15 Small Office Ideas

Whether you’re an entrepreneur or a solopreneur, it’s easy to operate a company from home or a small space. With so many opportunities for automation and remote working, you don’t need to have a big office or employees working with you. And considering most of us conduct meetings with clients outside the office, there’s not really any need to invest in astronomically expensive real estate to run your company.

This can be highly beneficial for many reasons, including lower utility costs and better work-life balance for employees. You can even hire remote workers or freelancers from another country to further boost your profit margins. Nonetheless, you still want to make your small office as practical and welcoming as possible.

Keep reading below to discover 15 excellent small office space ideas.

1. Go paperless

If you’re striving to be more environmentally friendly, there’s a good chance going paperless is already on your radar. In addition to being better for the planet, it’s also a great space saver. Nothing creates clutter like piles of paper, and it’s easier than you might think to eliminate it.

Instead of printing out paper for meetings, take your laptop with you. You can use a shared drive, the cloud or an intranet system to store essential documentation. In some cases, you might still need to use paper, but be sure to regularly sort it, file it away or recycle it where possible.

2. Use storage containers and labels

Storage containers are a lifesaver for company owners working from small offices. Ensure everything has a place you can put it away and label it to prevent mix-ups. Keep in mind, you can stack containers on top of each other or put them away out of sight to save office space.

Make putting everything away into its proper place a habit at the end of each workday so you can start the next one in a clutter-free space.

3. Make the most of wall space

Another great way to maximize storage space is by using the walls. This keeps clutter off the floor and makes tidying away at the end of each day easy. Floating shelves and slim, tall bookcases are the best ways to make the most of your wall space, although open-backed bookcases can also help create the illusion of more space.

Keep stationary, company files, invoices and anything else essential on these close-to-hand storage solutions.

4. Keep cables tidy

Messy cables don’t look great in any space, but in a small office, they’re a particular eyesore. But with such an abundance of non-negotiable electronic devices required for daily tasks, there’s no avoiding them. Luckily, there are plenty of tricks to hide unsightly wires away. Tucking them into tubing, running them behind walls, using cables tidies and hooking them discreetly behind furniture are a few examples.

5. Find multipurpose furniture solutions

Multipurpose furniture is a space-saving game-changer. Make sure chairs and desks double up as storage, and consider using stackable items you can push together at the end of the day. Use cupboard space as much as possible to keep the floor clear of clutter, put things away in containers wherever possible, and look into standing desks and wall desks for their space-saving potential.

6. Use a drop-down desk

One type of desk that takes up very little down is a drop-down desk. It’s possible to hide it among the existing joinery in a room, allowing you to use your space for different purposes. You could even get the desk built into cupboard or cabinet space and tidy equipment and furniture away when the desk is folded inside.

7. Buy a floating desk

There’s no escaping the need for a desk, but it’s one of the biggest, bulkiest items in any small office. Clunky table legs take up a surprising amount of floor space, and having a clear floor is one of the best ways to give the illusion of more room. Keep the desk, storage, cables and office equipment off the floor with a floating desk and shelves for a chic, practical modern aesthetic in your small office.

8. Decorate with the color green

Due to its prominent place in nature, the color green is naturally calming and pleasing to the eye. Not only can this help with productivity and mindset, it can give the impression that your small office is part of the vast outdoors. Pale, vibrant shades are best for super small office spaces, but a darker olive shade feature wall can work well in larger spaces. Make sure you have at least one or two plants and prints of nature, because they can add space and character.

9. Install glass doors

If you’re someone with a small office and a big budget to invest in making it as spacious and appealing as possible, install glass doors and walls. Open out the entire space by literally removing the barriers between your small office and the rest of the building.

When it comes to making a small area feel more roomy, seek to add as much light as possible. And using glass wherever possible is the best way to do so.

10. Turn a corridor into useable space

For anyone scratching their head over where to find useable office space in a small building or room, think about converting a corridor. Provided there’s another through-route for access, you can fill a hallway with desks, chairs, computers and workstations to avoid building an extension or spending on external office space.

The beauty of an office corridor is the ability to decorate the space separately from the rest of the building. You can opt for traditional minimal decor or be daring and create a unique workspace with colorful walls and quirky furniture.

11. Convert a closet

The cloffice is the perfect small office idea. All that’s required is a standard closet, minus the clothes, with some added shelving space. Effortlessly tidy your files, stationary, PC and chair away at night by tucking it back into the closet. Think of your cloffice as your modern day cubicle, except you’re surrounded by home comforts or taking advantage of the low rent of a tiny office building.

12. Zone off a nook

You can use any nook in a small office space to create desk space, and zoning is great for productivity and work-life balance . If you’re converting part of your home into a small office, it’s important to designate an area for work, so you can focus and then unwind at the end of the day.

Alcoves work best; all you need to do is measure the space and find or build a desk that fits into it. This already creates the illusion of separateness, and makes for a neat and tidy setup.

13. Strategically use mirrors

Everyone knows that one of the best tricks for creating space in a room is using mirrors. Large, borderless mirrors can make a tiny room look spacious–especially if you angle them so they’re facing a window. Not only does this bring more light and create an illusion of more space, it reflects the sky and greenery outside, opening up a small office space and helping you be more productive.

14. Opt for all-in-one desk and storage

It’s possible to get a modular office unit for small spaces that includes a desk with shelving and storage above. It takes up minimal space, and you can add it to any room to instantly transform it into a workspace.

15. Decorate with light colors

It might go without saying, but if you really want to maximize space in your small office, be sure to use light, bright colors. White is best because it reflects the most light, therefore creating the most space. Combine a white color scheme with plenty of mirrors and multipurpose furniture for the ultimate small office space.

If you rent out your small office space to freelancers or other independent workers who need it, you can monetize the small office space you have and keep a stable income, regardless of the type of work that gets done there.