Office Organizing with a Splash of Color
Who says that office organizing ideas have to be dull? Not your NYC Professional Organizer! Try putting some personal pizzazz in your workspace… it will be a great motivator to keep it organized. Though before you start, consider your company culture so that your choices will adhere to established guidelines if appropriate. Assess your needs before shopping for office organizing products so that your selections will suit your aesthetic sense and be functional. After all, you will be organizing the place where you spend about half your waking hours every day. You will want it set up to maximize your productivity while at the same time be reflective of your personality.
I use the inside of my desk and files to create secret places of beauty. I have traded those hideous green-grey industrial hanging folders for a rainbow of colors. Try using different colors for different categories: yellow for current projects, blue for accounts payable and receivable, red for clients. Keeping all the small office supplies organized can be a real challenge as the paper clips, binder clips and rubber bands tend to get intertwined into one huge mess. Companies like Poppin offer bright storage solutions that add a pop of color and can easily fit in a drawer. So every time I open my desk drawers or file cabinet, I’m treated to a blast of color which brightens my day. Making organization exciting is one of the office organize ideas that my clients find most effective.
A white peg board is a great way to keep your desk clear and have those frequently used items within arm’s reach. You can hang different sized containers from it which will keep you organized and brighten your office at the same time. Coordinate with colored push pins, hanging boxes of varying sizes, and other colorful items to make a statement. If the national big box stores don’t have the colors or patterns that make your heart sing, there’s a huge variety to be found online. Search “pretty office supplies,” to find a number of sites where you can let your decorating ideas run wild.
If you have a small company or home office and prefer a rustic or more natural look, try using wicker for in-boxes and recycled wooden furniture instead of metal filing cabinets, tables, and racks. Local household stores, your local thrift or antique store can be a treasure trove of items that can be re-purposed for your office, giving it a unique look.
When starting your Pizzazz Project, do just one item or a group of small items (say, a desk set) at a time. See how it feels, and if you like the colors and style. Continue adding additional items as you need them, or discover them. This way your style will develop as you keep adding to what you already have, matching or contrasting as your imagination dictates. I would add a word of caution as space is limited on and in your desk. Limiting your office organizing purchases to that minimum number that gets you better organized while providing a pop of color is the way to go.
As you re-imagine your workspace, do keep in mind the tone and style of your company. Your NYC professional Organizer points out that a conservative firm may not approve of a purple desk or psychedelic posters from the 60s. But at an indie film company, it might be just the thing. Consider also if your space is shared or your own. If you are sharing, you might have to be content with a few coordinated items in your desk and on your desktop, plus a few personal touches around your space like photos in your favorite frames. You can always find a way to make your workspace a little more personal, “pizzazzy,” and bring a little more organized joy to your day.