The work-from-home life really exploded in 2020-2021 with the increase in people working remotely over the whole world.
But the WFH lifestyle is definitely something that was not new to me! In fact, I’ve been working remotely for over seven years now!
One thing that helps to work from home is having a dedicated home office. Check out modern boho home office for two and my old modern marble and gold-themed office at our first fixer-upper (previous home).
But even if you’re short on space, you can still have a dedicated place to work at home with a cloffice!
What is a cloffice?
The fun term “cloffice” refers to a closet that doubles as an office space! It can be a walk-in closet or a small reach-in closet.
What do you need to make a cloffice?
There are really no rules when it comes to creating a cloffice in your home! You’ll see in the brilliant cloffice ideas below that the options are endless!
Here are some things that you’ll want to consider if you are transforming a closet into an office:
- Take advantage of vertical space. Since space is definitely limited in closet offices, don’t forget to really use the wall space. Add shelving for book, file storage, and decor. Add hooks for hanging working items. You could even get real creative add a pegboard wall like this!
- Take note. Consider adding a command center, whiteboard, kraft paper roller, chalkboard, desk calendar, or cork memo board to keep track of your schedule and important reminders.
- Add a desk. Whether you build your own DIY desk (like this easy wood crate desk), transform something vintage (like this chalk painted desk) or buy something new – you’ll need a desk in your cloffice.
- Don’t forget about lighting. Typically closets are low on light and almost never have a window, so you may be want to consider adding a light or two. A desk with storage is an added bonus!
- Close it up. One of the advantages to create an office in a closet instead of just the corner of a room is the ability to close it up at the end of the day (or when guests come over). This is crucial for maintaining a good work-life balance, which can be tough when you are working from home. Keep the door on your closet office or hang a curtain to keep this separation possible.
15 Clever Cloffice Ideas for Your Home Office
You have to get creative when you are putting together an office space in a closet. This closet is only 20 inches deep so a lot of hacking went on to put everything in there that was needed. Ikea and good old-fashioned DIY to the rescue! I love the hand-painted accent wall in this modern cloffice!
Do you have a closet that's a dumping ground for all the things? Turn into a closet office! When you're lucky enough to have one that you can actually walk into, it opens up all kinds of possibilities. A built-in desk with shelves above makes this cloffice beautiful enough to leave the door open or close it at the end of the day when you need to not think about work anymore!
Mounting a desk on the wall keeps the cost down for your cloffice and leaves room for a trash can and other storage underneath. The shelves above still allow for plenty of storage and if you take off the doors, it looks like it has always been there! The stenciled wall above the desk adds a great accent and doesn't make it feel claustrophobic. Who says your cloffice can't be pretty and functional?
When a small room leaves little space for a study area what do you do? You make the closet into a study cloffice! It's the perfect space tucked away for homework and you simply pull the curtain closed when it isn't being used. This space was underused before and the clothes weren't getting put away anyway (#alwaysastruggle, right?). For under $200 this underused closet was put to good use.
Making a cloffice work is all about function and storage. Can you have too much storage? You may not think so, but you can. A few DIYs and this boy's closet office is ready to use and manageable enough for him to keep it organized. Everything has a home and is within reach and all his favorite things are right where he can see them.
Storage galore! A closet office doesn't always have to have a desk if you don't need it. Maybe you just need everything organized where you can find it. Pegboard on the door for all the tools you use and baskets and bins on the shelves with labels so you know what's in them. This office closet is an organizer's dream come true.
The best part about putting a desk in your cloffice, is you can customize it to the size you need. This industrial style desk is perfect for sitting or standing to work, we all know sitting at a desk all day long isn't good for us. Plumbing pipe is used to give it that industrial vibe and there is plenty of room to do homework or gaming.
Utilizing a closet that is a dumping ground and causes frustration into a cloffice is the perfect solution. Custom shelving in the back adds just the right amount of storage and a genius fold down desk doesn't make the small space too cramped. Fold it down while you're working and then close it up when you're done. It makes the perfect getaway from distractions while you work.
This cloffice is a wonderful family command center. From organizing paper clutter to charging electronic devices, this space does it all! Going vertical in a cloffice is the best way to manage clutter and the walls in this closet office are used to their full potential. What was once a dark unused entry closet is now bright and cheery and organizes all the things!
Bright and cheery will make anyone productive when working in their cloffice. This closet office has shelves that run around the perimeter so that the middle is open all the way to the top. It makes it look and feel bigger, but still gives plenty of storage. It also makes great use of the vertical space available.
Less is more in this closet office. A simple desk made from plywood and 1x2s has a built-in look once it's caulked and stained. There's even a hole drilled into the corner for cords to run down out of sight. A memo board on the back wall will keep you organized.
When there isn't a space in your home for an office taking over an extra closet and turning it into a cloffice is a great solution. You can make a desk using a piece of plywood and use furniture legs to make it look like a real piece of furniture. Take the storage vertical with simple shelves and brackets.
Who says your cloffice can't be glam? Gorgeous wallpaper sets the tone for this closet office. A wall sconce and tie-back curtain make this a small office you want to work in. An Ikea Lack shelf and painted MDF wood for the desktop make this closet makeover affordable.
This closet is packed full of everything you need for all your crafting. Extra built-in shelves under the countertop provide loads of storage and the shelves above provide storage for less used items. All your crafting items are contained in one place, this is a closet office win!
A craft cloffice space with the counter at standing height makes creating simple in this closet office. Pegboard on the sides helps to organize frequently used items and picture ledges are a great place to organize and display crafts. With the countertop set higher, there is plenty of storage underneath. Lighting is even added to this cloffice using remote-controlled puck lights!
Which of these cloffice ideas is your favorite?
Let us know in the comments below!
