When you work from home, it’s not the size of the space that matters…it’s how you use that space. The last three home offices I designed were small, but functional. Instead of focusing on the lack of floor space, we made the most of the vertical space.

Whether you’re setting up a home office for the first time or redesigning your current office space, think vertically and put your walls and corners to work.

Start with shelves.

Add shelves above or next to your desk to gain more storage space and to reduce desktop clutter. You can use open shelves or a hutch that sits on your desk. A tall, four-shelf bookcase — ideally with adjustable shelves – can hold dozens of books and reference materials. If you have a hutch, you’ll need to place your desk against a wall. The only exception is when you want to divide a larger room and use it for two different purposes.

Don’t waste corners.

The L-shaped arrangement is my favorite because the two work surfaces are at a right angle. Also, the L-shape makes it easy to use the corner that normally is wasted space. A corner is the ideal place for a copier or printer because it’s out of the way, but within reach.

Make furniture do double-duty.

Several years ago, I set up my home office in a spare bedroom. I used an antique dresser to hold my all-in-one machine and reference books on top. Inside, I stored office supplies. One of my clients uses her dining room as a home office during the day and stores all of her equipment and supplies in a large sideboard. When she entertains, no one knows that along one wall is a fully functioning home office. Look at the furniture you have in your home and consider whether you can use it for storage in your home office.