendant might be just the ticket.

A few small office decor ideas can make the difference between tedium and invigoration. Bright colors and clean lines keep it open and cheerful. Personal mementos such as framed family photographs and sentimental mugs as pencil holders help you feel supported in your daily work.

Exploring Desk Options

An ornate executive desk with massive drawers is not only too large but also too somber for the small office ambiance you’re looking to create. Fortunately, there are tons of small home office desk alternatives. A writing desk takes up less room and has an airiness that brightens and enlarges. A console desk with brackets for legs is even airier. An L-shaped desk or workstation tucks into a corner and minimizes its apparent footprint. A sit-to-stand desk not only conserves space but also allows you to stretch your back and work from a different perspective. A desk surface that folds down from the wall may be the ultimate in space savings.

Even if your space is small, though, make room for a good chair. It doesn’t need to be a captain’s chair with wide armrests, but it must be comfortable enough for extended seating. You’ll have a rough workday if you try to make do with a backless stool.

Embracing the Vertical

Your office may not have much floor space, but it has a whole wall of vertical space. Use it. Tall, narrow bookcases and ladderlike bookcases provide plenty of storage with a minimal footprint. Floating shelves yield extra space either above your desk or next to it. Wall-mounted cabinets offer storage with room for your desk or a small furniture item underneath.

Keeping It Organized

When your space is limited, organizing supplies and clearing out clutter is imperative. Clutter makes things hard to find and produces a workspace that is confusing and stressful. Baskets and bins on your shelves keep papers and supplies straight. Use drawer dividers to save space and make supplies easier to store and find.

Embrace the 21st century and cut down on paper. Don’t print anything unless you have to. Keep files digital, and back them up on thumb drives and cloud storage.

You don’t necessarily need a file cabinet. A side table or nightstand is a more attractive piece of furniture and also more flexible. A small drawer at the top stores a few supplies, and a large drawer or open bottom shelf can hold standing organizers or baskets that keep your office possessions in order.

Going Home at Night

Although you don’t literally go home in the evening, you’ll improve your work-life balance if you shut everything down at the end of the working day. Close the cloffice door and leave it until tomorrow. Clean all the papers and supplies off your corner desk and move them to their drawers and shelves. You might even signal quitting time by laying a runner over your desk and setting a piece of non-work decor atop it.

Let your home office “sleep” overnight, and it will be ready to make you comfortable and productive tomorrow.