Our home office has been driving me bonkers! I spend time in here everyday and I’ve been feeling like I’m drowning in junk — buried in papers, wires, and clutter. Well, I decided to stop complaining and get to work, one thing at a time, starting with the bookcases. If you’re like me your bookcase is not only overflowing with books, but all sorts of other stuff too.  I can’t stand clutter, but baskets and lace I adore!  It’s easy to hide all the “stuff” with a few baskets and a lace curtain; and it will help you stay organized while you’re at it.

A little lace curtain hung with a spring rod is hiding games, a guitar amp, and some computer supplies. I like the lace because it’s soft and light and you can still sort of see what’s behind it. The combination of the chunky woven baskets and delicate lace give a nice contrast in texture. This built in bookcase went from one of my least favorite corners of the office to looking organized and sweet! The lace curtain and the spring rod were only about ten dollars for them both. What an easy and inexpensive way to hide clutter.

Baskets are also great for storing office goodies. We have a bill basket, a battery basket, … You get the idea. I love the natural look of these woven baskets, but any basket or box will work.

It also looks nice to arrange your books going in both directions, vertical and horizontal.  I grouped ours by size and type.  The larger books are all collected in groups, the paperback books in their own groups, and then the magazines are collected together. This helps keep things neat, and still looking interesting.

I like to use interesting bookends to add a bit of character.  I have seen all sorts of neat ones, both new and vintage.  I found this chippy distressed corbel at a salvage shop and it’s the perfect shape and size to keep the books in place. I also use glass insulators from power poles (readily found at flea markets, antique shops, and Etsy).