How to Make Your Guest Bedroom Have a Room for a Home Office

Keeping paperwork organized is essential in a small home office.

Almost any sized closet in a guest bedroom can be converted to office space. Even very small closets have room for a drop-down tabletop for your laptop, a stool and storage for your files and supplies. Larger closets have room for desks, file cabinets and shelving to hold printers and other peripherals. Efficient design and well developed organizational skills are crucial when a closet is used as an office in a guest bedroom.

Things You'll Need

• Spackle
• Sandpaper
• Paint
• Tile
• Can lights
• Track lights
• Bi-fold doors
• Two 2-drawer file cabinets
• Door without hardware or a predrilled doorknob hole, 24" wide
• Paint or stain
• Shelving
• Baskets

Instructions

1. Clean out the closet. Remove hanger rods and take down the hardware that held them in place. Leave upper shelves that will be useful for storage and won't infringe on your workspace, but take out lower shelves, bins and cubbies. Remove the carpet if you'd rather have a smooth surface for your chair.

2. Make repairs. Patch holes and cracks in the walls with spackle. Sand the repairs smooth and paint the closet a light color so that it seems larger. If you have removed the carpet, paint or tile the floor.

3. Install lighting. If the closet already has a ceiling fixture, replace it with a can light that will accept a compact fluorescent bulb over the desk area. Put multiple can lights or track lighting that can be focused on the work area in a large closet. If your budget is tight, add an attractive lampshade or globe to an existing light fixture.

4. Have an electrician install electrical outlets and a switch to control the overhead light. Discuss how many devices you'll be plugging in with the electrician, and make sure you have enough outlets to serve them.

5. Remove the old doors and install bi-fold doors. Bi-fold doors open wider then other standard doors, providing a larger opening, and they won't interfere with the usable space in the closet. Choose a style---louvered, plain or decorative millwork---that matches the décor of the guest room.

6. Cut a door to fit into the closet with the ends sitting on each of two file cabinets. The file cabinets are the supports for the desk. If you have a large closet, you won't need to cut the door unless you choose to. Paint, stain or leave the door unfinished. Place the file cabinets in the closet and set the door on top of them.

7. Build or buy pre-made shelving and install it above the desk. Use baskets or bins to organize small items that would otherwise clutter the workspace.

Tips & Warnings

• Add an armoire to the room's furnishings for guests' clothing.

• If space is tight, put your peripherals in another room and use a wireless network.

• Put a task light on the desk.

• Hang a piece of artwork, a photo or a shadowbox slightly to the side of your computer monitor to encourage you to look away from it from time to time.

References

• Knisley, Joe: Making Office Lighting Work
• US Department of Labor: Office Ergonomics

Resources

• Lowe's Creative Ideas: Install a Bi-Fold Doors