Whether you’re working from home or just paying the monthly bills, you need a space where you can organize important papers and quickly get a hold of basic office supplies. Many apartments and homes simply don’t have space for a dedicated office, but compact desks and chairs can fit in a bedroom or living room, giving you the space you need to keep your personal finances in order. Once you have your home office furniture in place, add a desk organizer to corral papers, pens and pencils so that everything you need is in one easily accessible location.

When Space Is Tight, Go Vertical

You’ve managed to carve a small home office out of a bedroom corner or an empty wall in the family room, but you have to find ways to maximize the tight space. If your space is too limited to hold filing cabinets or bookshelves, take advantage of the space you have by adding vertical desktop sorters. These handy trays sit on top of your desk and stack several layers high, letting you organize plenty of paperwork in a sorter that takes up no more room than a single standard-size file folder.

Not only does vertical storage provide you with extra space, it also helps you organize paperwork in categories that are specific to you. Use these sorters to hold receipts and other tax-related documents, or simply store extra printer paper and notepads on the sturdy shelves. If you have school-age children, assign one shelf to each child as a place to hold permission slips or information about upcoming assignments.

There’s No Room for a Junk Drawer

Even though you’re keeping the top of your desk neat, you can’t neglect the closed drawer that houses a jumble of pens, pencils and paperclips. Drawer organizers in several shapes and sizes provide portioned sections for everything from little office supplies such as thumbtacks and rubber bands to large tools such as scissors and rulers.

Low-profile trays are an easy fit for shallow drawers, and they make the most of a space that’s easily wasted. If you have a deeper drawer, rest a hanging organizer on the sides of the drawer and move the sorter from front to back as needed. This allows you to store paper or files below the organizer to maximize the drawer space. When all your everyday drawer accessories are organized and easily accessible, you can put the finishing touches on a report or jot down a quick note without hunting for basic office supplies.

Add Desk Accessories That Match Your Personal Style

Unlike a corporate office where furnishings need to suit a variety of staff members and clients, the only person you have to please with a home office is yourself. Thanks to coordinated desktop collections, you can organize your office with paper sorters and desk accessories that are both attractive and functional. After all, even something as low-key as a pencil cup should match your design aesthetic if you have to look at it every day.

If your office is located in a room with contemporary decor, select modern desk accessories made of metal or acrylic. Rich wood finishes complement traditional spaces, and colorful, whimsical collections are a good fit for those with a fun spirit. Creating an office space that reflects your sense of style is the way to go if you want to ensure that your work area meshes with the rest of your home, rather than looking like a last-minute addition.

Finishing a report or filing your taxes is simply more enjoyable when you work in a home office that makes you comfortable. Even if you’ve had your work area in place for years, sometimes adding new desk accessories is just what you need to jumpstart your creativity and make your office more organized and productive. Choose all your organizers from one collection, or mix and match desk accessories to create an office that makes you feel right at home.