30-Dec-2011 - Turning a Closet Into an Office — Market Ready

Visted 2 times

A. Transforming an unused closet into an efficient office could be appealing, but “the big caveat is that you really do need to have enough closet space,” said Kellee Buhler, a senior vice president with Town Residential in New York. Ample storage space is a key factor for buyers, Ms. Buhler says, so be certain that your home has more closets than it needs before you repurpose one of them. But if you are sure of this, converting a closet into a home office could make the apartment more desirable, she says. The conversion might not add greatly to the apartment sale price, but by adding an extra, she said, “it could allow the home to sell faster.” To make a positive custom nfl jerseys impression the new home office must be well designed, Ms. Buhler says, and look like more than just a closet with haphazard shelves and a desk. “It should blend in with the overall feel of the home,” she added. Melissa Picheny, a principal of Declutter + Design, a New York organizing and home-staging company, has converted closets into home kids nfl jerseys offices and said it “is a fantastic use of space that creates a bonus room.” To follow Ms. Buhler’s recommendation about harmony between home and office, Ms. Picheny suggests extending the interior-decoration scheme of the house into the closet with paint and wallpaper. To maximize the efficiency and neatness of the new office, she says, turn the back of the closet door into useful space by installing a pegboard, bulletin board or dry-erase panel. Inside, build shelves that run all the way to the ceiling and use handsome boxes to store papers and loose objects. Ms. Picheny likes Semikolon boxes from See Jane Work, (877) 400-5263, seejanework.com. That way, “You won’t have objects and colors all over the place,” she said. Be sure there are electrical outlets for lamps, computers and chargers, as well as adequate lighting. “At the very least, you want to have a task lamp and an overhead nike nfl jerseys light,” Ms. Picheny said. “You also want to think about cord management because you don’t want the space to feel cluttered or sloppy,” she said. “One solution is to attach the power strip under the desk and then bundle the cords near it, so that they’re not all hanging down to the floor.” And, Ms. Picheny says, consider using multifunctional furniture, like a rolling stool with storage space underneath, such as the cBox from Design Within Reach (800-944-2233, dwr.com) or the Danese Milano Smith from Ameico (888-350-8765, ameico.com). If done well, a closet conversion “truly provides an added feature to a home that buyers like,” Ms. Buhler said. “It adds usability.” Questions about repairs or redecorating done in preparation for putting a home on the market may be sent to marketready@nytimes.com. Unpublished questions cannot be answered individually.

Comments (0)Post Comment View Whole Blog