Go back to the real office? No thanks

ome office storage doesn’t have to be drab and boring.

And the rise of the WFH era means more and more brands are releasing stylish pieces that’ll have you subtly turning your screen mid-meeting to show off your new desk set-up or artfully-arranged cabinet.

Better yet, the best home office storage allows you to keep everything organised and within easy reach, no matter whether you’re flicking through stacks of papers on the daily or rifling through your stationery pile for the right coloured pen. Or just any pen in fact, if you really struggle with keeping things neat.

Working from home has many benefits but, after likely being thrown into doing so for the last few years, you may not have the best set-up sorted yet. If you’re still working from your bed or spend your Zoom meetings at the kitchen table, you’re missing out on all of the benefits that a curated home office set-up offers.

Sure, you might not have the space or the funds for a whole new home office. But with a few key pieces of storage, you’ll be able to transform your current set-up into something far more ergonomic and, dare we say it, enjoyable.

Wave goodbye to those files hastily thrown inside your bedside table or that makeshift desk that’s constantly taking up too much space.

“Go back to the office”? You mean the place with no colour coordinated drawers, no pleasingly arranged cupboards with individual compartments and no Netflix sofa breaks? No thanks, we’ll stick with our new home office storage set-up.

Whether you’ve got a full office room dedicated to your 9-5 or you’re squeezing a space into the corner of an existing room, we’ve rounded up all of the best home office storage options.

Pmnianhua’s Wall Mounted Drop-leaf Table is great for those who’ve shifted to a WFH model without the extra office space you’d usually expect from the transformation. Designed to fit seamlessly into small spaces, this drop-table design pulls out into a sturdy desk space with storage options just above.

Even if your “home office” is a tucked away corner of your living room or bedroom, this option keeps everything close to hand without feeling too squashed. The bookshelf style bottom half allows you to keep office essentials within grabbing distance at all times, without taking up extra space.

The best thing about Wayfair’s Antonelli Storage Cabinet is how versatile it is. Designed to be used not only as home office storage but also anywhere else in the house, this eight compartment cabinet comes ready to be manoeuvred to your requirements.

It features four open compartments and four boxed compartments, with the option of removing the boxes if you want extra open access or buying extra compartments if you’re looking to keep everything nicely stored away. Its sleek solid wood style and flat top means you can also load a few extra things on top if you’re short of space.

Got your home office storage set up but need a little extra configuration on top? John Lewis’ Osco Faux Leather 3 Tier Tray keeps your smaller files organised without taking up extra room. Great for perching on top of your desk and allowing easy access with its three different sections, it’s ideal for instant access without scrambling through a handful of sheets.

You could just buy a cheap, plastic organiser. Or you could allow your home office space a little extra style and upgrade it with this soft, faux leather option. Your work office could never.

Trusty Ikea is a hub for all kinds of home office storage requirements and this IDÅSEN cabinet with its suave bottle green shade is a great choice for ticking all the boxes. A little more stylish than your usual cabinet, it’s smart enough to feature in the backdrop of your Zoom meetings and is small enough to fit easily into corners.

Open it up to reveal the home office storage space of dreams: three spacious shelves with room for all of your documents or papers as well as two extra compartments at the bottom. Not a fan of dark green? It also comes in beige.

If you’d prefer your home office to have a little more of a rustic feel than your city centre option, these storage boxes from Argos provide the answer. Stacked one above each other for maximum room-benefiting purposes, these slimline drawers are great for discreetly throwing everything inside at a moment’s notice, no matter how quickly that spontaneous 4pm meeting approaches. It’s also one of the most budget friendly options around: £20 for the whole tower.

DMF’s LEXA Corner Home Office brings together everything you need from a home office in one easily format. The corner style of this desk and storage compartment is great for separating a larger room into a separate office and “fun” area, maximising the space available and keeping everything tidy at the same time.

Peek underneath to see a whole range of storage options, from compartment boxes through to space for larger documents with a range of heights and widths throughout. If you’re looking for a versatile option that does it all, this is one of the best choices.

Desktop organisers come in a range of shapes, colours and styles but this John Lewis MDF Desktop Organiser is a little larger than most. Great if your day to day work extends past just typing on a laptop into the realms of editing paper documents, signing letters and anything else where stationery may be required, the individual spaces throughout this document will help you complete all kinds of tasks.

This slanted pen holder keeps pens, pencils, notebooks and other desk accessories neat and tidy so that, next time someone runs in looking for a pen to jot down a phone number, you can smugly hand one over instantly.

A first glance at this six shelf storage cabinet will have you thinking it’s smaller than it is. In fact, it’s deceivingly large, with a whole second row of storage segments tucked away behind the front ones.

Great if you’re looking after documents that need to remain private or away from prying eyes, the Giulietta 6 -Shelf Storage Cabinet can be tucked away into all kinds of small spaces and promises to keep work documents safe and hidden away. Available in four shades, ranging from matte grey to glossy white, it brings a clean, modern style to any home office.

The Elmari Tall Shelving was designed to incorporate style and functionality, with a versatile and spacious design that’s ideal for adding a little flair to your home office. Beautifully crafted with its striking contemporary lines and unique storage elements, this “tall” shelving lives up to its name and really makes good use of vertical storage.

With both small and large storage spaces, it’s perfect for stacking documents and files upright and then maximising the larger compartments for more aesthetically pleasing things. If you’ve got extra space in your home office, there’s also a matching coffee table with the same multi-level design.

FOCCTS’ Adjustable Desktop Bookshelf is perfect for anyone who dreams of adding a shelf to their home office but lives in rented accommodation or can’t otherwise install one. This handy shelf rack sits on top of your desk or other storage compartment and adds a few extra levels of room without just stacking all of your files on top of one another.

Easy to assemble and clean, with adjustable compartments depending on what you’re hoping to store away, this desktop bookshelf keeps everything organised and presentable. You can even throw a plant on top if you’re feeling fancy.

If you're looking to truly maximise your home office storage space, there's no better piece of furniture than Pmnianhua's Wall Mounted Drop-leaf Table. Even if you've already got a desk set up in your home office, the handy slide out feature means you've got an extra surface ready and waiting on those busy days.