MeBox Customisable Storage (Pack of 3) - £22.50	Mr P. Tape Dispenser (large desktop version)- £15.99	“HOME” Wall Mountable Lamp - £39.99

So finally comes the time to clear out the back room and put it to good use. A useful space just perfect for the home office, and with the addition of a futon or sofa bed, the occasional guestroom… but where to put all the clutter? With the best of intentions most of us try to file away the necessary paperwork and maintain some sense of order. Although with bank statements, bills, letters and miscellaneous items forming small mountains in the home, serious work is ahead. A trip to an office supplies shop (such as Staples or Partners) will provide the basics with cardboard folders and labels, then its fairly easy to create a simple A-Z filing system for all the essential documents – perhaps taking a few evenings joint effort sorting out into strict ‘keep’ and ‘throw’ piles. Although a chore it will make life easier in the long run and save time, especially when trying to gather everything together for the annual tax return slog.

In order to make the space work for you, it’s important to decide exactly how the office will be used. It may just be an occasional hangout to surf the net and email friends. On the other hand it could be required as a full-time study area or, if part of the estimated 3.1 million UK home workers, your regular workplace. Depending on your finances you could potentially blow a small fortune on top-of-the-range office furniture, but for those on a budget there are several ways to save a few pennies and create a good working space with sufficient storage. Filing cabinets can be bought cheaply from ex-office supply stores, Argos or IKEA. More economical still are self-assembly cardboard boxes (such as MeBox Customisable Storage) which are perfect for storing files and loose paperwork.

With flat-screen monitors, laptops and multi-functional devices, technology is resizing to adapt to even the smallest spaces. Desks come as corner units, bureau cabinets and even college versions which fold-out from the wall. Without getting overly involved in safe computer use and ergonomics, it is also well worth investing in a comfortable chair with armrests for support and easy height adjust. Extra lighting may also be required (to reduce the possibility of eye strain during computer use or close-up work) and a desk fan for temperature regulation.

When the office furniture is in place, you can have fun shopping for the little extras to dress it up a bit. Plants, pictures and ornaments can all help make it a more enjoyable place to spend time. Bejewelled pens, pretty notebooks, memo boards and patterned post-it notes will add instant glamour to the workspace without losing the practicality.

Pretty Sticky Notes - £3.99	Quality Exercise Book - £5.99	“Trees” Memo Board - £39.99

All pictured gifts are available from online lifestyle store: Source Collective www.source-collective.co.uk