Many of us have been dealing with the rather unusual experience of having our workspaces crammed into our home environments. From situating a makeshift desk as close to the WiFi router as possible to dealing with the distraction of other family members cooking or watching TV, the whole situation has been less than ideal.
The cloffice is a combination of an office and closet which is essentially a nifty solution to creating a home office space when you don’t have an entire room to spare. The trend drastically rose in popularity over the course of last year, with 2021 Pinterest Insights revealing that searches for “cloffice ideas” doubled in a year.
The Kylie Jenner-esque fashion bloggers and influencers of the world who have massive walk-in closets have been flaunting their home office spaces on social media. Pink, neon light quotes hung on the wall, white shaggy rugs, hardwood floors and pristine cabinets stocked with aesthetically pleasing stationery - these offices are beautiful, but extremely unrealistic for the average person to achieve.
Fortunately, cloffices extend beyond walk-ins. Whether you have an unused broom cupboard, a little alcove in your bedroom or an open-plan apartment, you can create the right space for you with the right interior design work.
How to create a stylish cloffice for working from home:
Create a nook
If you already have a space for your cloffice, work on cleaning it out, giving it a dusting, wiping down the walls and perhaps even splashing on a fresh coat of paint if you're into DIY. For open-plan homes, section an area off with furniture. The area can be divided using anything from a bookshelf to a room divider, or even by placing a couch or coffee table in between your space and the distractions. It will help make the area feel more private and office-like.
Colour and style match
This space is going to be visible throughout your time working from home, so it may as well be stylish too. Pick a colour scheme that blends in with your home decor so that the space seamlessly fits in with its surroundings and doesn’t look like an eye-sore. Make sure your stationery looks neat - if the office has any files, books or pens, make sure they are organised in cabinets and containers that don’t look too office-y. Boring white cabinets can be spray-painted glossy or matte in whatever colour suits your palette, files can be laminated in pretty wrapping paper and pens and pencils can be stored in decorative mugs or pen holders.
Furniture
It’s always good to invest in quality furniture. An office desk and chair are especially important as they contribute to your comfort and will be the two main features of the office. Nowadays, office furniture is far more contemporary and comes in a variety of colours and styles. Pick ones that go with your overall decor scheme. Good lighting is also a necessity, so bring over a lamp to ensure you won’t be working in the dark. Lastly, place a rug under your desk and chair; not only will it help the area look more plush and put together, but a rug helps create the illusion that the area is separated from the rest of the house.
Plants and decor
If this is a workspace, it needs to inspire production and creativity. Framed portraits hung up on the wall, a calendar with all your weekly events pencilled in, decorative lighting, big leafy plants and succulents for the table will all do the trick.
Wallpaper
If your cloffice is actually in a closet, wallpaper the interior for an added element of glam. Wallpaper is an easy and non-permanent way to freshen up your home decor. It can be peeled off and replaced throughout the years to evolve with your taste and keep up to date with the fast-paced world of interior design.