The Cloffice: How I Turned an Extra Closet Into an Office

As this pandemic continues to drag on, I've been so grateful for this office space! We've all been working from home MUCH more than usual and having a designated space can be a game changer. It can increase productivity, decrease distraction, and help us define that boundary between work and home life. 

Here's how we made it work!

Originally, this closet was in a guest room and wasn't being used to it's potential. (The room now belongs to my daughter, but we've left the office and she shares a closet with her brother. We are blessed with BIG closets in our house). It is 7 x 4 feet and was equipped with wire shelving. We took EVERYTHING out, patched the holes, and were ready to build!

Desk

I searched long a hard for an affordable desk option. I considered built in units, stand alone desks, etc. Then on a trip to the hardware store, inspiration hit--laminate closet shelving! We ended up spending next to nothing on 3 laminate boards. The two top shelves are simple white boards (4 ft x 1 ft) and the desk is the same, but wider (4 ft x 2 ft). We secured them with metal shelf brackets for a SUPER affordable solution. I wouldn't recommend sitting or standing on the desk since it is just shelving. But it works well for daily use (and I pile a LOT of books on it)!

Walls

I knew I wanted a pop of color, but didn't want to overwhelm the entire space when I'm working. I decided to paint just the middle of the center wall a royal blue. Then to fill the space, I ordered a single curtain (which I cut in half vertically) and hung the pieces on either side of the desk. The curtain goes from floor to ceiling and makes the closet feel much larger. See a similar curtain option here. 

Office Supplies/Storage

I am able to store all paperwork, books, printer, etc. to the left and right of the desk area. There are no outlets inside the closet so I simply run an extension cord right outside the door when needed. 

Chair

I went with this simple chair from amazon. Since the flooring is carpet, and I knew I wouldn't need to roll around in this small space, I went with a simple/cheap option. 

Decorations

Other decorations and frames were either previously owned or came from Hobby Lobby!

That's it! It's super functional and I love just closing the door to "turn work off". I'd love to hear your questions and comments below!