The Staples Office Make Over Challenge

After I wrote my post about my need for shelves in this house a couple of weeks ago, I noticed on Twitter that Staples Canada was running an office make over contest – #makemoremakeover.  There’s a chance to win $1000 in prizes to outfit your home office!

But here’s the catch with my ‘office’. I don’t have one.  The entire main floor is my office.  I use my laptop at the dining room table and that likely won’t change.  I can look out into the backyard, there’s a load of natural light and lots of space to lay out papers when I need it. And I’m okay with not having an official desk.

However, storage is an issue and organization a problem.  I can’t leave my office work on our table at the time (although some nights I just shove it to the end of one side). Papers and files are randomly all over the place.

The other reality is that while I’m a blogger, writer, freelancer etc. I am first and foremost a stay at home mom with joint CEO status in this house.  Our home office, again, all over the place, means that I need for not only my work organized, but also the schedules of the family, the mail, school newsletters and so on.

So I’m getting creative and entering the Staples #makemoremakeover giveaway.  My space is small, but it packs a punch – and serves the needs of many.  I’m proposing that with the winnings I create an office hub near my kitchen/dining room, the major gathering place for all of us and where I officially work.  I have one short wall in our open concept area between our kitchen and dining room that is blank. It’s near the patio doors so my actual wall space is limited but I think we can make better use of it.

Here’s what I would do.  I would set up shelves (the wall mounted desk hutch below) on the wall which could hold files, binders, work books, boxes of random stuff.  I would add a filing cabinet (that’s for my work primarily, plus maybe some kids school filings.  The ugly one in our basement can remain for household bills) and two really cool looking ottomans to make the space a comfortable area.  This gives me a spot to sit when working at the filing cabinet, or for the kids to put on their shoes when I’m ushering them out the door so I can get more work done.

The Martha Stewart line of office products are very pretty at Staples and these would organize random pens and sticky notes on the cabinet top.  A bulletin board (for kids’ art work) and a white board to add reminders would pair nicely with the calendar that’s already on our fridge, directly across from the wall.

There’s no plug on the wall, so the portable, USB scanner for receipts, documents, contracts and so on would be perfect for me.

That’s a lot of pretty great stuff in one small space, isn’t it?

Wish me luck! (ps: Want to enter? The contest ends tomorrow! Write up your office entry today! Here are the full details and rules)

Listed in my office (with links if you are interested!)

Wall mounted desk hutch

Lateral filing cabinet

White Ottomans

Magazine files, pen holders etc.

Binders

Scanner

White board

Cork board