Now that you’ve chosen the best space for your home office, it’s time to evaluate. What kind of storage are you using — hangers, shelves, drawers, or piles? How much space are you working with here — will it need to be a shallow cloffice or a walk-in closet office?

Feel free to use this simple DIY checklist as guidance to design a WFH closet office tailored to your taste. If you paint the walls, and add trim, it will look just like a real bookshelf! But you’ll use way less wood than if you were doing converting closet to office a full build. This little office nook opens up to my family room, so I love that we can close the doors and hide any office mess away. However it is an attractive enough little nook, that we usually keep the doors thrown wide open.

How to Build a Desk in a Closet

I actually salvaged these two cabinet units off the side of the road years ago. But cabinet bases are the perfect heavy duty choice for a desk in your office. For the Upper West Side apartment, Cooke John installed a modern brass light fixture with three adjustable heads. While working in a closet may sound cramped, once you remove the unnecessary clutter, you will see what a prime real estate area it is for your home office.

Last year, two D.C.-area designers, Pamela Black and Don Love, collaborated on a cloffice when they ran out of room for a home office as part of a Foggy Bottom condo renovation. They took a 7-by-7-foot closet and designed a desk and cabinetry to provide storage for files and room for a printer. A grass cloth (Shinto/Jute by Clay McLaurin Studio) wall covering added texture and color. Working with a particularly small closet with an ordinary door and don’t have a burning desire to replace it?

How to turn an apartment closet into an office

By utilizing the existing closet, you can create an efficient workspace without sacrificing too much square footage. The compact design and the ability to close the doors make it a versatile option for apartments, studio units, or any room with limited space. Creating zones is the key to making a walk-in closet office work.

• This little office nook opens up to my family room, so I love that we can close the doors and hide any office mess away.
• If you have a repurposed coat closet, you may simply not have room for the same type of rolling office chair that would fit into a huge walk-in closet.
• Start by securing 2×2 boards (cut to the desired desk depth minus 3/4″) on the sides of the closet.
• Burt’s family of four was stretched for working surfaces, and she wanted her own space for conducting telehealth appointments with patients and storing family paperwork.
• In a small workspace with ambient light, task lamps increase illuminance which helps with focus-based activities.
• It takes a bit of planning to pull this off, but it’s worth the effort.

To get the length of the bottom pieces, measure from the top of the baseboards to the bottom of the desk supports. If you’re closet already has existing shelving, the first step is to remove it and fill in the holes. Keep in mind that closet shelving can leave MASSIVE holes in the wall, so the spackling can take a very long time to dry completely.

Ways to Turn Your Closet into an Office

Ludmer wanted his meetings to sound professional even if he was talking from a former closet. Cloffices can reflect your style, whether Bohemian or corporate, and your personality. The most important thing is to ensure the space is comfortable and cool.

Cabinets are another essential element in most closet office nooks. Although smaller fitted closets may not have room for any type of cabinet, most closet offices will have the space for at least one decent set of drawers. The most logical place for a small cabinet is under the desk.

Enlist different types of storage to organize paperwork, office supplies, and other essentials. Matching file boxes, bins, and other organizers will help create a cohesive look. Comfort is always the primary consideration when choosing seating for any office. Considering the number of hours you’re likely to spend in your new favorite nook, you need something great to sit on. Of course, space may be an issue, and you may have to settle for something smaller or more austere than you would otherwise prefer.

• Then I used some left over navy blue paint to create this faux patterned tile design.
• “Personalize the space with pictures and items that are meaningful to you,” Marx recommends.
• You want to desk to rest flush against the wall, so the vertical lattice moulding will need to be cut into two separate pieces.
• Using your stud finder, find and mark all studs slightly above where you will hang the supports.
• It may be a small table, a board laid across file cabinets, a secretary desk, or an L-shaped desk.
• For smaller items such as staplers, notebooks, and writing items, buy an inexpensive desktop organiser, stash all your stuff in it and place it to the side of your desk.
• Depending on the kind of cloffice you opt for, it can also become a part of your room’s decor.

A closet office, also known as a “cloffice,” is a compact and functional workspace that is designed within a closet. It maximizes the available space and allows you to create a dedicated office area even if you have limited room in your home. Many closets come fitted with two or four-panel folding doors. These can continue to work well, or you can replace them with more stylish panels that look better in your new space.

The desk you choose in the next step may have cable management options, so you’ll want to avoid plugging in the power strip now if that’s the case. If you’re just going to have it sit on the floor or in some other cable management mechanism, feel free to take care of it now. Decide what kind of desk best fits the space and your needs. It may be a small table, a board laid across file cabinets, a secretary desk, or an L-shaped desk. You may want to try a standing desk or an ergonomic desk with adjustable height.

• If you are an experienced builder or DIYer, you can build an entire desk and shelf system into your closet office.
• Replace a bare bulb with a multi-light fixture that can be aimed at specific zones in your workspace.
• One of the easiest ways to make your teeny office space stand out is with wallpaper, as showcased in this minimalistic cloffice.

“The foundation of the space begins with a plan,” says professional organizer Ellen Delap. You may find that you already have a kitchen chair or stool that fits well into your closet office. If it’s made of wood or metal, perhaps shop for a cushion to increase your comfort level when perched there for several hours. A cushioned, fabric cube is a clean and simple addition to a minimalist closet office.