If you can't tell where your desk ends and your papers start, it's time to put to work your work room - the home office.

According to the Bureau of Labor's latest study on Americans working from the home, about 15 percent of nonagricultural workers spend at least one day working from the home as their primary job. And with technology connecting us more every year, that number may continue to rise.

So how do you make a home office a place to enjoy? Stay organized and create a place you're happy to be in, says interior redesigner Victoria Palmer, director of the National Redesign Institute and owner of Urbane, Kansas City, Mo. To cut the clutter and promote productivity, check out these tips from Palmer and interior designer Connie Hammond, Creative Designs, San Mateo, Calif.

1. Start in one corner and go around to the other. "This way I see progress so I don't mess up the part I've done," Hammond says. Locate problem areas that look visually unappealing, like big stacks of papers, and work on each area individually so you're not overwhelmed.

2. Create a system that works for you. Hammond recommends making a list of daily "must-do's" and putting everything else out of sight in decorative, different colored baskets. Also consider making a separate workspace for things you don't need all the time.

3. Buy the largest desk that will fit the room to make space for your computer and individual workspace. Move big objects, like your printer, to alternate tables, credenzas or underneath the desk.

4. Use technology to keep information organized. "Keep records and spreadsheets that are easily updated and make sure to back this info up on CDs or flash drives," Palmer says. Also consider using software to store client information and reduce stacks of files.

5. Get inspiration from other offices. "I have a magazine holder like at the doctor's office where I drop mail I want to get back to," Palmer says. "It gives me easy access to lots of resources, like brochures and Web site info."