Identifying New Space in a Tiny Home Office
Case
Identifying space in a very tiny office was the request made to Calahan Solutions when we visited a home in Lake Forest, Illinois.
Challenges
- A very small space (under 8’ x 8’) was used as a home office to operate 3 different businesses. The space was small for the operation of 1 business much less 3.
- Since all 3 businesses are “hopping” at the same time, the papers and files were intertwined across the space.
- Each business required significant amounts of paperwork for active and historical records.
- It frequently took hours for the owner to find what she was looking for.
- Often, the owner did not remember what she owned, so she would purchase duplicate office supplies.
- Work was spilling into the rest of the house. Piles of papers could be found in the kitchen, dining room, and other rooms.
- The owner required systems that would allow her to continue her fast pace.
- The printer and PC space was cluttered and difficult to work around.
Before |
After |
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All 3 businesses were merged together & the owner had no desk space to work. Multiple in-boxes were piling papers that were left to sit for months, or never referenced again. |
A mobile filing system was developed so that the owner could access her files quickly without having to put the paper directly on her desk. The non-essential items were removed & either housed elsewhere, or purged. |
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Shopping bags and canvas bags lined the bottom of the closet, but did not make use of the vertical space. |
Streamlined supply and historical storage systems were created for easy access &maintenance. |
Getting Down to Work
We started by sorting out the paper into the 3 different businesses she owned. During that process, quite a bit of purging from about 20 years of accumulation was conducted. As we sorted we discussed various options for how we could configure the space to allow for the best use of the space. We opted for filing on wheels so that the owner could get to her information at the fast pace she needed. She could roll the filing system close to her when she needed to use it and push it out of the way when she did not. Each business was then sorted individually to categorize items using a system that she would remember and be able to maintain.
Tackling the closet was our next task. The closet space was great, but significantly unused. We cleared the bags that held files and replaced it with supply storage as well as historical document storage. The system will be able to be flexible as her businesses change, but remains very simple in order for the owner to be able to stay nimble in how she runs her office.
The in-box system they had was not working for them, because it had turned into a dumping ground that they never got back to. We taught processes to both the owner and her assistant for how to handle paper as it came in. The new system will eliminate piles of paper in bins or in-baskets.
Results/Testimonial
I was spread out all over my house with piles of papers combining each business and that included my personal life. I didn't know where to start and had no desire to focus on such details. You have the ability to quickly analyze the whole picture, break it down into parts and recommend ideas that bring about wonderful solutions. I deeply appreciate your sensitive, trustworthy, good-humored, patient help and teaching. You have just the right balance of giving me the emotional and mental space I needed to do the work and absorb the process, but also kept everything consistently and constantly moving forward. No easy task, especially as it was so easy to get re-overwhelmed at every possible step!
—Marilyn O’Connor,
Lake Forrest, Illinois