Hello AT,
My fiance and I were subletting our current apt from a guy who went off to Ireland but left his stuff...long story short, we finally took over the lease and got rid of the last of his belongings, freeing up the second of two small closets in the apt.
And now I'd like to turn the closet into an office/studio. The dimensions are 3feet x 3feet and the ceiling is at least 10 feet high. Any thoughts on where to begin? The only catch is we keep our bookcase of shoes in there. The closet is right off of the front door so we also can't have anything sticking out of the closet. And I'd also need to figure out how to store materials for my crafting, such as a mini sewing machine and various tools and drawing pads.
I know it seems like an impossible task, but I'm sure you guys will have lots of thoughts.
Thanks! Susan
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Dear Susan,
The first element of this design is going to be letting go of all the things you WANT to do in this closet and allowing yourself to creatively think about what the closet will practically hold. You don't want to stuff it to the gills in a new way. That is not good design.
If you are really serious about creating a micro-office and that is your greatest need, then start there. We would put in a nice 2' deep desktop with a rolling chair that slides underneath it and then start your storage and shelving 18" inches above the desk. You can put all your crafting and whatnot in there and you MIGHT also get your shoes in farther up. Also, we would remove the door, hang a curtain instead and light the closet with a strong halogen from the ceiling and with a desklamp down below.
We would also go directly to a closet outfit like Astech or California Closets to take care of this for you, as they will build into the space very efficiently.
Anyone else???
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Comments (10)
hmm, if you don't plan on keeping things on the desk area, how about building a drop leaf desk so you can fold it up against the wall when not in use (would allow decent access to the back of the closet.
if you supported it with cables (instead of a drop out leg) then you could roll the chair in and out from the sides of the table.
you should really focus on the desk design first. the other things like shelves will be built around that.
Do you really want to work in a 3 x 3 space? another approach might be to look around the apartment and see what you can put in storage, efficiently, in the closet, and then open up a corner somewhere else for a workspace, perhaps utilizing a desk that can be 'put away' for non-work times (eg a rolltop, or one of those great fold up cabinet danish-mod desks, etc.)
My concern is that after creating a great little work nook, will it be in a place (assuming away from windows . . .) where you will really want to spend any time. If you are confident it is, Minh's suggestion of starting with desk is right on!
What is the door situation in the closet? Is there any interior space to the left or the right of the door?
If it works, try to install shelving above and around the doorof the closet for storage (your shoes) - that way it won't be visible (less cluttered feeling) from outside.
Take a look at the March issue of Domino magazine. There's a great example of a very small niche made into an office.
I think it can be done. As suggested above, I'd start with the desk. You could install shelving on top to maximize storage. What you look at is important: can you put a mirror or a tromp l'oeil in front of you to give the space depth? The shoes can go on the back of the closet door; else on small racks to the sides of the door. Think of your comfort: the idea of a palace is fantastic; it gives you an idea of what it ought to look like in the end.
PS: I would KILL for a 3x3 closet to make into an office space. So much better, IMHO, than having a desk intrude on your living space.
i'm with frank. i can't imagine sitting down to work either semi-in or, at the very least, looking into, a tiny, constricted space.
make it into the most incredibly functional, neat storage space, fit more stuff in there than you'd ever dreamed possible (by good planning, not jamming), and enjoy working in the "open air."
Just going by that picture, the first thing I would do is paint. As bland as it sounds, I'd paint it an off white (or at least a light color) to give the feeling of space and light.
Hi -
I made a 4 ft by 4 ft area into an office nook, and while 3 ft by 3 ft would be a little cramped, I agree that it's doable.
Three suggestions:
1) if possible put the desk perpendicular to the door, rather than at the back. That way, you will open space on one side as you're working, rather than behind you.
2) two Ikea desk options, both $40: MIKAEL, 30 3/8 " by 19 5/8 ", available in several bright colors; or HANNES, 35 3/8 " by 23 5/8 ". Both desks have keyboard drawers that can be used for the keyboard and/or for hiding away desk clutter. The Mikael has a CPU shelf that you could use to store the sewing machine.
3) TAGGEN lamp, $23 - it has both an uplight halogen and downward bulb - the bright light helps the space feel bigger
I got a little red Mikael desk for my nook, and it's great! Initially the space seemed depressing, but the red makes it seem fun and appealing. Ikea also sells small desk chairs that fit little desks.
West Elm has a desk module where the work top pivots out...
http://ww1.westelm.com/cat/pip.cfm?template=8grid&pkey=cfrnoff&gids=f032&cid=frnoff&area=shp
Perhaps this is a starting point?
I'm exploring the same concept (turning a closet into a bill-pay station and non-clothing storage area, basically) but am lucky to be starting with a closet 60" wide. I am looking at HoldEverything's modular desk components. But am also considering a closet-build company like Astech or California Closets.
If I owned rather than rented, I'd definitely get a custom built-in.
Make sure to run electric and provide both task and mood lighting for it, to.
I'm also looking at this as an opportunity to paint the back wall a great color...
I had a similar problem and just hired a custom closet maker.
I used Custom Closet Solution Store in New York.