Before

Photograph: Imogen Brown

TONY senior designer Maria Stegner’s home office was in the corner of her living room and slowly spilling out into the rest of the apartment. “With my seven-month-old son, Alexi, there’s an ever-increasing mound of child-related things strewn about,” Maria explains. Dimensions in hand, Maria headed to the Container Store where on-site Elfa shelving experts customized a system for her space (for free)—though if you have a spare hall closet, they have a predesigned kit that’s ready to install. “I went to the store on a Monday, the materials arrived on Friday and the desk was installed on Sunday—it couldn’t have been easier.” For 30 percent of the total price (offices start at $121, depending on dimensions), an Elfa pro will set everything up for you, but DIY installation is extremely simple: A horizontal top rack is mounted to the wall, and the remaining components hang down from that rack.

Every design maximizes unused vertical space and employs adjustable shelving to fit all of your knickknacks (when you move, you can unscrew the shelves and have them recut to fit your next apartment). “I freed up a whole bookcase, several filing-cabinet drawers and my sanity!” Maria adds.

Click here view the Container Store supplies that were used.

After

Photograph: Imogen Brown