You don’t have to spend a fortune to take up residence in a well-designed, functional home office. Buy what works–and more importantly–buy what fits the way you work. You don’t have to sacrifice style and design to achieve function. The two can work hand in hand.

Create a compact, yet not-too-confined work area with your desk, credenza, file cabinet, supplies and information within reach. Then you won’t waste time jumping from area to area to grab what you need.

Several years ago, when I worked with the winner of the “Most Disorganized Home Office” contest, we turned her enormous attic home office into a cozy, workable space. The end result was a home office set up in the back part of the attic, near windows, and the rest of the space left open.

Limit the number of accessories–especially on your desk. Keep in mind that design magazines “stage” their photos. They add more accessories than normal, place furniture in awkward places because it photographs better, and–in some cases–create a room that no one could comfortably live in.

Your home office should be comfortable, yet functional, stylish yet not overstuffed with excess accessories. The rule of thumb is that less is more. Buy what you need for your office, but make sure you can find what you need when you need it.