How You Should Be Using Your Walls To Maximize Smaller Home Office Spaces

If you have a small home office, you're probably constantly looking for ways to make the most out of your cramped area. Maybe you've tried using space saving furniture that can maximize the office space, or perhaps you've decluttered your supplies or bought more freestanding organizers. However, while these tricks can be helpful, there's another genius idea that will transform your space: use your walls for storage. There are a number of items you could install on your walls to make them more useful, including floating shelves, a pegboard, a hanging filing system, or a whiteboard calendar or corkboard. All of these products will help you go vertical instead of taking up more desk space or square footage in your limited area.

There are countless benefits to using the wall space in your home office. To begin, this will allow you to tidy up your office desk, as you won't need to store as many items (like calendars or pen holders) on the surface. Going vertical also gives you the opportunity to make typically-unused areas more useful, like the wall space above your desk or a small area below a window. Furthermore, storing items on the wall could free up space inside your desk drawers or underneath your desk, making your space more functional overall. 

The first way to use the walls in your home office for storage is to transform the space with floating shelves. These are typically a better option than a freestanding shelving unit, as they won't take up any floor space. Floating shelves are usually installed either directly above the desk or right beside it. While there are plenty of shelves to choose from, EALLRINEC's set of three floating shelves that are each 2 feet long and that cost $32 on Amazon are a great option, as they have metal bars on either side that will keep books or other items upright. You could also store pen holders, decorations, tech items, and other supplies like staplers and sticky notes on the shelves, too.

Another option is to hang a pegboard on the wall, and the popular SKÅDIS model that comes in three colors at IKEA and that costs $28 is a great choice. You'd also have to purchase some SKÅDIS accessories, such as hooks and hanging storage baskets, or you could buy the SKÅDIS pegboard combination for $60 that comes with some accessories included. Pegboards allow you to hang items such as pen holders and small shelves as well as items like scissors and headphones. You could also attach sticky note reminders or a calendar to the board, making it a multi-functional item that will really help you make the most of your small home office.

On the other hand, if you have lots of paper items that are taking up space inside or on top of your desk, a hanging filing system could be just what you need. There are tons of options on the market, including an EasyPAG hanging wall file organizer with five mesh pockets and labels that costs $22 on Amazon. These stylish organizers could be used to tame big stacks of mail, homework, or paperwork. They would also make the items easy to access, which could simplify your work routine.

Finally, instead of keeping a large paper calendar on your desk or storing sticky notes with reminders along your computer screen, try using a whiteboard calendar or a corkboard. Walmart carries the U Brands magnetic dry erase calendar for less than $11, which would allow you to plan out your schedule each month and also display small reminders on the bottom with magnets. If you'd rather just pin a paper calendar up on your wall, try using a corkboard like the DAHAPYBOO bulletin board that costs $10 on Amazon and some push pins. These options would be ideal for those who rent, as you can attach them to the wall with either command strips or hooks.