6 step guide to creativity and productivity
Temza Design London’s expert guide to tidying up your work space
It is that time of the year-time for new beginnings, fresh starts and newly refurbished, clean homes! If you find yourself a little bit tight with budget, refurbishment is the last thing on your mind, while still wanting to press restart and commence on the clear, our interior designers have a portion of tips on how to organise your workspace, boost creativity and improve your productivity.
But first, why is a clean, organised workspace so important?
A cluttered desk means a cluttered mind. No matter if that is your office work spot or a little study corner at home, messy surroundings can make you stressed, confused, distracted and even anxious. And yes, there are a lot of creatives out there that need the explosion of stationary, papers, pens and folders around them. The important thing, however, is for those to be present only during the actual creative process. After a job has been successfully completed, all must go! To organise and declutter feels like a breath of fresh air, it means less time spent searching and more time being productive. So, how to start organising your workspace with these top interior designer suggestions?
Image source: Pinterest
Step 1
Commence the process with decluttering. Organise and clear everything that is of no use or hasn’t been used in the last 90 days. That could be-pens that no longer work, paper clips that are way out of shape, old magazines, catalogues, brochures, unused or broken office equipment, any old documents too. Don’t miss any cabinets or drawers, especially not the junk drawer. One of our interior designers explores the procedure of organising a home, focusing on our Wellington House project. We’re all faced with the struggle of finding allocated areas for our belongings, but when we start to clear anything unnecessary, it becomes easier to find. If you need more assistance, you can visit our interior designer’s storage solutions, and apply to your home interior.
*Additional tip, clear all cable clutter. There are a lot of ways and products on the market to help you organise cables, running through your desk space. If possible-go wireless.
Step 2
Now that you have only the essentials, organise them in groups and label them. Investing in a good quality label maker will save you a lot of time searching for things. It’s easier to stay organised when you know where everything is.
*Additional tip-give particular places to particular items and have this in mind when labelling. For example organise office supplies in one drawer, older files in another drawer, pens in a designated cup, etc.
Step 3
Decide what goes in drawers and what stays out. Keep most items out of sight, to reduce visual clutter, but be smart about it. Keep essential accessories handy and move office equipment (printer, scanners, etc.) off your desk. Make sure that everything has a place and everything goes back to its position after it has been used.
*Additional tip-keep personal items, such as photo frames or other accessories, off the work space. An excellent solution to organise these would be floating shelves. On these you can exhibit your creative work, or why not add a plant or two.
Image Source: Pinterest
Step 4
Light-Remember light is important, the closer you are to natural light the better. It provides energy and is also better for your eyesight. If you are however a night owl, substitute a desk lamp for a freestanding adjustable floor lamp instead. Or a nice pendant. Temza design studio love this Balancer by Northern! Not only this lamp offers a combination of light, geometry and style, the brightness is also both diffuse and direct, adjustable for your working and lighting needs. This would help you organise, save space and still give plenty of light.
Step 5
Map your flow and know how you use your space, this would help you be more organised, clear obstacles and create a clear path for your movements. This would promote a more natural workflow. If you are right-handed, put a landline phone or a waste bin on your right-hand side. Think of your process.
Step 6
Allocate cleaning time for your workspace and make this part of your weekly routine. Clear, declutter, reorganise. Be intentional about continuing to sort and discard documents once they’ve served their purpose.
If you are still uncertain about reorganising your workspace, why not invest in a good funky, yet minimal desk. Spending on a proper desk may encourage you to apply all of the steps mentioned above. Here are some options that our team fell in love with, during their latest visit to Stockholm Furniture and Lighting Fair:
“A small, but very functional in terms of storage space, desk. Its practical storage compartments and drawers allow you to maximise the use of the worktop space and create a practical workshop. In the middle there is a large, spacious drawer; two smaller ones with access from the top are lined inside with a soft fabric. On the right side, there is a handy small drawer for a tablet or smartphone. In the upper part of the worktop on the left, we have placed three compartments for the accessories needed for work. Storage space for cables in the middle of the desk allows you to maintain aesthetics and order on the counter. We added an extra surface on the right side in the form of a pull-out handy tabletop, for example for placing a cup.”
“Shift is a small desk and sideboard with a distinct design, almost like a little character of itself. The upper part is open and airy and a place for your beautiful favourite things, books and magazines. The frame in black stained oak has a more graphic expression. “
The desk can be placed free standing or against a wall. It comes in oak, oak veneer, glass and leather.
Vagabond Duo is another creative solution we’ve stumbled upon. It has two tops of varying heights. To create a functional, creative workspace, one can add boxes, magnets, coat hooks or a whiteboard to the dividing middle section. Power outlets/USB can be integrated into the tabletop as an optional extra. The wheels allow the table to be quickly moved when needed, or locked into a fixed position. Comes in dusty pink, rusty red, blue-grey, green, white, grey, dark grey, black.
Well, we hope you are ready to organise and face the challenge of rearranging your working. Remember the goal is to create a sanctuary, a space that would become a source of constant inspiration. You want to surround yourself with your favourite items, colours and textures, feel comfortable and relaxed. Good luck!
Top image – Wellington House project
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