Nobody likes clutter in the office; it makes a space uncomfortable to work in, it makes much-needed documents difficult to find and it slows down the workplace to a snail’s pace dotted with periods of frantic foraging. There are many storage solutions to overcome the litter nightmare. From wide open and well-labeled shelves to cheap box files, here are some neat ways to relieve office clutter.
IMAGE: PEXELS
1. Storage Cabinets
If you have the office space, consider installing purpose-built office storage, such as a dedicated filing cabinet. Storage cabinets are classic and durable office solutions. They keep your files safer from environmental effects than cardboard box files, and they offer cataloging solutions for ease of retrieval. With locks, they offer more security and longevity for storage. When organizing a cabinet, remember to store important documents at the front of the units and to choose useful cataloging methods, such as by date or type of document.
2. Open Shelves
Open shelving helps alleviate mess by providing easy access to documents, files, and folders. They can be personalized with trinkets, making for a relaxing and functional working environment. When choosing to shelve, opt for open and versatile solutions. Remember to code shelves by their contents and keep your most referenced documents in an easy to reach position and not on the top shelf.
3. Box Files
Storing paper documents has to be well thought out. Keeping them enclosed in sealed boxes lessens the effects of moist air and light which damages paper over time. Box files are simple, easy to store solutions to these issues. They can be kept organized, color-coded and labeled on your shelves. From closed box files to ring binders, they are an ideal and cheap solution to document storage. Boxes and letter files can also be used on your desktop, but make sure only to include what is necessary or rotate the files into further storage so as to avoid clutter. It is also good practice to have a “best before” date for documents: after a certain period of time, throw them out.
4. Under Desk And Hidden Storage
A whole variety of mobile and immobile cabinets, shelves and boxes can be placed under your desk for ease of access. They offer discreet and space preserving solutions. As with under desk storage, ottomans, trunks and storage benches offer a means to easily hide documents from view; just remember you put them there.
5. Floating Shelves And Wall Hung Storage
Floating shelves and wall-mounted cages installed above your desk both offer a versatile means of storing documents at arms reach. They are best used for those needing to preserve space and with little document volume.
6. Compact All-In-One Solutions
There are various all-in-one desk and storage solutions on the internet if you are looking to preserve space at home. Ideas such as this are great for starting out, but be prepared to expand as you require to store more documents.
7. Mobile Storage
For those with both space and money, mobile storage offers impressive and well-designed solutions for large quantities of stored documents. This moveable, walk-in cabinet is an impressive centerpiece for any office environment, and an ideal means of storing files, folders and boxes.
8. Combination
Remember, a combination of all the above solutions — although, wallet permitting, perhaps not the mobile option — is a pragmatic means of storing documents. Take this home office, for instance, which has seamlessly contained and coded storage across a small office room.
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8 Future-Proof Storage Solutions For Office Documents
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