The type of storage you introduce to your home office can completely transform how these rooms function and feel. In a space that’s expected to boost focus, support productivity and often double up as something else entirely – such as a spare bedroom or a corner of the kitchen – every item needs a thoughtful place to live.
So, whether you’re stashing tech, filing paperwork away or folding your desk out of sight, storage should bring structure to your space, without losing style points in the process.
We asked interior design experts to share their top home office storage ideas to help you stay organised, inspired and ready to work from home.
1. Don’t overlook your desk
(Image credit: Sharps)
“When you’re working with a smaller space or a multipurpose room, smart storage is essential, and it starts with the desk,” explains Lena Gierasinska, head of product and displays at Barker and Stonehouse. “Choosing a desk with built-in storage is a simple but effective way to keep everything you need close at hand while maintaining a clutter-free surface. Drawers and compartments not only help organise your workspace but also make it easier to transition between work and home life, especially in shared or living areas.”
To take your desk storage to the next level, look out for organisers that divide drawers into neat sections and help you organise your stationery, tech accessories, and those endlessly roaming paperclips into individual, easy to find compartments.
“Power access is a another must for modern home offices,” addsJosie Medved, design manager for Symphony Fitted Furniture. “Installing a flip socket or pop-up socket directly into the desk or worktop is a smart and stylish way to store cables and chargers within reach without cluttering your workspace.”
Amtido Desk Drawer Organiser Tray for Office Stationary Supplies
This handy desk drawer organiser has 3 sections, perfect for desk accessories, pencils, pens and smaller utensils, adjusted according to your needs.
Lena Gierasinska
Lena is Head of Product & Displays at Barker and Stonehouse and has worked at the business for over 8 years. She has more than 13 years’ industry experience working with brands in the interiors and retail sector.
Josie Medved
As Design Manager for Symphony Fitted Furniture, Josie champions smart, flexible storage solutions, from fitted joinery to clever hideaway offices, designed to enhance everyday life.
2. Let your walls do the heavy lifting with vertical storage
(Image credit: Pooky)
“If space is tight in your home office layout, think vertically and use the walls as much as possible for storage,” recommends Ryan McDonough, interior design expert at MyJobQuote.co.uk. “This will help you keep the floor free for your desk and chair and will save the space from feeling too cramped.”
“The best part of wall-mounted shelves or tall bookcases is that they give you plenty of storage without encroaching on valuable floor space,” adds Lena Gierasinska at Barker and Stonehouse. “Not only is this space-efficient, but it also adds height and dimension to your home office setup.”
If you care as much about how your home office looks as how it works, it pays to get a little creative with your storage. In the example above, simple wire shelves turn everyday items into part of the decor. Books, stationery and favourite objects all pull double duty, keeping things organised while adding character to the room.
Williston Forge Maniscalco Metal Accent Shelf
This stylish wall unit with wire basket cubbyholes would suit all manner of home office schemes, and there’s even space to add your own organisational labels.
Ryan McDonagh
Ryan works as an interior designer and a painter decorator for his own company ‘RMC Home Design Renovation’, as well as being a frequent contributor to MyJobQuote.co.uk.
3. Conceal your office behind closed doors or cupboards
(Image credit: Symphony Fitted Furniture)
A home office concealed behind a hidden door is a neat and discrete design choice that allows you to store your belongings behind closed doors when you’re not in work mode.
“One of my favourite solutions is to tuck the workspace away behind sleek folding doors,” explains Josie Medved at Symphony Fitted Furniture. “It allows you to hide your office when it’s not in use and maintain a calm, clutter-free retreat.”
“Pocket doors with open shelves provide excellent storage without taking up too much space,” Josie continues. “Minimalist flat doors in dark finishes are very on-trend right now, and they’re perfect for creating a modern, understated look that blends seamlessly with the rest of your home. And since so much of our work is now digital, large desks aren’t as necessary.”
These concealed setups are perfect for when you’re designing a home office in a spare room, as they allow you to store clutter and stay organised without sacrificing any valuable living space in the process.
4. Style your space with floating shelves
(Image credit: Furniture And Choice)
“Floating shelves are a staple within a home office,” says James Mackie, managing director at BestBuy Office Chairs. “They provide a convenient space for storing books, stationery and miscellaneous items, allowing you to maximise storage, without taking up unnecessary floor space.”
