Never underestimate the humble shelf. From bookshelves to simple kitchen shelves, there’s nothing quite as user-friendly for storage. That’s why shelving is the perfect solution for home office organisation disasters.
It’s easy to let things get cluttered and out of hand in the office or at home, and cleaning up isn’t necessarily the most fun activity – actually, it’s right down there with unclogging drains – so you might want to come up with a few preventative shelving solutions! Here’s how shelves can help you:
Paperback Disasters
If you’re a read-a-holic, then your room or study is likely to be cluttered with paperbacks and hard covers. Books that aren’t stored properly are likely to get damaged if not stored away properly – and that’s where shelving comes in.
A good old fashioned bookcase is your answer for paperback cluttering disasters, and will help you keep the spines of your books strong, whilst organising them alphabetically or in any other appropriate order. You can never have enough storage space – just like you can never have too many books!
Zoning Up
In an office, it’s easy to lose track of your filing and paperwork because of there’s just so much to do in a day, and organisation isn’t the first thing on your list. Here’s how you can declutter effectively: zone up! Set out zones in your office for different things:
Stationary
Filing and papers
Desk and Work area
You can store your stationary in a cupboard or on a wall shelf in zone one, then file your papers in a storage cabinet or standing bookshelf. The desk and work space should be kept free of all clutter, and must be within reach of the other zones.
Decorative and Functional
There’s no place quite like the bedroom when it comes to gathering dust and clutter. Often, there are loads of sentimental bits and bobs which you don’t quite know what to make of. The easiest way to declutter here is to create a decorative display of photos and other memorabilia with the use of a shelving setup. Hanging shelves as well as standard and custom design book cases are the key.
Spice It Nice
Shelves aren’t just for books you know! You can spice up your kitchen with a few well-placed shelves or spice racks, which will allow you to keep everything organised. Dry spices are easy to store in this method and can even be boxed in square shelves. This will help keep your spices fresh and dry.
Toddler Tales
Babies are boisterous at the best of times, and toddlers are known for ripping up their precious books instead of reading them. Call it enthusiasm, or call it frustrating, storage is essential in a toddler’s room, in order to prevent reckless endangerment of your precious one’s precious books. This is where you’ll introduce shelves higher up on the wall, though you should be sure to check that they are firmly attached and that they have a closed front, to prevent any accidents.
Whether you’re decluttering your home, your office or your home office, shelves are the key to your organisational issues. Check out all your options and keep those shelves specific to the room you’re placing them in.
By James Finlayson
James Finlayson has been a DIY enthusiast since childhood and has been lucky enough to make his passion his work. He now works for Ableskills, an independent construction training college in Kent, organising their carpentry courses (http://www.ableskills.co.uk/carpentry-courses.htm).
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