Turn Your Closet into a Home Office

Looking for an area in your home or apartment for an office? As unlikely as it sounds, a closet can easily be converted into a work or project related space over the course of a weekend. If you’ll be using a working closet, start by clearing it out and repacking your clothes, accessories, and shoes in their new locations. Decide on a look or theme you would like for your office as this will help determine factors such as color, style, and design along the way. Here is a step-by-step method for turning your closet into a home office:

1. In order to know what can fit inside your new office space, measure the depth. Many small closets are not deep, which will restrict the size of shelves, your desk area, and even the printer/scanner you plan to use. Place your computer, files, and printer on the floor of the closet to make sure they will fit, either straight or sideways. Next, measure the height so you know how high you can go with building or installing shelves.
2. You’ll need to power up your office equipment so purchase the proper plugs for lighting and electronic equipment. Order everything you need from EquipSupply.com.
3. Once you’ve placed or built your desktop, consider adding a few bins or shelves to file papers. Take stock of everything you want to put into the office and you’ll have a more accurate idea of the amount of shelves, cabinets, or containers needed. If you tend to enjoy a clutter-free atmosphere, use a rod system to hang small containers with pens, pencils, scissors, and other standard desktop items.
4. Invest in quality lighting, as smaller closet space tends to have dim lighting. And if you plan to spend a lot of time in the office, consider extending your project over the course of two weekends to install an updated lighting system.
5. The choice of your chair will depend on whether you want the closet doors to be closed completely while you are working. If you don’t mind leaving your office door open to the bedroom, a chair in your bedroom can do double duty.
6. When it comes to your closet door, you can save space by removing them. Replacing doors with curtains can give you a bit more room if you don’t mind that your bedroom will not be officially separated.
7. Before finishing the project, ensure that all shelves are securely attached to the wall to reduce the risk of collapse.
8. Decorate the space as you would with any other room in your house. Add colorful wallpaper or paint it in a color that will increase your creativity.