Home Office Tips

Kitchen cabinets for counter bases. Attractive and inexpensive bases for counter-height office work surfaces can be made from prefabricated, off-the-shelf kitchen cabinets. Deep drawers provide storage for bulky items, cupboard shelves are convenient for stationery storage, and shallow drawers are good for pens, staples, scissors and other small items. Lay a door blank or laminated countertop across two or more cabinets, stain them oak or walnut, or paint them to match the rest of the office.

Mid-wall shelving economizes space. Ten- to 12-inch wide shelves mounted about two-thirds the way up a wall on corbels or patented shelf brackets can utilize frequently wasted space. Mounted over desks, tables and counters, the shelves enable you to keep large work surfaces free of clutter and yet keep frequently used items close at hand. The shelves, mounted at about eye level, are also convenient for books, file trays, hole punches and postage scales.

File cabinets in wardrobe closets. Wardrobe closets are about the same depth as standard filing cabinets. By removing the closet doors, you can create an alcove that typically will house four letter or three legal file cabinets side-by-side. Add some shelving against the inside left and right closet walls and above the file cabinets, and you will have made a substantial addition to any bedroom home office.