Seven Ways to Repurpose a Closet Into a Completely Different Space
No matter how big your home may seem when you move in, it will seem too small over time. Whether it’s a growing family or a shift to remote work, the likelihood that you’ll eventually want another room is pretty high. And with the cost of adding an addition to your home starting at around $22,000 , many people are looking for cheaper ways to create more usable space in their homes.
The good news is that the solution may already be in your home: in your closets. Of course, closets are already very useful for keeping your stuff out of sight, but if you’re looking for extra room and have a spare closet, you have the opportunity to trade boring storage space for something much bigger. useful. Depending on how large the cabinet in question is, you have options for repurposing it.
Bedroom
If you need more square footage because you need an extra bedroom, a decent-sized closet could be the solution. Generally speaking, a bedroom should be a minimum of 70 square feet , and the good news is that a standard walk-in closet is usually pretty close to that at around 65 square feet . So turning your closet into useful sleeping space is just a matter of clearing it out and installing a bed.
Of course, this won’t be a legal bedroom that you can list in your home—for that, you’ll usually need an exit, like a window or door leading out of the house. But it can be a comfortable place for guests or a growing child who needs his own space.
Smaller closets can still be converted into bedrooms, especially for children. Folding beds or bunk beds attached directly to the walls can create a fun and flexible sleeping area that can be used when you suddenly have an army of guests or when the kids want the same sleepover vibe.
Office
If you work remotely at least part of the time, you know that a specific office space is key to your sanity and work efficiency. If you didn’t anticipate needing extra room for an office when you bought your home, you also know that trying to work at kitchen tables, dining tables, and living room sofas with a laptop balanced on your lap is less than ideal. .
Even the smallest extra closet can be turned into a convenient office (or “den,” although we sincerely hope that term doesn’t catch on). Walk-in closets are typically at least two feet deep and three to eight feet wide. You can still fit a small desk (or use a folding table ) and plenty of shelves at the short end of this range, giving you an organized, personalized space for your work time. And office closets have one huge unforeseen benefit: you can close the door when the workday is over and hide it all away.
Bar
If you’ve been dreaming of having an adult bar in your home for entertainment purposes (or just because you love cocktails), a spare cabinet in or near the living room is the perfect place for you. A cabinet that’s only two feet deep and three feet wide can accommodate a respectable bar in a few relatively simple steps:
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Remove doors and door hardware.
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Remove shelves and hanging rods.
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Putty and paint the drywall inside.
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Install a small bar refrigerator, a cabinet with a countertop of the same size, and another cabinet or glassware storage on the walls.
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Add simple lighting if necessary.
Now all that’s left to do is stock the bar and organize the party.
Library
If you love to read but hate having books take up the entire house, a spare closet is the perfect place for a small, cozy library and reading nook. If you have a large closet that you don’t need, it’s relatively easy to install a few shelves, a comfy chair, and a reading light to create a little library space for yourself (a mini-fridge stocked with snacks is optional). But even a small walk-in closet can be cleaned out, stocked with bookshelves and a folding chair to create a cozy reading space.
Pantry
A pantry is really just a food pantry, so turning a little-used coat closet into a pantry is pretty easy. While your pantry could be located anywhere, a closet close to the kitchen is obviously ideal. All it takes is removing the existing hanging rails and shelves, installing floor-to-ceiling shelving, and adding some hanging baskets and hooks for kitchen utensils, splashbacks, or anything else that usually gets in the way.
If your adorable little pantry feels too small, you can add a back door organizer for a little extra storage space.
Laundry
This project is a little more ambitious than some of the other projects on this list, but its impact is potentially greater. If you’re not afraid to hire a plumber and perhaps an electrician (or if you’re comfortable doing such work yourself), a closet could be the laundry room you’re missing right now.
To make sure this is even possible, measure your closet and the appliances that will fit there. Washers and dryers are on average about 24–26 inches wide , about 42 inches high, and 30 inches deep, with wide variations between brands and models. You’ll need to leave about six inches of clearance between the wall and the machines, and if you’re using front loaders, you’ll need to allow for extra depth if the cabinet opening isn’t wide enough. These dimensions mean that a small walk-in closet probably won’t work for this project—you’ll need at least a small walk-in closet to make it work.
Keep in mind that if your closet is large enough to accommodate your appliances, there won’t be room to store cleaning supplies and other supplies. If you need to store these items elsewhere (or keep them in a cluttered pile nearby), this isn’t an ideal solution. However, you can add some storage space behind the door, or even an ironing rack behind the door that can serve as a place to fold laundry as it comes out of the dryer.
Recording booth
Whether you’re one of the millions (and millions) of people who host their own podcast, or you just need a quiet place for video conferencing and calls, a small closet is the perfect place to create a simple DIY recording booth/studio. Acoustic foam panels on the walls and a sound-absorbing blanket over the door can turn this tiny space into the perfect voice isolation booth, recording studio, or meeting space. The special feature here is the small size, as it would be relatively cheap to turn this closet into a quiet studio.