Office Must Haves for the WAHM

If you’re just starting out working at home, you might be wondering what you need to get started. Before I transitioned to working at home full time, I worked a traditional office job. I was responsible for ordering packages of pens for the office, but it wasn’t the type of environment where I had the freedom to make things beautiful.

When you are working at home, you can create a space that inspires you. Even if the last time you looked at office supplies it was for your Fourth Grader’s school supplies list, you can build a work space that works for you.

Desk

This depends heavily on the type of home in which you live. I am going to use the term “desk” lightly because you might not use a desk at all. When I purchased my corner desk for my office years ago, I found it at Ikea. I purchased it mostly because it was small enough to fit in the space that it needed to. If you’re stumped on where to begin in your search for a great desk, start at Ikea.

 I don’t always use my desk when I’m working at home but it’s nice to have a clean, refreshing space to work on. It might be more comfortable to write when sitting on my couch but sitting straight up in an office chair does wonders for my productivity.

Choose a desk that fits the overall look you are going for, but don’t forget it has to be practical. If you can’t afford a fancy desk, consider purchasing a fold out table and a crisp table cloth. If you are going to spend a lot of time sitting at your desk, and you have the budget to do so, consider purchasing a desk that will also work when standing. This can be extremely beneficial for your productivity and your health.

Chair

Okay, if you’ve ever attended a public school in your life, you probably have an idea of what type of chair you don’t like. Thankfully, there are many more options for us out there in the professional world. The most important things to keep in mind when considering a chair are how it will affect your posture and comfort. You don’t want to get a back ache if you sit in the chair for more than two hours at a time. It’s worth it to splurge on a chair that makes you want to sit down and get some work done.

As mentioned above, consider alternatives to a chair altogether. It might be nice to transition to a standing desk when you’re on social media or answering emails and sit down when you need to focus on an important report.

If you get antsy sitting for long periods of time, try sitting on a yoga ball. Being able to move and wiggle while you work can help you stay focused for longer periods of time. You can also help improve your core and balance when using a yoga ball. These can be a cheap alternative to a chair, since you can find them for as low as $13.00 on Amazon.

Stationary and Peripherals

If you don’t need to send physical mail, you probably don’t need to buy a custom stamp or plan out a drawer for your postage and envelopes. If you do need to have these items on hand, consider getting a desk with cubbies large enough to hold all your mailing items in the same area so that you don’t ever go searching for a stamp.

Keep extra printer paper somewhere near your printer, with extra ink cartridges nearby. There’s nothing worse than having a deadline on a document and getting out of ink. Then you drive to the store and somehow, they have sold out of the only brand of printer ink you can use. By the time you finally get home from the city that is 2 and a half hours away with your printer ink, you’ll probably have to stop and eat an ice cream cone as a consolation prize. This does nothing for your waist line or your time management.

Notebook paper, extra lined paper, stationary paper and cards for writing letters (if you need them), can all be stored in their own area. If I must buy any loose paper, I prefer to store them inside of folders, so they don’t get coffee spilled on them or end up wrinkled and folded when I’m searching around for printer ink (ahem).

Pens, pencils, highlighters, markers, and whiteboard markers should all be kept close at hand. I like to store mine in clear, small, stackable tubs. This way I don’t waste time opening and closes drawers over and over and I grab what I want right away.

White out, tape, staples, paper clips, erasers, and other extras can go in one of the stackable tubs as well. This way, you always grab the right tub and you don’t waste as much time. I keep mine in a separate cubby in my desk, but you could also store them on your desk if you don’t have a bulky desk top.

Cutesy (Mostly) Necessary Items

You should probably limit the number of organic scented candles and adorable owl knick-knacks that you keep on top of your desk at once. You don’t want it to look cluttered. If you need a lot of space on top of your desk for the bulky desktop computer or you do a lot of writing by hand on a desk calendar, try to keep knick-knacks on a shelf within your line of sight.

I like to keep one candle, appropriate for the season, on hand when I sit down and write. I have a shelf of my favorite books above the desk, and a designated coaster that I use for my coffee mug. Other than the manuscript pages I’m currently working and my laptop, I keep all other items off my desk.

 I go back and forth between a hanging calendar and a desktop calendar and I can never make up my mind on which is better. Yes, I know I can use the calendar on my computer or my phone or hell, probably even my microwave has one, but I like the security of writing it down by hand. It makes it harder to forget about it. I currently have a hanging calendar, but it is harder to write on when it’s high on the wall.

What is your favorite calendar? Comment below and help me out!

Good luck in building a creative working space that inspires you.