The latest trend for work-at-home parents is having a DIY cloffice in their home. A cloffice is a closet and office combined. This post breaks down ways you can create an office in a closet and cheap ways to convert your space.
If you pop into Pinterest, you’ll notice several people are working out of a closet turned into office. This has made working moms search for tips on how to turn your closet into an office.
Closet And Office Ideas Combo
Creating a space in your home for work purposes can be exciting. Sometimes this type of project can take longer than expected because of poor planning.
Researching what others have done can help inspire you to create a closet and office combo that fits your everyday needs.
To work on a DIY cloffice, you can start by doing the following:
- Improve the lighting in your closet.
- Use walls for storage/shelving purposes.
- Add hooks for your work items.
- Place a whiteboard for important notes.
- Create privacy with curtains or a door.
- Get inspired with DIY desk ideas.
- Think of storage as well.
- Draw out your closet space idea.
- Look at images of closets into offices.
Improve the lighting in your closet
This can be as simple as changing the light bulbs from incandescent bulbs to LED ones. By making the switch, you’re giving your eyes a better view which helps you focus while you work.
Although some opt for a lamp on their desk, it’s best to avoid taking up unnecessary space in your closet office.
Make use of walls for storage/shelving purposes
Walls are always a great option when it comes to storage. You can get the most out of turning your closet into an office by using minimal space.
Your closet and office combined are already a spacesaver. You’ll want to keep a minimalist lifestyle approach with your home office to help with concentration.
Add hooks for your work items
Placing your work items somewhere accessible makes it easy for you to grab it. One of the best ways you can combine an office and a closet is by simplifying your area.
The more you focus on storing less in your space, the more creative you can get with your DIY cloffice project. Look for multifunctional pieces like hooks for your things.
This will make it easy when you need a place to hang a sweater or your camera.
Use a whiteboard for important dates
There’s something about placing a whiteboard in an office that says “I’m getting things accomplished.”
This also helps with remembering important dates and details about upcoming projects.
Create privacy with curtains or a door
Giving yourself a private area lets you feel like you’re not home and can concentrate on work. Creating privacy with curtains or a door to close off the area is perfect for avoiding clutter.
Get inspired with DIY desk ideas
If you were to do a quick online search, you’ll notice a variety of options for cloffice ideas. This is how you can get inspired to create your own DIY desk.
Think of storage as well
Although using the wall is a great option for storing important documents, you’ll need additional storage space for other things. Books, notebooks, and items you don’t use every day will need its own place.
Make use of inexpensive products available online, like cabinets. You can use two cabinets and a piece of wood to create a DIY desk with storage for your things.
Draw out your closet office idea
Once you’ve figured out what you’d like to add to your closet converted to office, it’s time to lay out your home office closet ideas.
Look at images of closets into offices
Make use of the images you’ve seen online and point out what you like about them. Is it the layout of the DIY cloffice?
It might be something as simple as the setup of the desk closet ideas you’ve seen. Whatever the case may be, you’ll want to start narrowing down your layout.
How Do I Turn My Walk-In Closet Into An Office
Considered to be one of the design flaws in the average home, a walk-in closet has been noted as a waste of space. The reason design professionals have noted this about large closets is that it promotes too much storage space.
According to an article on long-time home improvement expert Bob Vila’s website, there are a number of ways to point out when you’re wasting closet space in your home.
Space isn’t the only thing you should be concerned with when it comes to your closet. It’s all about how you make use of this area in your home.
You can maximize your closet space by focusing on organizing your clothing items. Look at your shoe collection, is it out of control?
This is the first thing you should tackle. Figure out which shoes you can keep and the ones you should donate or throw out.
A lot of the times you may hold on to items because they have sentimental value. However, if your shoes aren’t being used or could be of use to someone else, then it’s time to get rid of them.
For some, putting away seasonal clothes is important. If you avoid overstocking your closet like me, then you have space for everything in your closet.
With simple closet organization tips, you can learn how to make your walk-in space functional.
Using my downsizing wardrobe tips, you’ll be one step closer to getting the closet/office you’ve been wanting.
Keep the kids busy with these kids house chores while you clean up your space.
How To Create A Cloffice On A Budget
Whether you plan to complete the DIY cloffice yourself or hire out, you’ll need to think of all the pieces you’d like to include.
Less is more, so stick to multifunctional pieces. I love my pencil holder because it doubles as a phone holder. Sometimes I’ll put an important letter I need to mail out on it so I remember to sent it out.
My walk-in cloffice was originally going to have a built-in desk. However, I like the option of moving things around in my home.
How To Build A Desk In A Closet
If you’re planning to add a built-in for you to turn walk-in closet into office, then I recommend following these 5 easy steps:
1. Clear up the space and measure
Make room for you to work on this fun project. It’s going to get a bit messy and you’ll want to keep your space free from clutter.
2. Go with a 20-inch piece of wood
This is the optimal distance from your computer to your eyes. You can opt to drill a hole in your desk or leave about an inch between the wall and wood to insert power cords.
Be sure to measure your area for the two small pieces of wood that will hold the 20-inch in place.
3. Paint or add wallpaper to your back piece
You’ll want to spruce up your area with some color. Whether you choose to paint your wall or add wallpaper, you can get the most out of your project by keeping it simple.
Personally, I voted on not changing the back wall at all since I prefer moving things around.
4. Decide on covering your wooden piece or staining it
I love the way Nikki from At Home With Nikki kept her home office closet simple. It’s functional and clutter-free.
5. Drill in the two small wood pieces on each side and place the large one on top
Having your desk setup first is important when setting up a DIY cloffice in your home. This helps with knowing how you’d like to place the rest of the items.
With time, I’ll upgrade my area to best fit my needs, but for now this is what it looks like:
The desk is from Target, and the accessories were purchased on Amazon. I’ve included links to the pieces below if you’re interested in buying the items:
You can also stop by my Amazon store to see which products I recommend for at-home work essentials worth adding to your space.
My workspace is more of a closet office nook because it’s a small area in my walk-in closet and it is half closet half office. It’s functional for both needs and has made the transition from a traveling office to a steady place.
If you have a walk-in closet organization system, you can make use of the top shelves like I did for your important documents.
One of the reasons why I decided on a walk-in cloffice is because I wanted to be able to put away my desk on the weekends.
This lets me avoid working on the weekends and I can focus on my family. Also, I’m not tempted to work around the clock.
I simply close the doors and forget the office is in there. You know what they say: out of sight, out of mind.
Final Thoughts On A DIY Cloffice Space
If you’re creating a home office in a small space, it’s best to consider having less. Focusing on the essential items is a great way to cut back.
All you need is a computer, some storage, pen and paper, and you’re all set. A paper shredder is a great bonus for your home office because it helps with minimizing the junk.