How to maximise your small office space

Here are our top tips for maximising small office space.

Invest in storage to boost office space

Brilliant, effective storage solutions are vital in a small office space.

Desks and shelves cluttered with supplies can reduce the appearance of space, so instead:

• Use baskets, filing cabinets, shelves, drawers, dividers and cupboards to organize stationary and office items;
• Closed cupboards and desk drawers can hide supplies, making office space look more spacious;
• Think about storing less-used items or paperwork elsewhere. Off-site storage is reasonable cheap and useful for storing hard copies of information that must be kept;
• Alternatively, store documents and information digitally. Cloud-based storage services let you ditch clunky filing cabinets, freeing up valuable space in a small office spaces. Basic online storage services from Microsoft, Google, Apple and Dropbox will get you started, and expect to pay around £10 per month for around 1TB of online storage.

Declutter your office space

The messier your office, the less effective space there is to work in.

You can't afford clutter in a small office space, so regularly purge unnecessary paperwork and maintain a weekly 'desk-tidy' routine.

Assess whether your office supplies are useful - if you never use that aging fax machine, then ditch it.

Organise your office based on how often you use items.

If you don't use items on a regular basis, store them away, rather than keeping it on your desk.

Clear away office cables

Offices overrun by tangled cables not only look messy but can be a health and safety hazard.

Connect your computers and devices using wi-fi to remove the need for cables entirely.

Alternatively use cable tidies or use sandwich bag ties to keep cables neatly together.

Use cable trays and underdesk wire baskets to keep cables off the floor.

On a budget? Cheap DIY alternatives for storing cables include pipe insulation, binder clips, paper roll tubes and even rain guttering used under desks.

Make use of office wall space

Wall storage is an effective way to maximise office space and free up space on your desk and floor.

Use wall hooks, cupboards and shelves to store items.

Cork or magnetic boards may be useful for keeping paperwork out of the way.

Mirrors on the walls can also give the impression of a larger office.

Use aesthetics

Small, dark offices can feel draining. Brighten thing up with a splash of colour, with varying hues bringing a different aesthetic.

For example, blue has a calming effect while yellow is linked to promoting a happier mood.

If you can't paint the walls, use bright posters or prints along with potted plants to make your office visually pleasing.

Dark furniture with light walls is the best combination for a smaller office.

Natural lighting is essential to productivity, so make the most of the windows in your small office.

If natural lighting is scares, add LED lighting to brighten up a dark office.

Buy smaller office furniture

Avoid overlarge desks and chairs in a small office - you'll probably be using just a phone and laptop to work so a big desk is redundant.

Keep your keyboard on a pullout drawer below the desk in order to free up desk space.