Organize Your Life! Day 2: Six Stylish Ways to Organize Your Desk

Because sometimes Staples doesn't cut it.

By Emily Goulet· 2/25/2014, 7:35 p.m.

Your new best friend: the wall-mounted organizer.

Maybe it was the 72-hour stint of warm weather last week, but we here at Shoppist are ready for a little spring-cleaning. Each day this week, we’ll be compiling the best ways to organize your life. Trust us: Imagine how good it will feel to spring clean, before spring. Collective sigh of relief, everyone.

There’s nothing that saps creativity and dashes productivity than a messy desk. But Staples and Office Depot are woefully lacking in the style department. (Trust me: My office is primarily white, and it took me at least 10 trips to various stores to find a cool white stapler. Also, yes: I am that crazy.) Here, some of the best ways to keep your workspace chaos-free, and totally stylish to boot.

Get Color-Coordinated.

The easiest way to make your office look more organized? Get matching desk accessories. Using one color palette makes your desk look cohesive—even if you're feeling frazzled. The easiest to way get streamlined office supplies is at Poppin.com, where you can shop huge collections by color (they've got everything from white and black to lime green and aqua). We're completely obsessed. Image via My Scandinavian Home.

Work With Your Walls.

Maximize desk top space by hanging up a wall organization system. It keeps things at arm's reach, without having them get in the way. I'm loving Anthropologie's wall-mounted organizer. ($398.)

Be a Basket Case. (Er, Sort Of.)

A touch of vintage style goes a long way in adding cool, weathered texture to an office space. Wire baskets keep things corralled and in plain sight. My pick? See Jane Work's faux vintage baskets, which look antique but come in dimensions suitable for modern-day storage. ($28.)

Keep Similar Objects Together.

Stop tossing pens and pencils into a messy desk drawer. Keep your tools together and separated so you can find what you need in an instant. I keep my pencils, pens and markers in separate mismatched vintage milk glass bottles. Another cool idea: This awesome pencil dispenser from the Museum of Useful Things, made to look like an old-fashioned straw dispenser. ($18.)

Control Your Cords.

There's nothing worse than a jungle of cords beneath your desk. Keep ones you need close at hand with Cabledrop clips, which stick to the side of your desk to keep laptop cables and phone chargers where you need 'em. ($8 for six.)

Ditch the Post-Its.

Really. All those little yellow squares can add up to a ton of clutter—and a ton of stress. Keep yourself on task with a whiteboard instead. I adore this idea, which I found on Etsy: paint a surface with whiteboard paint (tip: use a magnetic surface!) and then put it inside an ornate antique (or antique-esque) frame. You can buy this one for $124.

More great organization tips right here:

How to Organize Your Shoes

How to Organize Your Makeup

Organize Your Life! Day 2: Six Stylish Ways to Organize Your Desk

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Get Color-Coordinated.

Work With Your Walls.

Be a Basket Case. (Er, Sort Of.)

Keep Similar Objects Together.

Control Your Cords.

Ditch the Post-Its.

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