Better still, floating shelves can double as a stylish vignette in your home. Add a few well-chosen pieces – such as a framed print, a trailing plant, or a small touch lamp – and suddenly, your storage becomes part of the décor.
To make the most of them, use the lower shelf for frequently used items like notebooks, trays, or a pencil pot, and keep decorative or less-used pieces higher up your walls. If your shelves are slim, stick to lighter items and avoid overloading them. Cable clips or small storage jars can help corral clutter, while matching folders or magazine files give a neater finish if you’re storing papers.
James Mackie
James Mackie is Managing Director at BestBuy Office Chairs, drawing on years of industry insight to advise on ergonomic, space-savvy home workspaces.
5. Opt for a Hideaway Desk
(Image credit: USM)
If your home doesn’t have room for a dedicated office, consider buying a hideaway desk that can store your laptop and other office essentials. Compact, clever and easy to close, these units can be placed under the stairs or on a narrow landing, to give you the freedom to work where you need to, then reclaim the space when the working day is done.
“In multipurpose spaces, a hideaway office is the perfect choice,” explains James Mackie, at BestBuy Office Chairs. “It allows your desk to fold away when not in use, to minimise clutter and expand the appearance of space in the room.” Best of all, a well-designed foldaway desk still gives you ample storage, from drawers and cubbies to upper shelving for files and accessories.
6. Commission custom joinery for a tailored approach to storage
(Image credit: Hammonds Furniture)
“When approaching a home office project, I always advise my clients to consider custom joinery,” says Claire Garner, director at Claire Garner Design Studio. “This can be tailored to their working needs exactly, helping with organisation and resulting in a more visually calm and clutter-free room.”
Commissioning bespoke storage allows you to design a modern home office that works exactly the way you do, from pull-out printer drawers and filing systems to shelves perfectly proportioned for your needs. Plus, you can customise the finish of these pieces to perfectly suit your home aesthetic. Want to match your storage with the rest of your cabinetry? No problem. Prefer something that disappears into the background? That’s doable. This way, the end result feels considered and cohesive, like it was always meant to be there.
Claire Garner
Claire has over 15 years’ experience in the interior design industry, and over a decade running her own interior design studio. She believes in designing spaces which are tailored just for you, by getting a full understanding of how you live your life, and how you want your home to feel.
7. Opt for modular, labelled storage boxes
(Image credit: SmartStore / Orthex)
According to Craig Sammells, country manager at Orthex Group, getting your home office storage right starts with one thing: labelling.
“Labelling is probably the key to successful storage,” Craig says. “Choose storage boxes that you can write on with dry eraser markers, or those you can buy labels for, which in turn you can write on or wipe off.”
Craig also recommends opting for clear, stackable boxes to save floor space, but cautions not going overboard and build your own Leaning Tower of Pisa. Instead, he recommends choosing “modular boxes that mean you can fit several smaller boxes in the space on the lid of a larger box.”
“You can save time by using transparent storage so at a glance you know what is where,” he continues. “Again, go modular to maximise what you can store. If you prefer to hide items from view then choose solid storage and you could use small sticky labels for colour-coding – blue for stationery, red for accounts etc.”
“If you’re going to be moving your home office storage out of the way quite frequently then durability is key,” he adds. “To keep them secure from tiny hands, pets or just the contents spilling out if they’re knocked over then choose storage with clip-close lids. If you are storing some of your home office gear in a damp space like a garage or shed, then choose water-resistant storage so you can ensure the contents remains clean and dry.”
Shop Stackable Storage
8. Maximise the space under your desk
(Image credit: USM)
“Make the most of your office desk by incorporating storage features both on the surface and underneath,” says James Mackie at BestBuy Office Chairs. “If your desk doesn’t have built-in storage, it’s worthwhile investing in a small filing cabinet to place underneath. This will help keep the space organised whilst not using up any extra floor space.”
Look for slimline units on castors so you can easily move them around as your needs change. Or opt for bright, modular drawer sets to inject colour as well as functionality. From pens and paperwork to tech accessories and chargers, tucking storage under your desk keeps your workspace clean, clear and ready for whatever the day throws at you.
9. Take advantage of multi-functional furniture
(Image credit: Hillarys)
“Multifunctional furniture is a game changer in home offices,” says Lena Gierasinska at Barker and Stonehouse. “These kinds of dual-purpose pieces are perfect for rooms that need to work hard, whether that’s a guest bedroom doubling as an office or a dining room that transforms into a workspace during the day. Think ottomans with hidden storage or sideboards that double as filing space allow you to store office essentials discreetly.”
