The whole idea of a minimalist office is that you cut back on the things you don’t need and drastically reduce waste. So, how does storage fit in with that idea?
Regardless of whether or not you manage to go paperless, there will probably always be a need for some storage. After all, it’s not necessarily paper that you need to store. It could be other items that are necessary for work but aren’t needed all of the time.
Minimalist office space design is about making the most of the floor space you have but that doesn’t mean completely stripping back on office storage. You can have some! What you shouldn’t do however is overload your office with too many filing cabinets, shelves, or cabinets that aren’t necessary. That simply encourages keeping things when you don’t really need to.
So, how does it work in a minimalist office?
Basically, you just have to think sleek and in-keeping with the theme. You also have to be very mindful of only keeping the bare necessities. Most of your storage can be held online, in the Cloud or on USB sticks, etc. Digital storage has come a long way over the years and is now a very safe and streamlined option for business.
If you do want to have some physical storage then you should opt for storage cabinets that fit in with the office decor. These can fit under desks, as long as they’re not in the way of your employees while they’re working at their office chairs, or perhaps underneath window sills, so they look like a streamlined part of the design.
There shouldn’t really be a need for the old metal filing cabinets in a minimalist office. These are a bit of a eyesore in today’s streamlined design world, but they’re also, once more, encouraging you to keep items that aren’t needed.
Going paperless is a very strong part of minimalism. It’s also a great thing to do for the environment and is sure to save your business some cash too. By scanning items and storing them in the Cloud, or simply never really printing anything out unless desperately necessary, you’re doing a good deed for the planet and you’re staying within the minimalist theme.
So, while office storage isn’t banned in a minimalist office, it’s certainly not a huge necessity anymore.