We understand that adding new office space to your home is exciting— but home additions and remodeling can also be an overwhelming experience for you and your family. Add bookshelves, floating wall shelves, and drawers to maximize your space. Here is a list of 7 surprising ways to add comfortable, productive office space to your home. Transform a standard closet into a complete home office with furniture, lighting, storage, and more. It takes a bit of planning to pull this off, but it’s worth the effort. You don’t want to trip over your gym shoes every time you work from home or end up feeling smothered, wedged between your partner’s business suits and your winter coats. Walk-in closets may bolster images of success and comfort, but having all of that stuff around can take away from creating a haven in your home.

However, curtains and dividers can easily separate work and home life without taking up too much space. Drawers do not need to span the entire width of the desk. Simply measure out the area where you think the drawer will fit neatly. If you want to add a more luxurious feel to your cloffice, an ornate chandelier hanging from the ceiling converting a closet to an office does wonders. In a small workspace with ambient light, task lamps increase illuminance which helps with focus-based activities. If there’s already an outlet in the cloffice, mounting sconces to the wall or getting a regular table lamp are two of the many options. A closet is a naturally dark space, with little or no access to daylight.

Smart and Stylish Ways to Carve Office Space Out of a Closet

Get the approximate measurements of your must-have tools and supplies and double check to make sure they’ll fit in the space. Cut out paper templates or mark their outer edges in pencil so you have a solid idea of how everything will and won’t fit. If your closet is shallower, use shorter slides and adjust these dimensions to match. Make sure your drawers fit perfectly by building the drawer frame first. Nail a 1×3 to the lower cabinet edge to create a valance for under-cabinet lighting.

“Most reach-in closets are about 2 feet deep, so a shallow desk can slide right in,” says professional organizer Kay Patterson. “Some fun wallpaper or cute desk decor will make the space more inviting.” Last fall, we utilized this small space in a Gladwyn home to create a study and office space.

Working From Home? Turn Your Walk-In Closet Into An Office

Many closet offices include shelves on the main wall, but another idea to consider is to use cabinets instead. They can hold a lot more and you can close the doors anytime to cover up all the stuff. Add pretty knobs and maybe a coat of paint to personalize it. Once your desk is cut down to size, the easiest way to measure for your vertical paneling is by putting in the desk. You want to desk to rest flush against the wall, so the vertical lattice moulding will need to be cut into two separate pieces.