8 Office Storage Ideas that Work Well with Hot Desking

Office storage conundrums: where does "stuff" live when everyone’s busy desk hopping?

When designed well, open offices are great.

‍Hot-desking means workspaces are sleek and efficient.

Common areas are straight out of a design mag. Employees can choose from a wide variety of spaces to work out of throughout the day.But for some people who like personal desk decor or need office storage for their job, open offices can be a challenge. No matter how minimalist we all become, there are bound to be gym duffels, winter boots, or product samples scattered around the office. So where do we put all this stuff, especially if we don’t even have a desk to call home?If you want to roll out hot-desking, you’ll need to make some furniture updates to keep up with office storage needs. But since this isn’t a complete office renovation, there’s no need to hire a design firm. Instead, we put together a slew of options to choose from:

1. Lockers

Personal lockers go well near major entryways, central thoroughfares, or near the gym if one lives inside the building.

For the executive in all of us: Golf Locker ($316)

When winter is coming and you need a place for puffy coats: 16 person Locker with Coat Rack ($395)

A sleek and modern take on personal lockers: Poppin 6 Door Locker ($799)

For those who love their fancy gym lockers: Hollman Keyless or Digilock Lockers (Custom quote only)

2. Cabinets

Simple cabinets can be useful as office storage in smaller environments or when employees are within eyesight of the units, to avoid any theft. Peppering these amongst work areas is one option.

A colorful new storage option from our favorite Swedes: Ikea Lixhult ($185)

When folks need a place to stash long trench coats in a modern vibe: Wayfair Apollo ($155)

3. Credenzas

If you want something more subdued for more general office storage, or you want to layer in more homey vibes, credenzas are a nice solution.

For those who appreciate the mid-century modern resurgence: Article Seno ($1099)

Sleek, modern, white: Poppin Cleo Credenza ($799)

For something higher up from the ground but still funky: Houzz Mason Black Buffet ($609)

4. Cubbies

Everyone loves a good open cubby, with cloth bins being a useful add-on that employees can take with them wherever they go.

The classic Ikea cubby system with a delicate platform: Ikea EKET ($130)

Another option could be the Target Threshold Cube Storage ($80, with Bins $13)

5. Bookshelves

If you want to add some team-specific office storage to an area, bookshelves can never steer you wrong. Our only word of wisdom would be to avoid clutter on the shelves.

When you want a rustic element with modularity: West Elm Industrial Modular ($799)

Or maybe are leaning towards something sleek, modern, and white: Target Paulo Bookcase ($75)

6. Pedestals

These are great as personal office storage in areas where desk hoteling is more of a thing than hot-desking (longer term reservations). People will have a harder time wheeling these around, but they’re still easily moveable when you need them to be.

Are you sensing a popular theme? Sleek, modern, white: Poppin Stow 3-Drawer File Cabinet ($269)

Or if you want something more rustic: Wayfair Ironworks 2-Drawer Pedestal ($145)

7. Coat rack

If you’re based in SoCal, you probably won’t need this type of storage in your workplace. But for many of us in the multi-season cities, coat racks are homey and helpful office storage options to hang winter coats, rain jackets, or even a sweatshirt when the A/C is pumpin’. Go industrial chic: Amazon Industrial Pipe Clothing Rack ($125)

Use a minimalist approach with a sleek wall hook: Umbra Flip Multi Wall Hook ($50)

Greenery in the office? Add to the theme: Vivaterra Bronze Branch Coat Tree  ($295)

8. Storage carts

For jobs with lots of physical samples to cart around, a rolling storage cart can be a necessary tool, especially if your desk changes daily. Make sure you opt for function in addition to picking out the look you like (some of the wheels can be just for decoration).

Feel like you’re in a metalsmith’s studio with an industrial chic option Target Metal 4-Tier Cart ($290)

To go with the earlier theme of sleek, modern, and white: Uline 2-shelf Steel Cart ($269)

Go vintage: World Market Bryant Mobile Cart $500

While you let these Pinterest-level recommendations marinate, start to narrow down where office storage can even live in your current setup. Map out empty spaces. Entryways, kitchens, and each section of desks need at least one solution. Some office storage works better for certain areas and work types. Gather colleagues in an advocacy group to help narrow down what will work best in your office and storage wars are sure to be avoided.

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Still unsure of the hot-desking revolution? See how Deloitte, Credit Suisse, and more have ignited the hot-desking movement in their offices. Another pro tip: make sure you have the right desk reservation software.