Thrifty Home Office Ideas

Thrifty home office ideas can inspire creative actions.

Thrifty home office ideas provide an opportunity to take advantage of furniture, decorations and other materials that you already own. Build a functional office space using simple methods that reduce your start-up expenses. Use thrifty home office ideas to create a unique arrangement that meets your satisfaction.

Can Cubby Organizers

Empty and wash a small group of paint cans or coffee containers to use as desk organizers. Fill each canister with a separate collection of paperwork that could get misplaced in piles on your desk such as bills, contracts and marketing materials. You can also designate specific cans to be used for incoming mail and outgoing mail. Recycled cans are thrifty home office ideas that provide eco-friendly organization solutions for desk space.

Pencil Vase Holders

Fill empty flower vases with ink pens, pencils, highlighters and other writing utensils. Flower vases can help to add a decorative approach to your home office without incurring additional expenses. Line the bottom of large flower vases with marbles or stones; they will allow you to reach all writing utensils with ease. Marble lined pencil vase holders can also provide additional uses as bookends in your home office.

Repurposed Furniture

Consider adding unused or old household furniture to your home office. Tables and chairs from a dining room, kitchen or bedroom can be re-purposed for business related tasks. Add a cushion to the seat of wooden chairs if necessary for comfort. You can also modify the assembly of selected household furniture by removing parts, adding hardware or painting them to fit your desired office layout.

Retail Wall Panels

Attach slat wall panels, brackets, shelves and related retail store display items to a wall in your home office. Slat wall panels can be used as an alternative to bookcases and other large pieces of furniture. Obtain the slat wall and related accessories from a local retail store that is going out of business if possible. You can display photos, artwork, books, file baskets and other home office materials on top of the wall shelving units. The slat wall display will help to provide extra desk and floor space in your home office.

References

• Martha Stewart Living: Paint-Can Cubbies
• Better Homes and Gardens: Budget Ideas for a Home Office-Bright Ideas
• HGTV: Building A Home Office on a Budget
• Better Homes and Gardens: Thrifty Think Pad
• The Post-Star: The Great Cover-Up