When Your Home Office is in the Kitchen

Finding the perfect spot for your home office is always a challenge. In a household where children and pets have free reign, creating a separate spot for work may not be in an extra bedroom or quiet space. In fact, sometimes the home office has to be relegated to the kitchen, simply due to space constraints. If you are like many work-at-home moms whose kitchens transform into home offices once the family is in bed, here are three easy tips to help keep you organized.

The Essentials
Any work space has to have essential components to make it work. While some items are trade specific, others are needed for all types of professions. Put together a small, organizer box that contains pens, pencils, tape, scissors, a stapler, correction fluid, a permanent marker, a glue stick, sticky notes and paper clips. Other things to keep handy include your cell phone charger, zip drives for your laptop computer, and any cords or power strips that you need to get everything running. These items can be stored in a colorful basket on top of the kitchen cabinets that matches the rest of the kitchen's decor. By having all your basics in one easy to find spot, it will make it much easier to get started on working at the kitchen table or counter. Your laptop computer is another essential, but you may not want to store it in the sometimes humid kitchen. When you are ready to work, simply bring the laptop into the room with you.

Simple Tricks
Before you bring out any of your supplies, clear your work area. Get rid of the pile of mail on the kitchen counter, clear the salt and pepper shakers off the table and create a spot that is visually uncluttered. Not only will this help keep your work neat, but it will also help you concentrate on the tasks at hand. Another simple step is to put down a pretty tablecloth or a desk calendar before starting. Transforming the look of the work surface from the everyday appearance will help to trigger your motivation to get work done. Even placing a small vase of flowers in your line of sight will help to transform the space and give you the boost that you may need at the end of the day.

Keep Out
When you are ready to start working, let anyone who might possibly enter the kitchen know that he should stay out of the area until you are done. All snacks, drinks and trips to the refrigerator should happen before you start working or after you are finished, but never while you are in the middle of a project. If your family has a hard time remembering this, create a simple sign that you can place at the kitchen's entrance that says, "Mom at Work." A reminder may be all they need to respect your work space and work time.

While having a home work space in the kitchen may not be ideal, it can be done successfully. Set boundaries, create an organization system for yourself, and use whatever tricks you need to use to convince yourself that it is time to work. You may find that having the room in the kitchen to spread out will actually enhance your productivity.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Jessica Ackerman from WallDecorandHomeAccents.com generously shares everything she knows about landscape wall art and french wall decor.

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