A Year's Worth of Smart Home Solutions

Ah, back-to-school season. Even if your kids have long since graduated, there's no better time to tidy those piles of papers threatening to overtake your desk. The best way to create extra storage? Think vertically. Here, a peg rail corrals supplies and a hanging task lamp, while wall-mounted clipboards sit ready to organize incoming papers—one each for bills, unanswered mail, messages, and magazine tear sheets. Next to the desk, an idea-file board, created by affixing ½-inch-thick cork to the wall and covering it in felt, makes it easy to spot inspiration for a future remodel. Other materials, such as magazines, paint chips, and carpet samples, can be tucked into neat files and boxes, leaving the desktop clear for whatever home-related work comes its way.