This is my view from my desk

Behind me while sitting at my desk

Lobby area in office

When standing at counter

I would absolutely love to be able to turn the desk around, but it is a built in.

I am pretty limited on re-arrangement options. I can’t remodel.

To your comments on my family pictures— I love being able to look at my family while in the office. This is a small business, and I have great relationships with my customers. I want the office to have a welcoming feel to it as they walk in. My goal isn’t to have it look like a big professional corporate office, but to be in an inviting/welcoming room. I get so many compliments on how cozy and welcoming it feels. I don’t want to take that away.. I am just trying to declutter, and have a functioning office.

CDR design, I have moved the cheap plastic cabinet from the room, I have also replaced the iPad and certificate that was on the filing cabinet. I still need to move the calendar and remove the rug.

I put the bench there to fill space. I didn’t like the room being so empty, but I can remove it or add pillows!

Thanks for the photos. You have a counter to greet customers, so I wouldn't worry about your desk location.

As you said, your main goal should be to declutter. Let's start with the etagere in the customer area. What are those items on there? May I ask what type of business it is?

Great job in decluttering so far! I'd remove the bench and add drapes to the window. This would further declutter, but draw your eye to the window and warm the space up.

We are a self storage facility.
The shelf in the corner holds my Scentsy. (I am also a scentsy consultant)

The boxes are display for customers because we also sell moving supplies

Great ideas! I think removing the rug and adding curtains would look wonderful

If it is in the budget, an ideal for the window would be to install a window seat and a valance above. Then, you can use the area below the window seat for storage. Here is one I recently designed for a client's bedroom, to give you an idea.

That would be beautiful, but we cannot remodel at this time.

For the scenty, I'd fill the shelves instead of having only 2 items on each shelf. Make sure it takes a backseat to the main business, though.

MIght be a cute idea for Christmas to wrap bows around the storage boxes.

I am wanting to place a desk in front of the built in. I hate having my back turned to the window. Does anyone have any suggestions or a picture of this? I’m not sure what type of desk would look good.

The best scenario for you would be if you could add on, so that you have an L-shaped desk. So, your new add-on desk portion would face the customers as they enter. This would also allow you to roll your chair over to your computer.

You could also float a desk in the center of the space, but I'd do this only if you rarely use your computer.

Help PLEASE! I bought a desk to add on to mine so my back isn’t facing the window. It just looks terrible. I know I need to remove the rug. Is this placement bad? Should I try putting the additional desk in another spot? My computer is going with it because I’m on it all day.

I took the rug and bench out and it just doesn’t look right

Don’t even look at the bench....
but even if I put the desk in front of the windows it looks weird because of the built in.

This doesn’t work either

There is not a perfect way to do this without spending at least some $.

One big eyesore is the file cabinet. Can you eliminate that somehow?

What I recommend is that you move out the file cabinet, and then put the desk perpendicular to the drawer area on the wall desk. So, like this except that the desk is moved back to in front of the wall cabinet drawers.

You could also float it out in the middle, but then there are the wires to deal with.

I an ideal world, I'd spend a little money and get the desk reformatted into an L shaped desk.

This is removing the file cabinet. I see what you are saying and it makes perfect sense.. but this is all coming out of my pocket and not the owners.

I agree, it's the "Black" filing cabinet that is throwing things off. If it was painted white it probably wouldn't be as glaring, but best bet would be to relocate it.

I think it would look fine as an L shape if that was removed, along with area rug.

Oh, I didn't realize that you were not the owner. I can understand, then, why you wouldn't want to spend he $

Can you put the desk in front of the drawer area? See what I mean? You will lose the drawers. But, it is amazing how we can consolidate, when we have to.

i wouldn't add the area rug back. It just makes things look choppy.

Put it back to the L shape you had before. Now it's too crammed into the corner.

Remove the Candles (they should be in your home - not an office).

CDR, what do you mean in front of the drawers? I’m willing to try anything! I came in on my day off because this is driving me absolutely NUTS

I would put more items relating to the business in the front reception area.

Sample of boxes avail (with prices). tape, locks - all that kind of thing.

This is the lobby area. I’m most concerned with my desk right now Angel. I hate that my back is turned, and I can’t see the front door or out easily.

That’s why I bought the desk, hoping I could make some changes so I can see better

Remember how you had new desk when the file cabinet was there? Just like that except move new desk toward the window. New desk will block the front set of drawers in built in

Following, because I love seeing the progress!

I think CDR is instructing you to put your desk here:

You'll lose a bit of storage, but the compromise is a better functioning office space. Keep up the good work!

I like the file cabinet taken away. I would move the desk so the desk and built-in cabinet corners match up (like when the file cabinet was in its old place) and put a tall plant in the empty space. I also like the cleaner look. Too much decor made it all look messy and unprofessional - unorganized.

That built-in is ridiculous as your work desk. Just look at the leg room or lack of. Nice effort on your own desk, but way too small. It's for a kid's home laptop, but I understand you are spending your own money. You should talk to your boss about getting a proper sized desk and chair for better ergonomics, and efficiency. Can't believe you are not getting some ergonomics issues. Maybe a scaled plan can help us understand your room scale.

MUCH BETTER!

Much better. That actually looks great, for what it is.

You are smart to plunge ahead and show the owners how much better this is. Put on your salesperson hat and tell them the benefits of this: now, when current or potential customers come in, they see your smiling face/not the back of your head. Much more customer-friendly.

I'll bet you'll even get comments from customers on the improvement.

CDR, you are amazing! Thank you so much for always being so kind and helping me now time to clean up and organize! And figure out where to put this hideous filing cabinet

Looks so much nicer. You could put a plant in that corner.

Hope you enjoy this new arrangement!

Don't know if this would work, but perhaps you could put the bench in the window area, the 2 chairs opposite the bench, then move the shelving unit to where the end table is now. Don't know if you have enough room. Or the Bench where the coffee table is, with a chair each side of it.

Not done yet, but here’s the update

Looking good. Does that chair roll ok on the carpet, or do you need a plastic pad.

Looks much better! I would move the shelf unit to the right of the sofa. Center the sofa under the cameras. Would it work to flip the sofa and the 2 chairs?

Following along. Love the changes so far!

CDR, I tried but it looked funny. I was just going to center the chalkboard and other piece above the bench. Do you think that would look ok?

Angel, I didn’t have much time to sit today lol. I think it rolls ok, but if not I’ll buy a clear pad

I’ll also try scooting the bench over so it’s more centered, and moving the shelf to the other side of it!

Keep us posted. How does the owner feel about your changes?

I like the desk makes no an “L” like the recent photos —-
Since your goal is to have it look better to customers and function better (so you see people as they enter), you might want to shift the monitor so it is on the “corner”. That way the wide back of the monitor isn’t the most noticeable feature.

And — if you are creating a little seating area with the bench and chairs, maybe try the area rug under them (as if it is a living room) ???

Angel, I only see him once every few months! I’m sure he’ll be very happy with it the next time he comes in.
Great idea! I’ll try putting the rug under it

Kellygirl, if I move the monitor on the corner of the maroon, would the keyboard go on the white desk.. or the maroon desk?

The seating arrangement still feels awkard to me

I recommend trying this:

Turn the sofa, so that it is facing the chairs. (So the chairs and sofa will be facing each other. The camera should be in the center of the group. If you have a coffee table you can put in between, that would be great.

I am not a fan of rugs over carpet, so I recommend removing it. It is also a tripping hazard in a commercial setting. Finally, remove the pillow from the sofa. Otherwise, it will have to me removed each time a person sits in it

Once you have the seating arrangement set, then you can work on where things are hung on the wall.