You’re going to have a lot to fit in your office, and odds are you won’t be able to unless you embrace multiple layers of shelving. Plants (artificial or real) can brighten up any closet-turned-home office, while trinkets and tabletop décor can add a custom feel to your desk or bookshelves. Consider painting the walls, adding fun wallpaper squares, or incorporating other design elements that can help you create an independent space.

As you’re surveying your available closet space, make sure you measure the height, width, and depth of your potential closet office. Depending on the closet, it may be no deeper than the width of a hanger, which is about 17 to 18 inches wide. The average desk, though, is anywhere from 20 to 30 inches deep. If you do any kind of work at home, you’ve definitely considered the “closet into office” conversion.

Create A Work-Life Balance

These ideas (both from our research and from our survey of remote workers) will help you plan your closet-to-office renovation no matter what size your closet is. “No matter what set-up you choose, it’s important to have multiple layers of lighting,” Williams adds. Aside from a standard ceiling light, consider wall lights, desk lights, or stick-on lights to brighten the space. Storage will be your best friend when it comes to designing a home office in your closet that’s stylish and functional. That’s right — the closets in bedrooms, basements, or even hallways can double as offices.

Joe and Alana Hearn built a custom desk that folds up when not in use so the closet door can shut. This is such a creative use of space, and it provides more desk surface. If you have a small closet but are hesitant to take the doors off, consider creating a desk that folds out at a ninety-degree angle like this. If you are converting a small closet or linen closet to an office, the main thing that’s going to prevent you from using all of the space is the door. Since there has to be room for the hinges to close, doors usually take up more space than they’re worth.

Invest in a Sturdy Desk Chair

Whether you’re a student, a busy professional or a momtrepreneur, you know how important it can be to have a workspace in the home. She started by measuring the space, so she could find a small desk and chair that would fit perfectly into the nook. The most laborious part of the process was applying wallpaper around the space—Clark chose peel and stick, so it’ll come off easily when or if she wants to take it down. “It’s super easy but requires attention and patience,” she adds. Nearly two years into the pandemic, it’s time to stop working at the kitchen table and start designing your dream office.

A desk is hands down the most important part of any office. Empty everything out and make an inventory of everything that’s inside. Recycle what you can and do away with what you don’t need and try to go as paperless as you possibly could. Here are some of our favorite organizational tips to help you keep your comfortable work nook in check.

Install your desk

For starters, if you turn a closet into an office, you’re utilizing your house space in the most efficient way possible. You get space back in your bedroom and can keep your desk out of sight when you’re not converting closet to office working. Over time, it’s easy to let storage items stack up around your desk. (Your brain still thinks the word “closet,” after all!) Plus, you lose valuable storage space for your other, non-work stuff.