12 Creative Desk Organization Ideas to Work Smarter

Have you ever scrolled through Pinterest or Instagram and drooled over perfectly-arranged office designs? You know the ones we’re talking about – tidy workspaces, gorgeous wall space designs, elegant magazine holders, and office supplies neatly stowed away in minimalist storage boxes or a colour-coordinated desktop organizer.

 

If you’d like to set up your own Pinterest-worthy #desksetup, you’ve come to the right place.

Today, we’re sharing our top 12 home office organizing ideas for your desk setup. Whether you’re in an office or working from home, these simple tricks are sure to keep your pens in a row and your wires uncrossed, so you can work more efficiently.

Why Is It Important to Organize Your Workspace?

There are so many great reasons to keep your workstation neat.

• A clean desk = a clear mind. When you have less clutter on your desk, you’re less likely to get distracted by everything around you. 
• Messy desks can make you feel stressed and anxious. Having a neat desk space gives you space (literally) to calm down!
• Save time looking for things. Desk organizers and file cabinets make it easy for you to find and access the tools you need.
• Better ergonomics! Well-organized set-ups help you keep everything within reach, eliminating the need to bend awkwardly to pick things up off the floor. 

Whether you’re a self-proclaimed “neat freak” or someone who just loves a good pencil cup, you’re sure to find an organizing tip to up your productivity game. 

 

 

12 Ways to Organize Your Desk 

1. Everything In Its Place

The most important element to an organized workspace is maximizing the real estate you have available in your home. Before you dump paper clips into your stationery drawer or sort your stack of unopened mail, you’ve got to decide where everything will go.

This is the first step to a tidy office. 

Assign specific places for each office item to “live.” This might seem like a daunting task, but this also makes it much easier to do a quick tidy-up later on.

2. Labels Are Your Friends

While labeling everything might seem odd to do in your own office, you’d be surprised how much time it saves. At a glance, you’ll be able to tell what’s inside any bin, basket or drawer. (This can also help you remember what goes where in your drawers.) 

Labels don’t have to be boring, either! While classic label-makers can get the job done quickly and effectively, you can make your own labels to match the style and colours of your office. 

3. Drawer Organizers

A neat desk drawer is hard to maintain! Luckily, there are tons of drawer divider options out there. But did you know you can use kitchen items to organize your drawers, too? 

A muffin tray can be used to house small items that you don’t need rolling around in the bottom of your drawer. Yup - all those tupperware containers with missing lids can have purpose again. Feeling crafty? You can even turn old cardboard into a drawer organizer in a pinch. 

4. Decorate Mason Jars Or Candle Jars

Keep your pens corralled in an upcycled Mason jar or candle jar. You can use twine, paper, paint, or any combination of those! (Not the DIY type? Check out similar organizers on Etsy.)

5. Wall Storage Space

Don’t want pencil cups on your desk? Use the wall as storage space.

Hang a wall-mounted wire rack and use that to store items that would normally sit on your desk. Plus, you can hang pictures, post-it notes, and other sentimental decor on it.

6. Hanging Pegboard

For even sturdier shelving, try a pegboard organizer. You can customize shelf heights and order them in whatever way suits you. It’s definitely a more involved DIY project, but the results are so worth it!

7. A Dedicated To-do List

Mount a clipboard to the wall (or your pegboard or wire rack!) to keep your tasks organized. Keeping your to-do list organized is just as important as keeping your desk clutter-free.

Our brains like the order that comes with to-do lists--crossing off each task gives us a sense of accomplishment. Incorporate the clipboard into your decor for a put-together look! 

8. Catch-All Bin

If you find yourself distracted with many little things that accumulate on your desk throughout the day, it’s a good idea to have a designated catch-all bin. 

During your work day, put things in this bin if you don’t have the time to deal with them right away. Junk mail, empty coffee mugs, knick-knacks that don’t belong on your desk… put it all in the bin and address them at the end of the day. This helps keep distractions at bay! 

9. Colour-coded Cable Ends

Cable management is a huge game-changer for anyone working from home. 

Use little pieces of coloured tape to tell your cables apart, or better yet, label them! You’ll never have to wonder which black cable goes to which device again. You can even use the little plastic tags that come with your loaves of bread--those will work just as well.

10. Cardboard Roll Storage

This is a great upcycling tip! If you’ve got toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls, you can use the cardboard tubes for tidy storage. Wires can fold up in a tube without tangling with one another. 

11. Desk Wire Clips

Keep your cables within reach with binder clips! Attach a couple to the edge of your desk and loop your cables through. Bonus points if they’re different colours. You won’t have to reach around under the desk for these any more! 

12. Storage In Disguise

For a sneaky storage solution, hide routers, wires, and other little desk accessories inside hollow books and binders. (Also great for hiding snacks you don’t want to share!) 

Check out this useful storage tutorial. Out of sight, out of mind!

Want More Ways to Work More Productively? EFFYDESK Can Help!

EFFYDESK is Canada’s leading ergonomic standing desk company based in Vancouver, Canada. Our ergonomic office furniture collection is crafted on the belief that you should feel good mentally and physically by the end of your work day.

Studies have shown that poor posture can lead to decreased productivity, motivation and performance at work. Knowing that our bodies are made to move, we're here to help you combat the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle. Designed for both personal and professional use, our premium-grade ergonomic solutions are here to help you to enjoy EFFY in your home office or at your work office. 

Our ergonomic office furniture collection features a variety of ergonomic sit-stand desks, ergo office chairs and perfect-pairing office essentials to help you achieve your ideal sitting and standing positions, so you can get more done, more comfortably.