Smart Ways to Store Paperwork and Declutter Your Home Office
Put a stop to the sprawl of documents with these top tactics for concealing and organising
Sarah Warwick
14 September 2017
Houzz Contributor. I'm a freelance journalist and editor writing for nationals, magazines and websites. A serial house revamper, I love great design, beautiful interiors and practical solutions.
Houzz Contributor. I'm a freelance journalist and editor writing for nationals, magazines... More
Paperless office? No, me neither. However much you can keep in the cloud or on your devices, there’s still plenty you’re obliged to hang on to on paper (or perhaps you simply aren’t ready to give up). Yet paperwork’s not pretty, and nor are a lot of the filing and storing furnishings on offer. So how to stop it ruining your work space? Find inspiration in these clever and lovely ideas.
Take five
Concealed in the drawers of the day bed, paperwork can’t disturb the calm of this home office. A design like this is also perfect to introduce colour and pattern to a work space, as you can add cushions to it.
To repeat the tactic without building in, consider a filing ottoman upholstered in a smart fabric for your work space.
Find the right people to help with your project in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
Concealed in the drawers of the day bed, paperwork can’t disturb the calm of this home office. A design like this is also perfect to introduce colour and pattern to a work space, as you can add cushions to it.
To repeat the tactic without building in, consider a filing ottoman upholstered in a smart fabric for your work space.
Find the right people to help with your project in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
Keep it down
This home office is part of a living room, with space for paperwork confined to the drawers of the beautiful vintage desk. In a wider alcove, a double pedestal design would boost available space for storage, but in a small home ruthlessness with surplus documents is vital.
To get the look, opt for the easy symmetry of this room, where shelves either side of the fireplace show off black-framed artwork and the Mac screen balances the television.
This home office is part of a living room, with space for paperwork confined to the drawers of the beautiful vintage desk. In a wider alcove, a double pedestal design would boost available space for storage, but in a small home ruthlessness with surplus documents is vital.
To get the look, opt for the easy symmetry of this room, where shelves either side of the fireplace show off black-framed artwork and the Mac screen balances the television.
Revamp a favourite
In this space, paperwork can share the cabinet with coffee table books on show in the glass-fronted top section. This way, there’s no suggestion of office filing, but there’s plenty of room to stash.
Painting a piece of furniture in a bold shade takes it away from office drab, too. Shop for secondhand designs, and remember that you’ll need to sand the surface and remove dust before painting.
In this space, paperwork can share the cabinet with coffee table books on show in the glass-fronted top section. This way, there’s no suggestion of office filing, but there’s plenty of room to stash.
Painting a piece of furniture in a bold shade takes it away from office drab, too. Shop for secondhand designs, and remember that you’ll need to sand the surface and remove dust before painting.
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Make a vignette of it
Pesky paperwork is part of a grouping of items arranged pleasingly in this room. To achieve the same effect, you’ll need a mixture of storage for the documents and items that are purely decorative as well. Here, green is repeated to lead the eye around the selection, and the vertical lines of the box files are contrasted with horizontal piles of books. Cube-style cubbies are a great way to frame each selection of items.
Pesky paperwork is part of a grouping of items arranged pleasingly in this room. To achieve the same effect, you’ll need a mixture of storage for the documents and items that are purely decorative as well. Here, green is repeated to lead the eye around the selection, and the vertical lines of the box files are contrasted with horizontal piles of books. Cube-style cubbies are a great way to frame each selection of items.
Hide in plain sight
In this dining room-cum-home-office, paperwork is stashed alongside the table in a filing cabinet that adds to the array of colours in the space. The cabinet sits happily alongside the classic chair designs, as it matches the metal of their frames.
Filing cabinets like this one can squeeze must-keep papers into other rooms in your home without looking like imports from your nine-to-five building if you opt for distinctly un-corporate colourways.
In this dining room-cum-home-office, paperwork is stashed alongside the table in a filing cabinet that adds to the array of colours in the space. The cabinet sits happily alongside the classic chair designs, as it matches the metal of their frames.
