My Home Office | Small Space Solutions

Let’s talk about small space solutions. You have probably seen a glimpse of my woman cave (home office/makeup) here and there as backdrops for most of my photos but never really ventured inside. Technically.  So while I tour you around, allow me to share some tips on how you can make your own nook look larger, granted you are also limited by space just like moi.

Clutter is the enemy of space. Big or small, a room full of clutter, boxes and miscellany disrupts the flow. It’s an eye sore that spoils the beauty of your furniture including your frame of mind. I cannot thrive in clutter, it affects my creative juice and thought process.

White creates an illusion of space. I have been debating for the longest time whether I should paint my room with another color but each time I look at how tiny my space is, the rational side of me says don’t. Right now, the walls and ceiling are white on white. My furnitures are also predominantly white-themed for cohesiveness. I purchased a very light gray paint which I will use as accent color on the window sill. That will be my next project.

Opt for small yet multi-tasking furnitures. Anything you see from this room has a purpose besides its original function. The couch for example is a recliner, it can pass for a single bed in case we have company. The dresser you see on the left side holds my beauty blogging arsenal: skincare and makeups, with one shelf dedicated to filing personal documents. My desk is also my makeup area, the pull-out drawers hold my most-reached products.

Purge the unnecessary. This year, I made a tough decision to limit accepting products for review. You can read my reasons here. With that policy enforced, I have also challenged myself to go easy with makeup purchases. I know, what’s a beauty blogger gonna write now? Surprisingly, a lot! More organic content, back to the grassroots just like how I started this blog seven years ago. Anything that spills out of what they’re supposed to be means excess. Hence I spring-clean every so often. I donate, share, and toss as necessary.

Arrange furnitures so that they are perpendicular to your small room. The couch you see was originally placed near the closet on the other side which made the room even smaller. You will notice that all furnitures are pushed against the wall (to the window for my desk) so there’s more space to walk through.

Keep decors to a minimum. Again, too much knick knacks compete for space. On top of my dresser you will spot my go-to fragrances, vintage bust of Marilyn Monroe, a small TV on the side when I want to watch news in the morning and jewelry holders. The artwork on the wall (by the couch) gives this all white room a splash of color.

Have fun, get creative. Shop in the kitchen section for holders. Recycle and upcycle. You can also get discounted makeup holders at TJ Maxx. There is no limit to your imagination.

Ready to see what’s inside the dresser? I wasn’t kidding when I said that I downsized significantly! I will be doing a separate post on updated skincare so stay tuned for that. Take note that I threw out a lot of rarely used and expired products before these photos were taken. I love it when I am able to find my essentials without scrambling. At a glance, you can see several eltaMD products. I have also sent about a hundred rarely-worn lipsticks to my mom few months ago. One time I exchanged makeups with fellow bloggers, some I sold. Eye makeup palettes procured many moons ago despite their utterly cute packaging were tossed without remorse. The lipstick drawer is as close to organized as it can get (I still need to buy few more holders!).

Here’s the view from the opposite side. The closet is where I store my shoes and bags (which I have also downsized). The small ottoman also functions as additional storage. I bought the lighting set up from Amazon beginning of summer this year but never really maximized its usage. I tried it once and it rendered decent illumination for one of my videos but I may end up selling the set because I want easier installation whenever I need it.

For reference, I purchased the furniture and accessories here:

Desk, dresser and leather ottoman: Inspiration store (interior design store based in Oahu, Hawaii).
Office chair: Office Depot (in-store)
Recliner/ couch: Wayfair (online)
Makeup holders: TJ Maxx (in-store)
Colorful artwork on the wall: Pier Imports (in-store)
K initial, gray area rug: Target (in-store)

How do you organize your own work space/ home office?