How to organize home office drawers

Discover efficient strategies and step-by-step guidance in our comprehensive guide on How to Organize Home Office Drawers. Transform your workspace with practical tips for decluttering, categorizing, and maximizing drawer space for optimal productivity.

There is something so satisfying about opening a drawer and having everything neatly sorted and organized.

I fully believe that having a specific spot for things makes it so, so much easier to put them away quickly and keep your space organized.

Today we want to talk about organization in your home office.

An organized home office is crucial for productivity, and often, the key lies in well-structured drawers. From stationery to important documents, properly organized drawers can streamline your workflow.

Today we want to take you step-by-step through the process of organizing your home office drawers for maximum efficiency!

How to organize home office drawers

Here are the steps that I took when getting our home office organized!

Assessing Your Needs

Before you start doing any actual organization in your office, I want to take a second to make a plan.

Think about what is in the drawers or cabinet space of your office. What do you wish could fit in this area?

Make a list of the items you use most frequently in your home office. Try to sort and organize the list to group like items together.

Then, count your drawers or other storage space, and sort of map out where each item or category of items should ideally go. This might change as we go along the process, but it’s a great place to start.

Decluttering and Sorting

Empty out each drawer completely. Sort the items into categories such as paper, tech accessories, files.

Immediately recycle or donate unwanted or outdated items.

For the remaining items, try to sort them by item and then how they are used.

For example, put all of the pens in a pile. Then, put the highlighters in a pile next to the pens, since they are used similarly. Stack notepads, but in a different spot from the pens and highlighters.

Choosing the Right Organizational Tools

it is super important to choose any bins or containers you were going to use based on the items you want to store. That’s why I always suggest sorting out your actual stuff before buying bins. I know that can lead to a mess sitting in your office for a few days, but I think it’s totally worth it.

Here are some common types or drawer organizers:

• Trays – best for papers or pads
• Bins – great for smaller items
• Dividers – perfect for giving awkward shaped items a dedicated spot
• Caddies – ideal for things you like to grab as a set and take on the go

Remember to measure your drawers – inside dimensions! – before ordering any bins.

Optimizing Drawer Layout

next, I suggest dry fitting your storage items. This means just placing the different bins in the drawers with nothing in them and rearranging them like a jigsaw puzzle until you get a layout that fits and maximize the space.

Of course, you want to think about keeping the most use items in the most convenient spaces. Save little used items for bottom drawers. This will make your drawers as efficient as possible.

Labeling and Categorizing

Once you feel good about your layout, you can start categorizing your items and adding them to the different bins and containers.

At this time you might find some issues, like things not fitting where you want them to go.

I highly recommend that you take the time to exchange dividers or bins that do not work for your purposes.

You want everything to fit in nicely and neatly and easily. If your organization is not easy, you’re not going to be putting stuff back and it will be a mess again before you know it.

Now, add labels! I love adding labels to the front of any sort of closed bin or drawer.

If you have bins you look into overhead, usually no label is necessary. Use your judgement!

Utilizing Space Effectively

When you’re organizing your office, you just want to make sure you take advantage of all of the potential storage space.

One space that is often overlooked is vertical space!

Stackable organizers or dividers can be a great option for taking advantage of that vertical space.

Just remember that any stacking bins are going to be kind of annoying to get to the bins that are not on top.

Take that into consideration and put lesser used items into lower stacking bins.

Tips for Specific Drawer Types

All drawers are not created equal.

For example, our office built-ins have a shallow drawer on top and then two deeper drawers underneath it. There are different uses for each of these drawer types.

Shallow drawers are best for storing small office supplies like pens, highlighters, Post-it notes, or scissors.

I use little drawer divider bins to keep these super organized, and everything is just at an arms reach.

Deeper drawers are better for storing larger or more awkwardly shaped items.

We actually made some very simple plywood dividers for our deep drawers and that keeps items from sliding around and getting mixed up and gives them each a dedicated space.

It might seem silly, but without a divider this drawer would just be a big jumble. With this very simple scrap wood drawer divider, now everything has a place and we can quickly tell if something is missing and find exactly what we are looking for.

We also use these caddies in another deep drawer. I use them to hold craft supplies by type – such as a caddy of hot glue guns + sticks. This makes it SO easy when you have a project – just grab the caddy and carry it to the desk!

Common Items	Best Drawer Type	Best Storage Container
Cords	Deep	Cable Organizer Box
External Hard Drive	Deep	Protective Case
Hanging Files	Deep	File Folder Holders
Highlighters	Shallow	Tray or Drawer Divider
Notebooks	Shallow or Deep	Stackable Organizers
Notepads	Deep	Stacking Trays or Dividers
Paper Clips	Shallow	Small Bins or Dividers
Pens	Shallow	Drawer Divider Bins
Post-it Notes	Shallow	Tray or Drawer Divider
Printer Ink Cartridges	Deep	Drawer Inserts or Bins
Scissors	Shallow	Drawer Divider Bins
USB Drives	Shallow	Small Bins or Dividers

Maintaining Order

One of the hardest parts of organizing a space is actually keeping it organized. That initial organization is a fun project, but without systems, it just won’t last.

This is why it is so important to have a dedicated spot for everything. If you have a certain bin or divider section for an item, there is no excuse for it to not go back in its spot.

If you just toss things loosely in the drawer, forget about it it’s going to be a disaster!

It’s also important to establish a routine for regularly tidying and decluttering your office.

For example, if you work Monday through Friday in the space, set a rule of thumb by the end of the day Friday you clear off the countertop and put everything away.

This will set you up for a great next week and help keep a big mess from accumulating.