How to create a home office in a small space

During the pandemic, the world has adapted to working remotely. You would probably be able to run your business entirely from home. See our article about running your business from home here.

But what if you live in a small home and don’t have an extra room you can use as a home office? 

In this article, we will look at some simple and stylish ways you can incorporate a home office in your small home, including:

• Cloffice or a closet-office
• Bookshelf dividers
• Fold-up desks
• Using height and awkward spaces in your home
• Setting boundaries with the people you live with

Working from home has its advantages. Not only do you save on office costs when you work from home, but you could also claim some expenses for your home office. 

If you don’t have much space available, one thing you could consider is a cloffice. It’s the combination of an office and a closet. 

This might not sound ideal because working in a closet can seem a little claustrophobic. But you can genuinely transform your built-in closet or a wardrobe into a pleasant workspace that has the following perks:

1. Creating a cloffice can be very inexpensive.

With as little as wooden shelves you can pick up at a hardware store for a couple of pounds, you can create a beautiful cloffice. 

Wallpaper can be another affordable detail. Consider attaching some to the back wall of your cloffice to bring some character.

2. You can hide the office space when you’re not working.

Not all (former) closets still have doors, but if yours does, you can just close them when you’re done working. 

If your cloffice doesn’t have doors, but you still want to hide your office space, you can think about adding a curtain or a sliding door (which is also a great space saver) that you can shut when you don’t need the workspace. 

Curtains can also add warmth and texture to your home.

In addition to standing at the wall, bookshelves can be placed anywhere. For example, you can create a home office separate from other spaces in the room by using a bookshelf as a dividing wall.

This way, you add a little privacy, and your home office isn’t always in view when you’re not working. 

The bookshelves used as a dividing wall can also serve as extra storage space in your makeshift office.

Fold up desks are perfect for very tiny spaces.  Because you fold it up when you’re done, it doesn’t stand in the way when you’re not using it. You can make one yourself (there are plenty of tutorials on the web) but some stores also sell fold up desks. 

The 4NM Folding Desk can be bought on Amazon and is perfect for small spaces. The desk is big enough to work comfortably and when you don’t need it, you can just fold it up against the wall.

Or you could consider the Mr IRONSTONE folding desk, with a wooden top that’s water-resistant and gives it a warm look. 

A small desk by Lufeiya is not a folding desk, but the storage solution in this desk is quite smart. You don’t need extra cabinets that will clutter up your space.

If you don’t have a lot of floor space, go up in height if you can.

Consider using the height of your room if you’re living small. Not everyone is lucky enough to have high ceilings, but you can put it to good use when your room is of decent height.

If you live in a studio apartment, you could get a loft bed and put your office underneath it. This is still a possibility even if you do have a separate bedroom. It’s all about what you want to prioritise in your home. You might decide that a decent workspace is more important than a low bed for the time being.

You might already be used to setting healthy boundaries with your clients (if not, see our article on how to set professional boundaries with clients here). But running your business from home can present some unique challenges for your personal relationships.

Suppose your office is located in an area where your partner/family/housemates regularly access. In that case, it’s a good idea to explain your need to disengage while you’re working, or distractions could waste your days.

You could choose to work in areas of your home with less foot traffic or even tell people to treat you as if you’re in a professional environment. 

Knowing how to make a home office work can be a balancing act, especially if you’re sharing your home with others. You need to consider the needs of your home and your business while making room for a purely professional space. Learn more about how to succeed in running your business from home here.

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