The Unemployed Life

An Inspired Home Office on the Cheap, Part 1

Last month, I lost my job as chief operating officer at a multimedia startup; because it’s my second bout of unemployment in two years, I have some idea of what works and what doesn’t. And one thing’s for sure: using the kitchen table as an office does not work.

For starters, snacking is a constant temptation. Then, there is all the paper: multiple revisions of resumes (with and without snack stains), fliers from networking events, business cards, letters from the unemployment office. During my last jobless phase, the table would be a mess at the end of each day. I’d shuffle the papers into a pile, but it never really went away, and it was never organized. So this time I consulted an expert, Kacy Paide, founder of The Inspired Office in Washington, D.C.

A professional organizer with job coaching experience, Paide helps her clients create elegant, effective, efficient work spaces. It doesn’t take much—I started with a corner of my den, a chair, and a laptop, but for just $108.89 got a mini-office and got a more productive, inspired me. I’ll share her tips in a two-part series that starts with arranging your space:

Have your own space. “Space you don’t share with anybody is crucial,” Paide says. She’s seen couples try to share a desk; it usually doesn’t work out. Psychologically, it’s important to know you’ve got a zone of your own, no matter how small. If you have to share a desk or computer with your spouse, she recommends designating a file box or three square feet on the wall that nobody else touches.

Thanks to Paide’s advice, I ditched my plan to use the family desk and headed to the den instead. The room was uncluttered, the walls were empty, and across from the door was a bare corner where I normally stored my dumbbells.

Establish a “command position.” Arrange your desk so that it’s in alignment with this important Feng Shui principle, which puts the wall behind you and the door in direct sight. That gives you firm backing, lets you see what’s coming, and puts you in control of the area. Paide says, “Many of my clients worry they don’t have the space to do this, but 80% of the time we’re able to pull it off.” If it’s impossible to pull your desk away from the way, she recommends going perpendicular. And, she adds, “If you have to face a wall, don’t face the one opposite the door.”

I was working with such a tiny amount of space that I thought this was going to be impossible, but it wasn’t. I purchased a small laptop cart and positioned it in the corner of my den, diagonal from the door. Sitting behind it, I can survey the room rather than a wall, and it actually does make a big difference in how comfortable I feel working.

Keep it clear. The most productive work spaces are free of clutter. “People need thinking space,” Paide says. “If it’s a kitchen table or couch some days that’s okay, too.” In general though, develop filing systems to keep things in their place.

Once you’ve sorted out the space, you need to build an infrastructure to keep it organized. Paide helped me with that, and in Part 2 I’ll share her many inexpensive filing solutions that even the unemployed can afford. (Read more tips in Making Your Home Into an Office.)

Katie Kemple is a PR/marketing professional who now divides her time between job hunting and writing. You can read more about her adventures in unemployment on her blog, Love Your Layoff.

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