How to Change Small Spaces into an Office

Remove every item in the small space from your intended office space. Remove the carpeting (if any) and replace it with hardwood or linoleum flooring. A hard floor is preferable because you'll need to roll around when working in a desk chair.

Paint your room a light color. According to Entrepreneur and color theory, green, violet and neutral colors, like ivory and tan, work best in an office environment. Stick to a light shade of one of these colors since lighter colors tend to make a small room appear roomier.

Fill your small room with just four basic pieces of office furniture to save space. These are a functional work desk that contains a shelving unit on top and desk drawers underneath, desk chair, a tall file cabinet, and a table behind your desk where you can manage your in and out paperwork.

Purchase an all-in-one machine for faxing, printing, copying and scanning documents. Limit the machines on your desk to your computer, phone and this all-in-one.

Create an organizational system for your file cabinet depending on your needs. For instance, if you run a small at-home staffing firm, you might designate one drawer of the cabinet as for employee files, another for client files, and yet another for your invoices. Alphabetize each section of your file cabinet.

Place two bins on your work table: one for incoming mail and another for items you still need to sort through. Hang a wall pocket organizer on the wall above your desk for urgent items you need to take action on soon. If you need to store other classes of documents in your office that don't go in the file cabinet, place more hanging wall pockets above your work table.

Place a cardboard shred box near your work table along with a shredder so that you can properly dispose of confidential or sensitive documents.