Before and After: A Dark Walk-In Closet Becomes a Dreamy Home Office for $3,000

As working from home becomes the new norm, it’s more important than ever to find home office solutions that work best for your lifestyle. Whether it’s finding the perfect chair or the best organizational tools, remote workers are getting creative.

For blogger Joëlle Anello, that meant converting her great walk-in closet to an even more amazing home office.

“When we first moved into our Toronto home, I was ecstatic that we had a walk-in-closet available! However, as we made the space our own, I realized that the closet was dark, uninviting, and not a place that brought me joy,” Joëlle says.

After living there for a little over six months, she finally got her chance to reimagine the space. “We had to disassemble the closet unit to replace the old carpet with hardwood, and when we saw the completed room it was clear that it could never be that dark closet again!” she says. “We decided then to turn the space into my home office to help ease the burden of two adults working from home with a toddler.”

With the old closet fixtures gone and the new hardwood floors in place, she painted the walls white. Then it was time for the fun part: making the space her own. 

“I knew immediately that I wanted a really fun wallpaper accent wall,” she says. But she didn’t rush the process. “It took me months to find a wallpaper that was both bright and fun, but also muted enough so as to not overwhelm my tiny office space.” Her search for the perfect peel-and-stick wallpaper led her to Livette’s Wallpaper in Millenial Paintbrush Maze, which she used to create a bold statement wall opposite of her desk.

Joëlle then pulled in a variety of textures like a Crate & Barrel cane flush mount light to replace the old ceiling light fixture, a geometric-print rug, and a pink velvet armchair — with matching a velvet seashell cushion, of course. 

The transformation from an uninviting walk-in closet to dream home office cost just under $3,000, including wallpaper and furniture, and was worth every penny to Joëlle.

“It feels so incredible to be able to decorate exactly the way that I want and have a space that is a true reflection of me,” she says. “Everyone that we told couldn’t understand why we were giving up a walk-in-closet, but we’re much happier with the space now. It was the best decision we’ve made with the house.”

Inspired? Submit your own project here.