It is made almost entirely out of maple veneer plywood, with a few supports made of 2x4s. There is a ton of shelf space on either side for all of his gear. Maybe he’ll actually use it to do his homework, too. One of my first projects after moving to my new house was to build him a cool desk!
I finished the surfaces with sealer & tung oil because I like the look of stained wood better than painted surface. Also it would have been a waste of the expensive mahogony wood trim pieces if I would have painted over them. Painting would have been easier and quicker but it wouldn’t have produced the look and feel I was going for. When remote work became the new normal for many, home offices were suddenly in high demand. A cloffice packs the hardworking elements of a home office into an underused closet. Particularly useful in smaller homes and apartments with limited square footage, cloffices provide a creative way to maximize available space.
Step 4: Cut and Test Fit Desk Bottom and Desk Interior Beams
Linen closets are even smaller than reach-in closets, and they often use special doors like folding or sliding doors. These types of closets work for offices, but they only provide room for a narrow desktop, so it’s most likely you’ll only be able to fit a laptop on the desk. You can get creative with these types of closet offices by creating a desk that folds out or slides out to offer more space. The ideas we shared around utilizing wall and ceiling space (especially the side walls) will help you get the most from your closet office. For starters, if you turn a closet into an office, you’re utilizing your house space in the most efficient way possible. You get space back in your bedroom and can keep your desk out of sight when you’re not working.
- It might sound impossibly cramped and uninspiring at first, but these examples will show you how amazing it can be.
- If you like working in an open space, you might hate it here.
- Take a look at some of the creative solutions below to craft a space that fits your needs.
- Cut the bottom of the desk to accept a keyboard tray.
You’ll be spending a lot of your time working there, after all. Add in things that mean something to you such as picture frames, or maybe even a vase of flowers. It would be best if you employ the skills of a professional electrician instead. Closets aren’t particularly known to be bright nor do they usually get a lot of natural light. Install drawer slides in the cutouts on the front of the desk. She also recommends steering clear of twinkle lights, which are cozy but not very bright.
Think about organisers for more storage
If you’re lucky enough to have a walk-in closet to work with, there’s so much you can do. When you think about it, a closet this size is about as big as a normal desk space. Imagine taking an ordinary wide, shallow closet and transforming it into really useful office space.
As there’s more place for light to pass through, the cloffice also appears brighter with that approach. If you have a couple of drawer units under your desktop, you want those items to have furniture risers under them. Keep photos of your kids, family members, pets or whoever you want on the desktop, real or virtual. Anything or anyone that cheer you up is a good thing. Even if it’s an odd-looking, but cherished doll from your childhood. There is no reason to keep your cloffice extremely professional or too clean in appearance.
Use a Freestanding Desk
Here is where closet office ideas truly shine; these closets often have plenty of space for both clothes and a home office. It does take more planning to pull it off, but it’s worth the effort. This design by Tazz Lighting features a closet-turned-office that incorporates a custom-built desk and shelving, as well as a cozy reading nook. LED rope lighting underneath the shelving provides all the light needed to work. This design by Hugh Jefferson Randolph Architects showcases a closet-turned-office with a built-in desk and shelving, as well as a stylish wallpaper accent wall. Inserted underneath the second-floor stairs, this home office regained precious square footage.
For the front of the desk frame, measure the space between the front of the two side boards. Cut a 2×2 board to that measurement and add pocket hole screws to the ends. Secure it to the walls with the 3″ wood screws closet to office conversion and then attach it to the side boards with pocket hole screws. Cut a 2×2 board to that measurement, add pocket holes to the ends. After I got the desk built, I needed to decide on how to paint the area.
Step 8: Close Up the Wall
Cabinets aren’t as easy as shelves when it comes to doing it yourself, but anyone can tuck a pre-made file cabinet or unit beneath a work surface. Make sure to measure your under-desk space carefully before ordering any type of cabinet that must fit there. Allow for ample leg and knee room when you are seated, and enough space to roll your chair inside before you close your office at the end of the day. Choose a generously-sized desk and a comfortable chair. Lie a luxurious area rug on the floor beneath your work zone and replace your plain overhead lights with a colorful chandelier or other ornate fixture. Accessorize your desk with a lovely lamp and framed photos of your loved ones.
Maybe you already have a makeshift office crammed into your closet, or you’ve run out of space in your house and you’re desperately looking for a place to set up your desk. Either way, creating an office in a space that’s only meant to be big enough for old coats is a lot to ask. If you want to find ways to make it work (and pitfalls to avoid), you’ve come to the right place. We took a deep dive into research to find the best solutions and ideas for converting your closet into an office. If you have a particularly snug closet space—such as when you repurpose a linen closet—a sliding barn door can be a great option.