Small Space Solutions: Expand a Desk Up, Down, or Sideways for More Space
comments
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)
As tasks at hand get bigger, the space available on your desk seems to become smaller. When your workload is outgrowing your desk, there are a few ways to expand usable space. Just look up, down or sideways and think out of the box.
Up
- Add a hutch to an existing desk to expand usable space upwards.
- Shelves installed above a desk give the same utility as a hutch, with more customizable options and plenty of room for both storage and decoration.
- There’s no reason ceiling-mounted storage, traditionally used in a garage, cam’t be installed inside. Go for a ready-made rack or DIY your own solution.
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)
Down
- Add a file cabinet or two below the desk. Here’s Apartment Therapy’s favorite options for under-desk cabinets, including Heartwork’s Bravo Pedestal, or former Apartment Therapy Tech contributor, Mike Tyson’s Clear Task at Hand home office.
- Hang hooks from the underside of the desk to hang a bag, tools or accessories, like headphones.
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)
Sideways
- Attach additional storage to the sides of the desk, like these file pockets hung from removable hooks.
- Use a pair of IKEA shelf brackets to create open file storage that keeps papers off the desk top.
- Buy a ready-made desk caddy that mounts or hangs off the side of the desk, like this one from Utretcht, this inexpensive option from Bed, Bath & Beyond, or the Freudian Slip from Tom Bihn (meant as a briefcase insert, but works great as a desk caddy, pictured above).
- Or pull up a small rolling file cabinet or rolling cart to expand storage and available desk top workspace.