In the office pictured above, a media wall unit has been cleverly adapted to include a built-in desk, with open storage that keeps everything on show. To make this kind of multifunctional setup work in your own home, style your shelves with a mix of books, practical items and personal touches. Try to keep colours tonal and space objects out neatly to stop your setup feeling too busy.
10. Add woven baskets to inject a little rustic charm
(Image credit: Benjamin Moore UK)
Sometimes the simplest solutions are the most effective. Woven baskets, like the ones pictured here, are ideal for stashing loose papers, stationery, or tangles of chargers and cables that don’t seem to have any other home. More decorative than clear plastic tubs, woven baskets and trays work just as well on open shelving as they do tucked into built-in cabinetry.
If you’re leaning into the rattan look, consider balancing it with other natural materials like timber, linen or jute to help your home office feel cohesive. Varying the size and shape of your baskets can also make them more useful, giving you an easy place to store everything from receipts to reams of printer paper.
3-Piece Set
Brambly Cottage 3 Piece Basket Set
This storage basket set is ideal for storing various office items and keeping them organised and within reach without taking up too much space.
11. Don’t overlook the practicalities of a peg board
(Image credit: Hillarys)
When your space is limited but your office supplies keep growing, a wall mounted pegboard is a flexible way to keep things tidy and accessible. In the space pictured above, a large wooden pegboard doubles as both a backdrop and a storage zone.
The beauty of a pegboard is how easily it can adapt to your daily working needs. When needed, you can add shelves, hooks, clips or pots depending on what you’re storing, and rearrange the layout as often as you like. It’s also a great way to bring some visual interest to your office walls without overdoing it – especially if you mix in a few decorative pieces between the practical bits.
This peg board allows you to arrange the shelves exactly the way you want them, and easily fits into any style of interior.
12. Style open shelving with both storage and display in mind
(Image credit: Furniture Village)
Open shelves and freestanding bookcases can function as so much more than just a place to hold your office supplies. When designed correctly, these spaces can have a huge impact on the look and feel of your home workspace.
“Swapping even a small run of cabinets for open shelving can make a room feel larger and brighter,” explains Bo Hellberg, CMO at String Furniture. “It allows for plenty of storage and creates an opportunity to display your favourite pieces, without overwhelming the space with heavy cabinetry.”
The beauty of open shelving is that it can be as curated or as casual as you like. “Some people prefer a mix of different items,” Bo adds, “while others go for a more uniform style where everything matches perfectly. Both work well, just make sure you don’t overwhelm the shelves.”
The trick here is to treat open shelves as equal parts functional and decorative: make sure you store what you need but leave space for a few things you love. A little breathing space between objects will also help keep the look clean and considered.
Bo Hellberg
As CMO for interiors brand, String Furniture, Bo is involved in everything from brand and marketing to product development. He spends much of his time waxing lyrical about Swedish design and craftsmanship.
13. Carve out storage space above doorways
(Image credit: Zinus)
The space above a doorway often goes unused, but if you’ve got the ceiling height, it can be a brilliant area for an extra shelf or two. These hidden spots are ideal for storing items you don’t reach for daily, like archives, spare notebooks or back-up tech. It’s a clever way to add storage without crowding your floor plan. Just be sure to keep things light: opt for magazine files or slim boxes, and avoid overloading the shelf, especially if the wall fixings aren’t heavy duty!
14. Convert a bureau into a writing desk with storage
(Image credit: OKA)
A traditional bureau might not scream ‘home office’, but with a few thoughtful tweaks, it can double as the perfect workstation-storage hybrid. The drop-down front creates an instant work surface, while the drawers and cubbies inside are ideal for stashing stationery, paperwork or even a slimline laptop.
“Bureaus are a great option for multifunctional spaces,” says Ryan McDonough at MyJobQuote.co.uk. “If your home office also serves as a guest bedroom or living area, a bureau with a slide-out worktop and built-in storage lets you tuck everything away when the working day’s done.”
They’re also a brilliant choice if you want something that looks more like furniture and less like a workspace – especially in rooms where work needs to disappear at the end of the day.
Short on space? Our small home office ideas prove you don’t need a spare room to create a stylish, hardworking setup.
View the original article and our Inspiration here
Leave a Reply