When organizing a home office, always clear the area first -- working with a clean slate makes it easier to maximize your space and functionality. Follow these expert tips to free your desk space from wires and clutter.

1. Use a desk that fits your style and organization needs. Martha recommends building an inexpensive desk, as seen in the fall issue of Blueprint. This particular desk is both functional and eye-pleasing.

2. Storage boxes prove useful as a means of hiding any paperwork or clutter that can quickly pile up. These boxes can easily be placed on a bookcase adjacent to your desk to free up even more space.

3. Eliminate messy desktop cords by using wireless desktop products. Apple Computer sells both a wireless Mighty Mouse and a wireless keyboard.

4. Use inexpensive cord organizers to maintain and help conceal unruly wires.

5. Behind the desk, feed all wires through a cord snake to further conceal and hide the unsightly wires.

6. To better organize your computer files, use an external hard drive. If children use your home office, you can create a separate log on to protect important files.

Resources
Wireless products are available from Apple. The storage boxes used in this segment can be purchased from Russell + Hazel. Cord and wire organizers are available from the Container Store. The external hard drive used in this segment is from Western Digital.