Welcome to Day 23 of 30 Spaces in 30 Days. We tackled the desk back on Day 8 — the surface, the clutter, the things that had accumulated where your work actually happens. Today we’re going broader. Today we’re looking at the whole workspace — the systems, the shelving, the equipment, the details that surround your desk and either support your work beautifully or quietly complicate it.

For those of us who work from home, our workspace is more than a functional room. It’s where our professional identity lives. It’s where we show up every day to do work that matters. It deserves to be treated with the same care and intention we’ve brought to every other space in this challenge.

A Workspace That Reflects Who You Are

I want to share something about my office before we get into the how, because I think it speaks to what a home office can be at its very best.

My office has the Pacific Desk from Pottery Barn — 108 inches of beautiful, functional workspace with open shelving that keeps everything visible and accessible. There’s also a walking pad and an adjustable standing desk so I can move while I work, which has genuinely changed how I feel throughout the day. There are bay windows overlooking our hydrangeas, which means the view from my desk is one of the most beautiful things in our home.

And then there’s the pinboard. It’s covered in ideas, inspiration, notes, and little messages from Ben and Ollie. It’s the first thing I see when I sit down and the last thing I look at when I finish for the day. It’s a reminder of why I do the work I do and who I do it for — and having it right there, in the middle of my workspace, is one of the details I love most about this room.

A workspace that reflects who you are — your creativity, your values, the people you love — is a workspace that makes you want to show up. That’s what today is about. Not just clearing and tidying, but making sure every element of your workspace is genuinely supporting the work and the life you’re building.

The Difference Between Day 8 and Today

On Day 8 we cleared the desk surface — the most immediate and visible part of the workspace. Today we’re looking at everything else.

The open shelving and what lives on it. The equipment and cables and whether they’re organized or tangled and chaotic. The filing system and whether it actually works. The things that have accumulated in the broader office space that don’t belong there. The details — the pin-board, the plants, the personal touches — and whether they’re intentional or incidental.

A desk can be perfectly clear and the room around it can still feel cluttered and uninspiring. Today we address the whole system.

How to Declutter Your Home Office Today

Give yourself 45 minutes to an hour for this one. Put on something good to listen to and approach it with the same energy you bring to your best work.

Step 1: Assess the shelving honestly. Open shelving is beautiful and functional — when everything on it has earned its place and is organized with intention. Go through every shelf and ask the familiar question: does this earn its place here? Books you actually reference, items you actually use, things that are genuinely beautiful or meaningful — those stay. Everything else finds a better home.

Step 2: Deal with the cables. Cables are one of the most consistent sources of visual noise in a home office, and they’re worth dealing with properly today. Cable ties, cable boxes, or a simple cable management tray make an immediate and significant difference in how calm and considered a workspace feels. Untangle, organize, and contain.

Step 3: Audit your filing and paperwork systems. Whatever system you use for paperwork — physical files, digital organization, a combination — today is a good day to audit it honestly. Are there papers that need to be filed, scanned, or shredded? Is your system actually working for you or just existing? Spend a few minutes getting it current and intentional.

Step 4: Clear and clean every surface. Beyond the desk — the shelving surfaces, the windowsills, the floor around the walking pad. Wipe everything down, dust the shelving, clean the bay windows so the hydrangea view is as clear and beautiful as possible. A clean workspace feels completely different from a tidy-but-dusty one.

Step 5: Tend to the pinboard. A pinboard is one of the most personal and inspiring elements of a creative workspace — and it’s worth maintaining with intention. Remove anything that’s outdated or no longer relevant. Add anything that’s currently inspiring you. Your pinboard should feel like a genuine reflection of where you are right now — or where you want to be.

Step 6: Consider the walking pad area. If you work and move simultaneously — which I highly recommend — make sure the area around your walking pad is clear and functional. Nothing on the floor that creates a hazard or visual noise. The equipment itself clean and well-maintained. The experience of using it as pleasant as possible.

Step 7: Add or refresh one inspiring detail. A fresh plant, a new candle for the desk, a print that currently speaks to you — one considered detail that makes you genuinely happy when you walk into this room. Your workspace should feel like somewhere you want to be. That feeling is worth investing in.

The Workspace That Makes You Want to Show Up

There is something really meaningful about a workspace that reflects who you are and what you love. The notes from Ollie pinned where you can see them. The hydrangeas through the bay window. The walking pad that keeps you moving through the day. The desk that gives you room to spread out and think.

None of those things are incidental. They’re the details that connect your work to your life — that make the hours you spend in that room feel purposeful and good. Taking care of this space is taking care of your work. And your work matters.