Find the Space for a Home Office

Turning a closet into an office

by Joan Gaither

I have had mixed success with turning a closet into an office.  A narrow desk does work in a closet, as long as there’s overhead lighting or an electrical outlet nearby.  Removing the clothes rod and replacing it with a shelf usually solves the storage problem.  Bifold doors can quickly disguise your clutter.  Put a piece of corkboard or a small bulletin board behind the desk for push-pin notes, reminders, schedules, or whatever.  You can purchase cork by the yard at most hardware stores.  Don’t forget: You will need a chair, so if you chose a closet for your “office,” the chair will need to blend in with the room’s furniture.

If you are a neat-nick and can work without a whole lot of clutter, consider placing a table behind a sofa for your workspace (presuming, of course, that the sofa is not against a wall).  Use pedestals, cubes, or sawhorses for the base of the table and color-coordinate them with the room.  Joanie’s rule: Remember that work tables are 30 inches high, and whether the top is wood or glass, take its thickness into account when measuring the base.  Most store-bought sofa tables are too tall, unless you use a 24-inch-high barstool as your chair.

Don’t forget the ambience!  Store all your junk (a.k.a., supplies and materials) in containers that blend in with the room and its furnishings.  And, don’t forget the power of a can of paint.  For instance, for the triangle-shaped desk, how about painting the wall area behind it a different color and frame the area with quarter-rounds from the hardware store?  Install the little darlings on either side of the work area from the top of baseboard to the ceiling.

Everybody’s got a tiny area somewhere in the house that can be designated as “theirs.”  Go find your space…