Store the things that you use most often closest to your desk, and place infrequently used but necessary file cabinets further away. Also, consider traffic flow and clearance as you plan out your office storage space: Make sure traffic paths are at least 18 inches wide. Leave plenty of clearance space around your storage furniture. For a file cabinet, leave a space equal to the depth of the cabinet—plus some room for you!—so you can pull out the file drawers with ease. Leave about 18 inches in front of bookshelves and display cabinets.
If you place your storage units behind your desk, we suggest a minimum of 3 feet of separation.