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Organizing the Office: Inspiring Shelves and Cabinets
Here's How to Make Your Bookcases Work as Hard as You Do
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
Over the weekend I mentioned those New Year's resolutions slipping away from you. Perhaps one or two of them involved keeping your home office neat and organized. It's tough to get started so I'll give you a jumping off point: shelves. You're going to have to sit down and do a little planning, and then likely have to rise to the challenge of assembling some stuff from IKEA. Here's some inspiration to help you get started:
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| I admit it, these cabinets and shelves are the dream. Just take a long look, take a deep breath, and be inspired by them. Most of us won't achieve this, but it's nice to dream. |
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Start attacking those stacks and piles that don't have a home. You're going to need a place for everything and put everything in its place. Figure out what you need to keep close at hand and what needs to go.
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Next, decide what kind of unsightly items you want to hide, like electronic equipment and ugly plastic binders.
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Consider bottom cabinets for ugly items like your printer and scanner. You can create wire holes with an electric drill.
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If most of your stuff is just plain ugly, hang a modern cabinet to stash it all.
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Swipe that clutter off your desk and keep a clean slate. In the meantime, add the framed photos you want to keep around on shelves on the wall.
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Long open shelves along an entire wall are a good option.
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| When considering a grid, take some of your larger books and measure their heights. You'll want to scale your grid accordingly. |
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White shelves against a white wall to help the shelves fade into the background.
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Likewise, clear glass or lucite shelves can help keep the view open to a colorful or printed wall behind it.
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Remember that low shelves can serve as half-wall room dividers to mark your office area in a room in an open floor plan. Just don't let the top of the shelves become a clutter collecting spot!
| If you're really rocking out a renovation, consult with a cabinetmaker to design the best unit for what you need to store. Again, measure the depth of your books and binders so that you can scale them accordingly. |
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| If you don't have an entire room to dedicate to a home office, cabinets can transform one area to become the office space when you need it, and hide all of the clutter when you don't want to look at it. |
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No budget for that trip to The Container Store or the cabinetmaker? Go shopping in another room of your own house. This china cabinet works well in this home office area.
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| Finally, the piece de resistance. Be sure to include some of your favorite pieces of artwork and knick knacks with your books to keep your office looking snazzy.
Are you sketching out some new shelves yet? Chop chop! All you need to do is take a first step to get rolling. If you still aren't motivated, sit down and watch a "Hoarders" marathon on A&E! More: 39 ways to organize your stuff |
Ideabook updated on Jan. 10, 2011.
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I don't have cable, so I can't really watch Hoarders, and it seems a little strange to try and check it out somewhere...I could use the kick in the pants!
Emily, Hoarders is actually awful - the people really are mentally ill and the show does not seem to really solve much for them because they need more help than a two day cleanout. It's just so gross that it makes you start cleaning about 5 minutes into an episode.