Happy January! We’re all trying to follow through on our New Year’s resolutions right now, and if yours involved clearing out some clutter and organizing your home, this post is meant for you.

The winter season might not be known as a time for cleaning and organizing, but it should be —all that forced time indoors affords you the perfect opportunity to clean out a hallway or bedroom closet. And if you declutter first, you might find yourself with extra storage space in your home. That’s when things really get fun! You can reimagine one of your spaces, converting a spare walk-in to a reading nook or home office. Let’s explore some creative ideas together.

A Personal Playroom

If a tornado of toys blows regularly through your home, take heart: there are ways to manage the kiddie clutter. Instead of using your living space for child’s play, consider turning a bedroom or hallway closet into your child’s personal playroom. Take doors off closets to open up the space—especially in smaller homes—and add a bench or dresser for storing books and board games. Hanging wall shelves can make room for additional storage while also clearing up floor space.

Get to Work

If you’re in need of a home office or a space to work on arts and crafts, a spare closet will do the trick. Install a wide shelf or desk that extends horizontally to place larger pieces like your desktop computer or sewing machine. For additional materials and documents, include a filing cabinet or a few shelves underneath to maximize storage.

Don’t be afraid to personalize the space, either. Paint the walls, hang a few pieces of art, add a comfy chair—whatever it takes to make this creative space your own.

Read, Relax, Rest, Repeat

Believe it or not, a closet space can seamlessly transform into a sleeping nook! Here’s how you do it. Hang shelves high on the back wall for storing items like books and add a single shelf on the side wall to rest items like a reading lamp, picture frame, and your phone. If you can’t imagine sleeping in your closet, use the space to create a small reading nook instead. Keep it simple and add a comfy carpet, a few floor pillows, and a warm throw blanket so family members can sit on the floor comfortably while they read. Elevate the space by adding a bench with a thick cushion for maximum coziness.

Call in the Pros

Transforming your closet into a playroom or home office is no small feat. While the above tips are meant to inspire you, when it comes time to do the work, you might want to bring in a professional to ensure the job is done right. Here at Closet America, our designers approach every project with a creative eye. For each custom organizational system we design for our customers, we make sure to consider their needs and desires—and sometimes, that means using the (closet) space for something entirely different.

To learn more about Closet America’s amazing closet organization systems and see some of our beautiful designs, check out our closet ideas and design guide here. To meet one of our professional closet designers call 800-747-3217 to schedule your FREE design consultation.