Article by Chris Robertson

Time management is a major problem for everyone, with billions of dollars lost each year as everyone struggles to keep up with work tasks, office clutter, emails, meetings, and general overload. Freelancers and home-based entrepreneurs are no exception to this modern syndrome. However, a thoughtful makeover using modern furniture to streamline the office can dramatically boost productivity.

Exciting electronic developments to aid time management usually easily lead people to overlook something just as fundamental and important for overall productivity, namely, the use of office space. While major corporations may hire specialists to plan their spaces, the person working at home is more likely to end up with something far from optimal and end up paying for it with lost hours.

A fresh look at office furniture and its arrangement in a home office can provide surprising opportunities for making the most of the work time. While most people are accustomed to simply making do with whatever is on hand for their workspace, investing time and funds up front to match one’s work style to the physical environment will reap payoffs that continue for years. Today there are many options to create a sleek, attractive and functional workspace using modern furniture.

Internationally acclaimed organizational guru Julie Morgenstern, author of Organizing from the Inside Out, offers tested advice for creating the timesaving office. Two of the major factors to consider in selecting office furniture for maximum effect involve what furniture to chose and then where to place it, as she explains it.

Great Home Office Design Options

In furnishing an office, especially a home office, it is tempting to buy the fewest pieces possible and make do with whatever else is on hand. That assumption should be challenged. If you are working from home, you need the infrastructure that serves you best. Remember that your office is your production space, so don’t shortchange yourself here if you want to run a profitable enterprise! The outdated desk or the garage sale ensemble is not going to serve your needs.

As Morgenstern observes, much of the clutter that eats up productivity and lowers morale is due to the simple fact that there is no place to store the papers, books, files, accessories, etc., that are present in offices. It is imperative to buy adequate desks, books, filing cabinets, and credenzas to store things in an organized fashion, instead of piling them all over. As she puts it, give everything a home! Fortunately, with today’s great designs, you can add the work and storage spaces you need while creating an inviting and functional space. A little shopping around in real and internet furniture stores will lead you to numerous options for desks, files, bookcases, including gorgeous Italian and European contemporary furniture designs that will make anyone want to sit down and get to work!

Locate Furniture Strategically

As Morgenstern notes, most people fail to put the furniture where it actually is needed. Instead of putting a credenza or the bookcase by your desk, put your file cabinets there so that you will not be tempted to let files pile up on your desk. Beautiful contemporary desks are available with built in file drawers and with mobile file units on casters that can do this task in style. When you have the drawer at your fingertips, you can grab the file when a customer calls, or slip that finished report in its place. Later, you can find it when you need it! For greatest efficiency, Morgenstern suggest a U-shaped desk for most functionality, by the way.

While there are more design elements that you can leverage in your office to boost your productivity, just these two simple steps of incorporating attractive, modern furniture into a useful arrangement will provide you a beautiful, functional place to enjoy your work and get more done!