Stylish home office storage solutions to get your life organised
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Whether you're working from home or just trying to keep a lifetime of documents in order, piles of paper and pens strewn across surfaces do not make for a relaxing environment.
Your "home office" may be an entire room, or just a corner of a table and a shelf in the living room. But whatever your set-up, these areas have a nasty habit of becoming a dumping ground for letters and paperclips.
If you've decided now is the time to get organised, we've rounded up some of the most stylish storage options that don't look too "corporate" and so won't feel out of place in your home.
From filing systems and storage baskets, to clever stationery organisers and even a slimline desk, we've scoured the shops for the chicest options around with prices starting at just £7.
If Notebook Stationery Organiser Belt | £7 at A Place For Everything
If you can never find a pen when you need one, this stationery organiser could put an end to that issue. Available in four colours. (red, purple, turquoise and charcoal) the elasticated strap wraps around your chosen A5 notepad or journal and has six loops that can grip pens, pencils, USBs or even glasses.
Box File In Marbled Print by Harris & Jones Ltd | £35 at Not On The High Street
If your files are going to be out on display you'll want them to be pleasing to the eye and these marbled box files certainly fulfil that brief. Made from 90% recycled materials and handmade to order in a country workshop in Bedfordshire, the files can be personalised so you can tell at a glance what is in each one, plus they have card frames on spines for easy referencing. One happy shopper commented in a review: "Absolutely exquisite design and functional too! I love them and they have really cheered up my home workspace".
Anyday Wall-Mounted Metal Shelf Unit & Noticeboard | £30 at John Lewis & Partners
Some papers can't be filed away as you need to be able to access the information on them quickly. To avoid regularly referenced documents cluttering up your surfaces, you could attache them to a wall-mounted display such as this unit, which gives you the option of pinning documents to the cork memo board or attaching them using the two clips included. There are also two hooks and a couple of shelves to hold stationery.
EasyPAG Desktop Metal Magazine File | £14.99 at Amazon
Longer lasting than cardboard files, these pretty metal magazine files won't look out of place on your bookshelves, meaning work documents can be hidden in among your novels and ornaments. Also available in black. or in a pack of three for £34.99.
Leather Basket by Life of Riley | £154 at Not On The High Street
One way to avoid piles of papers or magazines looking too "corporate" is to store them in an item you would be more likely to find in a home than an office, such as this luxurious conker brown leather basket which is deep enough to conceal even the most backlogged in-tray or growing magazine collection.
Hiba Stackable Metal Locker | £35.75 (Was £55) at La Redoute
For a colourful storage solution, stack up a pile of these galvanised metal crates in Prussian blue, ochre yellow, pale pink, grey, black, off-white and grey-green. Measuring 36cm x 30cm x 33cm (WxHxD), they are a good option if you like to be able to pack away all your work supplies quickly at the end of the day. With handles on the side, they are easy to stack and move around — which is handy if your desk and storage aren't in the same room. The crates each have label holders on the side so you can see at a glance what is in each one.
5 Dutch House Magazine Paper Storage File Holders, by NippyNewt | £30 at Etsy
If you want to make a feature of your storage, these beautifully carved magazine files are certainly a conversation starter. Precision laser cut from MDF wood, they are supplied flat packed and will need to be glued together, but according to reviewers they are simple to construct and can be decorated using water-based paint to match your colour scheme.
Rattan Pot Pen Holder by WilandBoo | £13.50 at Etsy
Fans of the rattan interiors trend will love these dainty pencil pots, which are handmade and sold by a small London-based business. Each pot measures 10cm in height, making them just the right size to keep your wayward pens in order.
John Lewis & Partners Abacus Narrow Filing Cabinet, Oak | £179 at John Lewis & Partners
Despite not usually being the most attractive item of furniture, office filing cabinets have stood the test of time as they work well if you have a lot of paperwork to keep in order. Most are made of metal, but if you want something less industrial that will look more 'at home' in your home, this oak and veneer cabinet is a good option. It has two deep drawers, with runners in each for A4 hanging files. One John Lewis customer commented in a review that this cabinet has been "the ideal solution for my paper work". "I was sick of box files all over the place and bought this to fit in with the furniture in my 'snug'. I love it," they added.
Suspension File Storage Box by Bigso Box | £23 at A Place For Everything
If you don't have enough paperwork to justify a filing cabinet, this sleek suspension storage box is a good space saving option. Covered in charcoal grey Nordic paper which offers extra rigidity and a stylish look, each box comes with eight free suspension files (worth £5), which are the perfect size for A4 documents. "Robust, smart and high quality, worth the price," commented one shopper in the product reviews.
Rattan storage basket | £34.99 at H&M
A bestseller at H&M, this deep basket with decorative rattan sides is large enough (26cm x 31cm x 35cm) to hold A4 documents and can easily be slotted onto deep shelves. With 174 customers rating it on average 4.7 out of 5 stars, one shopper commented in the reviews that this crate offers "amazing storage and really elevates the bookshelf I've slotted it in".
Arizona Ladder Desk | £150 at Homebase
The minimalist design of this desk will prevent your work space from looking too corporate, while the two open shelves provide ample storage space for files and the open compartment beneath the desk is a good place to stow away a laptop when not in use.
