Organise Your Home Office

Organise Your Home Office
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Whether you run a business from home or are merely an extremely valued customer of Net-a-porter, a well-ordered home office can make you happier and more efficient – and it's as good a place as any to express yourself creatively. A gorgeous desk should make you want to knuckle down and complete that tax return, not hide in the next room and hope it will go away.

Designer office furniture can be expensive, but even if you're working at the dining table you should still make sure you're sitting properly. London furniture showroom Back2, which specialises in ergonomic furniture, advises on buying an adjustable chair, so you can sit with minimum stress (hips higher than your knees, feet on the floor, armrests supporting your elbows). Your monitor should be at arms' length, with the top of the screen is at eye level. Lighting-wise, you'll need both general (or 'ambient') light, plus a task light, and any lighting should fall on the keyboard, not the screen.

"Design your work area so that there's a place for everything and that everything you use regularly, such as the telephone, notepads, pens, pencils and appointment book are at your fingertips," says Simon Glanville, managing director of storage specialists Store. "Use colourful file folders or stickers to organise your documents by project and keep them in a hanging organiser or tiered organiser on your desktop." Whether you're into industrial-style chic, pared-down Scandinavian style or feminine florals, there's a set-up to suit your working (or shopping) habits.

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Home office

Invest in a really good adjustable chair, then add a bright lacquered desk for an injection of fun.

Bespoke Boss Sona office chair in Herringbone Stripe, £695; Staten desk, from £400; Union Isle rug, £195; Spirit LED floor lamp, £60; all www.johnlewis.co.uk

Home office

Pushed for space? Hide your laptop and cables in IKEA's Dave desk, which slides shut when you don't need it.

Dave laptop workstation, £55, www.ikea.com/gb/en/

Home office

A beautifully crafted modern classic.

Ercol Treviso oak desk, £899, www.manfords.com

Home office

Industrial styling meets femininity: a traditional filing cabinet, but in a soft colourway.

Five-drawer mini filing cabinet, £45, www.aplaceforeverything.co.uk

Home office

Industrial style desk-lamps – particularly those, like this one, with exposed fittings – are right on trend.

Retro metal desk lamp, £149, www.rockettstgeorge.co.uk

Home office

Fans of Scandinavian minimalism will love this simple beech letter tray.

Letter tray by Scanwood, £45, www.modetwentyone.co.uk

Home office

Colourful patterned clipboards are an inexpensive way to bring a smile to your face.

Patterned clipboards, £2.95 each, www.colloco.co.uk

Home office

Put up a noticeboard for odd notes, unpaid bills and pictures of whatever's inspiring you right now.

Fabric noticeboards, £65 each, www.jim-lawrence.co.uk

Home office

Fun and contemporary, but really useful, too, this desk fan is a hot design that will keep you cool.

Propello desk fan by Black & Blum, £75, www.bodieandfou.com

Home office

A gorgeous notebook is worthy of only your best ideas.

Pantone notebooks, £12 each, www.lifestylebazaar.com

Home office