Storage containers: Working from home.

How much work do you really bring home? If you are using an abundance of storage containers to contain the paperwork from your office, or the overflow from your side job, then a work-at-home office is the perfect solution. The economy is pretty bad. It’s downright awful in fact. This has forced many of us to not only work from home, but to stay there as well. Best to make the most of it then, by installing a compact office at home, enabling you to get work done even during the most trying of times. Everyone wants room for an office, and with a few wire racks here and there your spare room or garage can begin to resemble a decent working space.

The kitchen, a cramped and often messy environment where papers can get lost or damaged, is not the ideal home-base. This has long been the fallback location for the enterprising home-worker, but now other spaces must suffice. A quieter space is needed, one that is separated from daily household traffic. Search your home for an unused section of space. What about the corner of the lounge where that massive pot plant is? Have you ever considered a large bedroom closet? Pack that pot plant into a storage container and throw your old clothes into a plastic storage bin, making way for your new office.

This unused section of space can now be converted into a peaceful office area, where a laptop, chair and desk can be inserted. Electrical power, shelves and a cabinet can be installed, giving you easy access to those items you use most frequently. And by using wireless internet most messy cable issues can be eliminated. Your ‘closet’ office can also be customised for an eye-catching look. Consider investing in some pretty wallpaper or painting the area in the same colour for a uniform look and feel.

There are so many ways to create a functional office without having any actual office space to play around with. All it takes is a desk and a little bit of imagination. A large, second hand table can be cut down to size and mounted directly into a corner, creating an instant office area. A large piece of wood, with glass mounted on top of it, can create a table with a traditional appeal. Think beyond the proverbial storage container for keeping items together.

Glass jars make excellent stationary holders; wire rack shelving is the ideal way to store important documents and cable ties keep all those messy wires together. Hiding the wires is also a breeze. Cut a small section of tubing from an old pool hose and slip it over the cables for a waterproof and aesthetically pleasing solution.

A common error most people make is to overlook the possible uses of a large, vertical space. We tend to build horizontal as opposed to vertical, as this negates valuable storage space. Books, DVD’s, files and more can be stacked high up, to be retrieved when you need it. Just keep it all uncluttered, clean and functional. Your office space does not need to be large and imposing. A small and well organised space does the trick just as well. When in doubt, use a collection of storage containers to keep it all together.

Judi Parsons is a plastic storage and wire racks salesperson for a storage container company.