The AHT Interiors team is back with our series of articles about budget-friendly tips for refreshing your homes. So far we’ve shared five articles in the series: a  budget bedroom makeover, decluttering tips, tips for using rugs in your home, all about accent walls, and last week’s article about converting your dining room into a conversational area. Today’s article focuses on another kind of conversion within your home!

The Cloffice Concept

Have you ever heard of a cloffice? While the name sounds silly, the concept is brilliant: take an area of your home that is normally hidden away and underutilized and turn it into something you use every day.

The closet-to-office concept offers a solution to several different problems.

CLOFFICE CLOSET TURNED INTO AN OFFICE- SMALL SPACE HACK - Nesting With Grace
Image by Nesting with Grace. Click for project details.

I need office space!

Obviously, if your home was built without a dedicated office (or formal living room that can easily be converted to one), you’ll need an outside-the-box solution. If you have an extra bedroom or the budget to build an addition onto your home, you’re all set. But what about those of us who are looking for a budget-friendly alternative? With built-in shelving to make use of the vertical space above your head and a large open area at eye level intended for hanging your clothes, a standard closet can lend itself nicely to a home workspace. All you need is a desk, a chair, and a nearby outlet to get started.

I’m messy

Many home layouts that include an office or formal living room place them in a very public area – right off the entry of your home. Your office clutter, as well as family clutter such as mail, packages, shoes, etc., can turn your beautiful office into quite a mess. If you find yourself racing to clean up the clutter in your office every time you have a visitor, you might want to consider the cloffice concept. How nice would it be to save yourself the stress of a quick clean-up by simply closing the doors on your projects, knowing that everything will be exactly where it was when you return to them?

Family Handyman - turn a closet into an office
Image by Family Handyman. Click for project details.

I get distracted

Your cloffice will be – by its very nature – a compact space. If your eyes tend to wander while you work, distracting you from the subject at hand, you may find that a more compact environment is a plus. Just remember that clutter can also be a huge distraction; keep your little office well organized to eliminate that distraction!

Cloffice by I Heart Organizing
Image by I Heart Organizing. Click for project details.

I need privacy

There are many reasons why corporate or governmental documents need to be kept secure, and the ability to lock the doors of your cloffice can satisfy some of those security requirements.

I don’t need a huge office

If you work online and digitize all of your documents, your office might simply consist of a laptop or computer and a small number of additional supplies. We found some adorable examples of cloffices that would be perfect for this situation, but our favorite is this built-in desk and reading nook by Robyn from Whimages. Not only is it useful, but it’s a great example of a doors-off cloffice that adds attractiveness to the entire room. Read the project details at Remodelaholic.

Image by Remodelaholic. Click for project details.

My student needs a workspace of their own

Homeschoolers have struggled with this need for many years, but we’ve also seen it across the board in recent days; almost every student in the country has had to learn from home for some period of time during the COVID pandemic. Creating a cloffice for your student provides them with all of the benefits listed above. Check out a beautiful example of a student’s cloffice that makes great use of chalk paint at No. 29 Design!

Student cloffice by No. 29 Design
Image by No 29 Design. Click for project details.

My closet is too large

You lucky duck: you bought a home with one of those huge master closets above your garage! You can easily integrate a home office into it … check out this project article by Lemon Stripes to get some great ideas for colocating your office alongside your clothing in a larger space!

Huge closet with home office by Lemon Stripes
Image by Lemon Stripes. Click for project details.

A Few More Tips

  • If your cloffice is located in a room that receives little natural light, layer in some bright pops of color to keep it from feeling dingy.
  • Don’t forget good lighting, especially if you will be reading or writing within the space!
  • If your closet sports wire shelving and you want something a bit more solid, consider IKEA’s inexpensive but good-looking Lack wall-shelving line.
  • Keep it organized! Don’t let non-office items creep back into your space unless you’re okay with a cluttered, messy workspace.

Do you need help and inspiration from a professional to get you started on your home refresh? If so, give the team at AHT Interiors a call; we offer DIY In-Home Design Consultations in addition to full-service interior design. These consultations are two- or more-hour-sessions with our designer who will provide immediate answers to your design dilemmas.

Love where you live!