Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

Having trouble organizing your filing cabinets, file boxes, office supplies, etc.? Sometimes all you need to do is identify these items as well as what types of files are in your cabinets, drawers and boxes. Getting started on organizing your home office is often the hardest part, but it’s possible to have fun doing it.

The PT-1290 Labeling System can help you get started on this challenging project. The 15-character LCD display and typewriter style keyboard make labeling easy. On top of those features, you can also use 15 Deco Mode Patterns so your labels are decorative and stylish. A little color and pattern can brighten your office and your mood.

Other features include two professional fonts, six auto formats, seven framing options, built-in memory and automatic adjustment for text size. This device requires six AAA batteries, or you can purchase the AC adapter if you plan to keep the unit on your desk.

When you’re working from home, it’s easy to become distracted, which is why you should have everything you need right at your desk. Below are some essential items that you should have on your desktop:

• Tasking light (this can help save energy)
• Measuring tape
• Simple flower arrangement
• Pencil holder
• Calculator
• Paperclip dish
• Magnifying glass
• Mouse pad
• Flat-screen computer or laptop
• Letter caddy
• Triple paper tray
• Telephone
• Post-it notes
• Stapler
• Tape dispenser
• Picture frame

These are basic items that you will most likely use throughout your work day. Who wants to search for these things on a daily basis? Instead, you can have them right on your desk where you need them the most. Although it doesn’t go directly on your desk, you might also want to get a bulletin board or dry erase board to keep you on task. Also, a small paper holder can be convenient if you want to put important bills on it as a reminder.

Do you have important files strewn across and maybe even underneath your desk? This lack of organization can not only set you behind in your work, but it also doesn’t look professional. So how can you quickly pull your desk together so you can actually see it again?

Peter Walsh from TLC’s hit series Clean Sweep has developed the [IN] Place System. The filing system help keeps projects visible, and the organization is actually flexible and functional too. The portable tote allows you to take your desk files with you wherever you go. So you can store these files on your desk, in your briefcase or in a cabinet.

There are also Post-it Super Sticky Notes, which are color-coded so you can rename and reuse the file folders. It’s somewhat eco-friendly too. If you prefer keeping current projects on your desk, try the desktop sorter, because you can remove or add panels as you finish or get more projects.

When you work from home, it’s important to have a space to yourself. It also helps when that space is free from clutter and it’s clean. Although there are keyboard dust sprays and sanitary wipes, it’s hard to tell how clean you get your keyboard, cell phone or printer. So what can you use?

Cyber Clean is a gadget that looks and acts similar to silly putty. It has germ fighting properties, and it can also get into cracks that conventional cleaners don’t often reach. Unlike sanitary wipes, this product can be used over and over again, and it’s biodegradable.

It’s not usually fun to clean out your keyboards or the buttons on your phone, because it’s frustrating when you can’t reach those small dust and dirt particles. However, it might be fun as well as a stress relieving experience to squish and squash the Cyber Clean over your electronic equipment.

Sometimes you just need an extra light on your desk for late night work or even on those gloomy days. Instead of wasting your electricity, use a solar powered and brightly colored desk lamp to help guide you through your work.

Nicolas Cortolezzis designed the Sunnan, which is available at Ikea for $19.99. The Sunnan is a work lamp that contains solar cells that turn sunlight into usable energy. The LED consumes 70% less energy, and it can last four times longer than incandescent bulbs. The lamp head measure 3’’, the gooseneck is 17’’ and the base’s diameter is 5’’.  You can make your desk brighter with green energy, and the lamp also comes in five difference colors: blue, green, red, orange and yellow.

If you’re looking for a simple work lamp that has some pizzazz, this modern lamp might be just what you need. Plus, you can save on electricity when you’re reading and reviewing paperwork.

Are you tired of looking at those cold, colorless filing cabinets? When you have a comfortable yet chic home office, the last thing you want to look at are metal cabinets that don’t go along with the rest of your décor. To enjoy your space, setup a double duty piece of furniture.

A built-in window seat says comfort, but it can secretly hide all of your files. You can either design the seat so that the bench seat lifts up, or you can create hanging file drawers that pull out underneath. If you don’t want to build, purchase some sturdy storage cubes and set them on their sides to create the bench.

This can give your files a tidier look, but you still have easy access to them. Plus, you will have a space away from your desk where you can have a snack or read a few chapters from a book during your break.

Ask yourself what is more important a bedroom or an office, and if you say both, it’s time to brainstorm a way to fit both into one room. If you have moved to a smaller home, fitting an office space might prove to be challenging if you need to preserve the second bedroom for guests. So what are your options?

An uncomfortable sleeping situation will only make your working life miserable, so you need a bed that doesn’t require too much space. Also, you don’t want the bed to become a hassle. One way to get the best of both worlds is to invest in a sofa bed. This Flex Sofa from CB2 is $999, and it can be converted into three different positions. Plus, your back will thank you, because it has pocketed coil mattress innersprings that make sleep possible for two.

For a quick fix that also saves money, you can convert your current bed into a daybed. Move your bed into the corner of the room and place the headboard in the center of the long side that is up against the wall. You can use pillows to give the allusion that the bed is a couch during the day. If you need storage space for clothes, purchase some inexpensive plastic containers that can be rolled in and out from under your bed.

Office spaces are useless unless they’re comfortable and functional enough for you to use. The basic elements of a home office include a desk, shelving space, chair and computer. However, the little details are what make your computer station perfect.

When it comes to the placement of your computer, the monitor should be between 18” and 24” away from your face. This is about an arm’s length, and the screen should be even with your eyes. An adjustable keyboard tray with negative tilt can give you superior wrist comfort too.

Now that you know how to preserve your eyes and wrists, you also have to look out for your back. If you’re going to be sitting for long hours at your computer station, you need an adjustable chair with lumbar support, especially for your lower back.

Colors and light also play a part. Keep in mind that off-white is an easy color on the eyes, and small lamps, task lighting or under-cabinet lights can provide you with optimal brightness.

Crown molding floating shelves can make a home office less cluttered and more functional, because they provide an area for you to showcase a variety of objects.

For example, if you have a handful of important books that you refer to often, they can be placed on the shelf near your desk for better accessibility. Or you can arrange your plaques, certifications, pictures, plants, etc. along with other knick-knacks that you have acquired over time. Sometimes these small items can take over your desk and limit your workspace.

These particular shelves from Pottery Barn have rich details and clean lines, which can give your home office a more professional and dramatic touch. Plus, you can rearrange the display to better suit your needs or for aesthetic purposes when you get bored. So if you don’t have enough desk or drawer space, these shelves could be a solution to your problem.

If you bought your home office desk from a big box store, it probably came with a couple of grommets (those little plastic holes designed to let computer cables through to the back or bottom of the desk). Chances are they’re nothing special. They allow a cord or two through but that’s it.

Well, if you’re willing to spend a few bucks, you can get something that does that and more.

“This grommet has four handy compartments that provide space for sticky notes, pencils, scissors, and other office supplies. This completely practical option has an opening large enough to fit the cords from all of your basic office and computer equipment and keep your supplies close at hand.”

If your desk already has a grommet hole, this should pop right into that space.

$5 at CableOrganizer.com.