Filing cabinets like this one can squeeze must-keep papers into other rooms in your home without looking like imports from your nine-to-five building if you opt for distinctly un-corporate colourways.
Size up the desk
A contemporary take on the traditional desk, this design incorporates storage either side of the desktop for tidying away paper. The slim frame and white finish keep the office area light and airy so the large unit isn’t over-imposing.
Hard flooring is always preferable in an office area as you can move your chair more easily to get up from the desk regularly!
A contemporary take on the traditional desk, this design incorporates storage either side of the desktop for tidying away paper. The slim frame and white finish keep the office area light and airy so the large unit isn’t over-imposing.
Hard flooring is always preferable in an office area as you can move your chair more easily to get up from the desk regularly!
Build a wall
Need to store many years of paperwork? This office combines filing cabinets, boxes and box files in one capacious package from floor to roof level. Opting for white throughout makes the effect less imposing and the objects on the pegboard and clock break up the ranks of filing.
If you find your filing system is full to bursting, bear in mind that you can throw away documents once the required number of years has passed, even if you’re self-employed – follow HMRC guidance.
Need to store many years of paperwork? This office combines filing cabinets, boxes and box files in one capacious package from floor to roof level. Opting for white throughout makes the effect less imposing and the objects on the pegboard and clock break up the ranks of filing.
If you find your filing system is full to bursting, bear in mind that you can throw away documents once the required number of years has passed, even if you’re self-employed – follow HMRC guidance.
Ramp up the colour
Paperwork storage does double duty in this office space, concealing the essentials and adding a bold accent shade. Here, only books are kept on show, with all documents tidied away. Orange is a sound colour choice for a home office, injecting a scheme with energy. Need a de-stressor rather than fizz? Try blue or green instead.
Paperwork storage does double duty in this office space, concealing the essentials and adding a bold accent shade. Here, only books are kept on show, with all documents tidied away. Orange is a sound colour choice for a home office, injecting a scheme with energy. Need a de-stressor rather than fizz? Try blue or green instead.
Slot in under the stairs
In this home, an area below the staircase provides a work space, with places for paperwork built in alongside the desk. It’s a strategy that helps make use of every centimetre. If you need more space than this for paperwork, make room below even the lowest part of the stairs; a mix of pull-out drawers and cupboards can be built to suit.
In an open-plan design like this one, having a clear-desk policy will pay dividends. If you’re not neat, a sliding door in a space like this might be a good call.
In this home, an area below the staircase provides a work space, with places for paperwork built in alongside the desk. It’s a strategy that helps make use of every centimetre. If you need more space than this for paperwork, make room below even the lowest part of the stairs; a mix of pull-out drawers and cupboards can be built to suit.
In an open-plan design like this one, having a clear-desk policy will pay dividends. If you’re not neat, a sliding door in a space like this might be a good call.
Show a united front
This home office has been efficiently fitted into a potentially awkward space, with a desktop across the corner and storage for paperwork above. The space is screened and the cabinetry for filing matches the framing for a sleek finish. The wall-mounted desktop keeps the floor area uncluttered, so the compact home office feels spacious.
Tell us…
How do you conceal essential documents? Share your photos or ideas in the Comments section.
This home office has been efficiently fitted into a potentially awkward space, with a desktop across the corner and storage for paperwork above. The space is screened and the cabinetry for filing matches the framing for a sleek finish. The wall-mounted desktop keeps the floor area uncluttered, so the compact home office feels spacious.
Tell us…
How do you conceal essential documents? Share your photos or ideas in the Comments section.
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Always interesting to see how others create a 'business' space or storage system. Well, there was a 'wardrobe with rail' in the hallway when I moved into my flat. Got a local guy who specialises in recycling scaffolding boards and pallet wood to make me some shelving units that would perfectly fit the space and bingo... Files/paperwork/projects etc are hidden away but easily accessible. I've made use of another storage 'hole' for everyday business....
N.B. Made an allowance for storing my ironing board!
Another useful article - and comments!
I love the cube idea with the zingy green files and storage as well as the orange coloured office! They both work so well