For months I have been alluding to reorganizing my home office. Here is the first installment!

It’s taken me forever to get to a point where I feel comfortable to start showing the world my folly. AND I will only show you what I am finished with so you don’t get overwhelmed as I was.

I followed these steps to get it all done:

1. Assess the Situation

I took stock of what was really needed in the office and what I could store somewhere else (or better yet, toss!). I made special note of things that were elsewhere in the house (like books in the basement) that I wanted in the office – so I knew exactly what I had and what I wanted to accomplish. I had a picture in my mind of what I wanted the office to look like when I was done.

2. Make a Plan

I then planned out everything that needed to be done, by area and made a checklist. As I accomplished a task, I checked it off. I loved checking things off! The list included things I needed to buy, like storage boxes, and a larger bookcase. IKEA was a great resource – I shopped around and this was the best deal.

3. Make Time to Finish

This is my biggest weakness – getting something past the “almost” finished point to the “finished” point. While I still tweak and rearrange, I consider this part of the office DONE! I had to make time during my day and in the evening to concentrate on getting everything into organized and label the storage containers – but I love the results. I can find anything. AND I followed our recent article 3 easy ways to organize a book shelf by Mary Kate Frank, to try and make the bookcase look better. I’m still tweaking and having fun doing it!

What do you think? Let me know if you see how I can make it even better!

The before:

The After: