Case Study: Home Office Organizing

Many people like myself worked from home before the pandemic made this a necessity. My client, who is an actor and producer, also worked from home prior to the mandates. He needed home office organizing assistance to create better systems for managing his workspace as well as his paperwork and digital files. This was especially important as he was preparing to produce his first film and needed his workspace to support this new project.

Before:  My client’s home office was in a corner of his living room. While he has ample space for his desk, file cabinets, and his printer, the area was cluttered with excess papers and materials. This was the perfect opportunity to assess how best to utilize the space and storage within it.  The bookcase to the left of his desk was both decorative and functional. In addition, the contents of the 3 file cabinets needed to be re-organized so that each cabinet served a specific purpose. Lastly a review of his digital filing system was needed as well as an information flow system to keep the paper clutter to a minimum.  

After: We started this home office organizing project by doing a round of decluttering of both the physical space and digital desktop. First, a spot was designated on the bookcase for only current project folders and then a vertical file was setup on the desk to manage the paper flow. Slots were assigned for the mail, task paperwork and receipts thus leaving the desktop space clear for materials related to daily tasks. We then moved on to the file cabinets and sorted the paperwork into one of 3 categories: business, personal and archive. Folders were labeled and filed alphabetically in the appropriate drawer. Once the supply drawers were re-organized and the contents limited to a suitable quantity of frequently used items, the surplus was stowed away in a plastic storage bin. As part of the re-organizing in each area, we set up simple procedures for managing the materials and maintaining the space.

Here’s my client’s testimonial: “I cannot thank you enough for getting ‘my house’ in order, meaning my disorganized home office!

You were very calming while we were working on assigning drawers, creating files and folders, and decluttering my computer’s desktop.  Not only was everything clean and fresh when you left, but I no longer had any trepidation’s working, knowing that my mind can be free to think at the task on hand rather than where to find things. I think your services are a hidden jewel.”

Working virtually to tackle re-organizing your home office is another option for getting the job done.  Reach out to your NYC Professional Office Organizer today to discuss your home office organizing challenges.