Closet offices

by Erin Doland on Mar 1, 2010

Reader Shalin tipped us off to a fun photo set on CNN.com featuring “Amazingly tiny home offices from closets.” Image six is my favorite:

From the CNN.com description of this office:

Mark Halliday of Franklin, Massachusetts, says he finished this office in one day at a cost of around $45. “We needed an office, but it didn’t make sense to use an entire room for it,” he said. He and his wife used hanging shelves and leftover paint from another project to create the work area.

I’m a big fan of the closet office, especially when living in a small space. For additional inspiration, check out the five closet offices we’ve featured in the past as Workspace of the Week features:

(Image via CNN.com via Mark Halliday.)

14 comments posted

  1. Posted by knitwych - 03/01/2010

    I’m intrigued by office closets, so thanks for the article link. My grandmother always had her sewing machine set up in a closet, and when I was a little kid, I thought it was just the coolest thing ever. However, as much as I’d like to use an office closet (and as much as I would appreciate being able to close the doors – thus keeping the cats from playing the ‘Hey, I bet I can push this off the desk’ game) I think I’d feel really claustrophobic in a set up like that. I’m hoping other readers who have office closets will share their experiences actually working in that type of office.

  2. Posted by Get Space-Efficient Inspiration from Closet Offices [Workspaces] · TechBlogger - 03/01/2010

    [...] Got a great closet office of your own? Be sure to add it to the Lifehacker Workspace Show and Tell Pool. Amazingly tiny home offices from closets [CNN.com via Unclutterer] [...]

  3. Posted by Jessiejack - 03/01/2010

    I have a closet office and just love the feeling of being enclosed and surronded by my stuff – it’s great to be able to shut the door and not get any vibes of “work more” from the visual clutter

  4. Posted by luxcat5 - 03/01/2010

    I think this article, or one almost exactly like it, also ran in Real Simple magazine a few years ago

  5. Posted by Get Space-Efficient Inspiration from Closet Offices [Workspaces] | Hooked On 'Tronics - 03/01/2010

    [...] Got a great closet office of your own? Be sure to add it to the Lifehacker Workspace Show and Tell Pool. Amazingly tiny home offices from closets [CNN.com via Unclutterer] [...]

  6. Posted by Ronique Gibson - 03/01/2010

    I have a pseudo closet office currently. It’s in what is suppose to be the dining room, and you can tell the home builder intended it to be for a china closet. What I love about it is, it doesn’t take up floor space of the actual room! It’s like a win-win. Bonus office space with lots of organization space, but without the space that organization stuff takes up! I love mine!

  7. Posted by chacha1 - 03/01/2010

    This is similar to projects done on several HGTV makeover shows. It’s a great way to squeeze an extra use out of a room. And being able to close the doors on office mess … priceless.

    As to claustrophobia, I’d think this less confining than some of the “office armoires” on the market, where you really are sticking your head in a box to work!

    If you put mirror on the back wall, it would reduce the “in a box” effect.

  8. Posted by Shalin - 03/01/2010

    Glad you liked the link :)

    For me, I think there isn’t a good place for me to tuck an little office away. However, it does make me think about a collapsible or pop-out office out of a little closet to make the office feel a little more roomy ;)

    -S

  9. Posted by Unclutter with closet offices « Edward's Take - 03/01/2010

    [...] from CNN via Unclutter via LifeHacker [...]

  10. Posted by Working in Claustrophobia :: Clement & Co. - 03/01/2010

    [...] going to attempt this, don’t expect a lot of legroom.  Unclutterer has also posted links to other closet offices that they’ve previous named as Workspace of the [...]

  11. Posted by Get Space-Efficient Inspiration from Closet Offices [Workspaces] « Chezetech - 03/01/2010

    [...] Got a great closet office of your own? Be sure to add it to de Lifehacker Workspace Show and Tell Pool. Amazingly tiny home offices from closets [CNN.com via Unclutterer] [...]

  12. Posted by Anita - 03/02/2010

    I’m with knitwych — I think I’d be pretty uncomfortable with a closet office setup. Then again, I also hate having my desk set up against the wall, because I feel like facing a wall from that close up is somehow closing me in. Some odd form of claustrophobia, I’m sure.

    I have a small almost triangular desktop (meant to be a corner piece for an L-shaped desk) set up in a corner, with a wall on one side and a big window on the other. It takes up very little space and gives me all the work area I need, plus the window gives me two things I always crave when working: natural light and a wider perspective. Should post photos at some point…

  13. Posted by Charlotte K - 03/03/2010

    Love the idea, but for $45 how did he get the electrical run in there?

  14. Posted by Paula McConnell - 03/03/2010

    Hello Unclutterers,

    I have a lovely office made from a re-purposed closet that works quite well. It may be unusual in that it has a small window, outlets and heating but it is tiny, and it was a closet. In my last home I made a sewing room out of a closet that also worked very well. It can be done and very comfortably. Shall I post some pics?

    Best,
    pmc

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