Tiny Office Reveal

I'm excited to finally share my new tiny office reveal! This under-the-stairs walk in closet measures about 3 feet wide by 12 feet long, with the staircase taking up a lot of the vertical space. I think most people thought I was crazy for trying to turn this into a working office. But with some careful planning, small furniture, creative storage pieces and a LOT of my husband's hard work (a TON of work), we somehow made this little tiny office dream of mine a reality. I'm giddy just typing this in this very space!

 
When I look at the before pictures, and remember what this used to be, I only have two words: HOT MESS. Since we've lived here, this closet was a mishmash of storage space for craft supplies, books, paper products, clothing and whatever stuff we didn't have room for somewhere else. It was bad. Real bad. The actual structure of the closet was a disaster. There was a giant heating and cooling vent weaving through the floor. There was asbestos tile and patches of floor that were missing. An oddly positioned wood beam that served no purpose. A few unfinished sections of drywall and decomposing ceiling. It was not pretty to say the least, but it did hold a lot of stuff. 

When we decided to move Marshall into my former office, I kept trying to figure out the best place to relocate the large work desk that we built, my computer, office supplies, and other things that I really wanted to still have access to. My mind would not rest until one day it dawned on me that maybe this closet could be transformed into just enough space for me. I ran it by my husband probably enough times to wear him down until he finally (reluctantly) agreed. I married a patient and very loving man. That's an understatement right there. None of this could have happened without him. I need to sing his praises because he worked many nights and weekends, cutting and installing countless boards and flooring, painting, painting and painting some more. We hired professionals to reroute the vent and update the electrical (which was the biggest investment), but the rest was all him.

We searched high and low for the right boards that would create that shiplap look (channeling my inner Joanna Gaines) and finally landed on new wooden fence posts. We considered leaving them their natural color but I really wanted the room to be all white, including the stairs, which was probably the worst part to paint.

How great does that look?!? We picked out inexpensive laminate flooring to match the rest of the downstairs. I really like the contrast. It started to look like a real room! If only there were 3-6 more feet of space...

This closet actually has two doors, one from Marshall's room (it truly is a closet) and one leading to the rest of the house. It's kind of fun to be able to go through to both sides. This may sound silly, but I've always wanted my own little "place under the stairs". 

I could not WAIT to move my things in and figure out how everything would fit best. Marshall put the new desk to the test, which was actually a very narrow console table we had in the living room. Anything wider would not have fit, and anything smaller would not have supported my (large) computer.

I also had a small filing box on a metal stand that was perfect for extra desk space and to store my printer underneath. I stacked my white storage boxes and some baskets under the stairs. 

I really hoped to be able to fit a small chair and side table to sit and read or have an occasional visitor. I picked up this adorable white chair at a local charity garage sale for $8. I created a small bookshelf-table by stacking two wooden crates from the craft store. Andrew made the floating shelf above for my jars of art supplies. The metal baskets used to be in another room and were from Hobby Lobby. Isn't it cute? I occasionally sip cup of tea in this spot while enjoying a few quiet moments in the morning. 

A wreath and some prints hanging on the wall, along with a metal letter organizer and one of my burlap cork boards cozy up the space. I didn't want it to feel cluttered, just a few pieces that make me happy to adorn the walls.

I'm sure I'm forgetting some details, but I'm just so thrilled that it's done and that it turned out waaaaay better than I even imagined. My growing baby belly is still able to fit behind the desk! I've been pregnant throughout this entire makeover, so I'm curious to see how much "roomier" it will feel once baby arrives. 

Even though there were quite a few times I thought about giving up and got really discouraged with this project, I kept picturing what it could be like. I'm so glad Andrew was willing to work so hard to make it come to life. Don't let anyone talk you out of your dreams! It may take some time (or a lot of time) and there may be setbacks, but keep looking for new ideas and solutions. It will be worth it!