By John Arenas | January 22, 2014

Space-Saving Solutions for an Economic Workplace

Workplace Wednesday: Small Spaces, Small Surfaces

Most people are strapped for it; anyone who has lived in a New York City apartment craves it; and it is something most of us take for granted in the workplace.

“It” is space.

In our Workplace Wednesday posts, we have featured companies who have made their offices more inspiring and motivating by adding brainstorming rooms to phone booths to slides. All of these companies have had an abundance of office space to work with. But what about those who are stretched to their limit with real estate?

Here are some things to think about:

Don’t let layout be limiting. The designer for this New York City apartment built a table that rolls across the room. On one side, it serves as an extension on the concrete desk. When rolled to the other side, it can be used as a table for meetings or dining.

Think about your desk as a sum of its parts. How can you reuse what you already have to serve more than one purpose? These small desk organizers work to flank a wooden surface to create a low, seated desk that still provides storage.

Invest in a few key items, and make them serve more than one purpose. This wall unit has one panel that folds down to serve as a table for eating or for work. The table’s base is a small storage piece on wheels that, when the panel is up, can be stored in another corner of the room. Can’t find a piece like this? A similar fold-out can be added onto a pre-existing shelving or wall unit for less money.