Make My Closet an Office

Can you guess what's behind the curtain? It's not clothes, or towels and sheets, or a bunch of canned goods...

It's an office!

If you're like me, you're cramped in your apartment struggling to keep things organized. Most every home needs a home office nowadays for homework, bill paying, going online and catching up on ShelterPop. If you can't dedicate an entire room, what about turning a guest or coat closet into an office area?

That's just what Aja did in her guest bedroom. Here is a quick, easy way to convert an unused closet space into a functional mini-office.

Step 1: Plan & measure!
Be sure that whatever it is you're putting in this space will fit properly. See if the desk fits, or if the chair can easily slide underneath the desk and the door can still shut. If not, you can either search for new pieces or remove the door(s) and use a curtain. If you need to install shelving, you will likely want to remove the old closet shelving and install your own nice new shelving.

"I made a detailed list of all the items that I would need storage for," says Aja. "I also took precise measurements of the closet and made sketches of possible layouts. You also need to know exactly how you want to use the space. I actually went so far as to measure the width of my magazine and book collection and made sure my shelving allowed for the width and height of these books and leaving myself some room for growth. "

Step 2: Consider potential obstacles, such as storage, electrical, and lighting.
"I tried to think practically about how I function and figured that since I'm more of a filer than a stacker that some type of easy filing system would be needed and had to be stored out in the open," she says. "I came up with the IKEA BYGEL rail and basket for that. I guess I just kind of bought a few things and tried to think outside of the box for storage."

Surely you will want to plug something in! Aja's closet did not have any outlets so she attached an under cabinet light strip under the bottom shelf that she used for her laptop and some lighting. Consider a lighting and electrical solution before you do any demolition.

Step 3: Clear it out!
Remove shelving and patch holes. Sand and prepare for paint.

Step 4: Paint your color of choice.
You will likely have to paint anyway, so this is your opportunity to make it suit your style. Aja decided to decorate her office in her favorite colors: pink, aqua and lime green.

Step 5: Move on in!