Do you have closet space in your home that is ineffective, underutilized, or just not working for you? I’m here today with a custom storage solution to help you maximize your storage space and finally get your closets under control. Wait until you see my new organized home office closet!
This post is sponsored by Wood Closet Designs but all ideas and opinions are my own.
I’m fortunate enough to have a dedicated workspace for my home office. It has enough room to work, gets great natural light, and has a beautiful view.
One thing that’s not so great? The closet.
For the sake of being completely transparent and real with you guys, I’m going to show you my embarrassing little secret.
Are you ready? I’m warning you, it’s bad…

See, I wasn’t joking. It was a hot mess.
Can you guys relate?
Work-life balance is hard, and when I can’t keep up, this is what happens.
I get busy, I toss things in there and just close the closet door.
You too?
Oh good, I’m glad I’m not alone with this mess.

It’s a decent-sized closet, but it had wire shelving that just wasn’t working for me. Obviously.
As you can see, we tried to make it more functional with some storage solutions from a container store, but it still just ended up being a messy closet.
Wood Closet Designs
You guys, what if I told you that I discovered a closet system that changed everything?
With only a few hours of easy DIY installation, I had built-in storage that transformed this small closet into a workhorse that solved all my office storage needs.

In four easy steps, I was able to design my custom built-ins using the Closet Builder on the Wood Closet Designs website.
Step 1: Closet Type
My office has a reach-in closet, but you can use the Closet Builder to design built-in closets of different types for any area of your home.
Wood Closet Designs has closet organizers that can be customized for smaller closets as well as spacious walk-in closets.
These DIY custom built-ins are also a good option for unique spaces, too.
- What about a cubby system for a mud room?
- A shelf system for your pantry?
- Storage options for your laundry room?
- Turn an unused closet into office space with a compact desk and shelf space.
- Design creative storage for a craft room or for the kids’ toys.
Step 2: Dimensions
Next, I carefully measured my closet and entered the numbers into the Closet Builder. Easy peasy.
Step 3: Design Your Closet
This was the fun step!
I was able to select from several different module types for my office built-in closet.
Since I needed to organize a lot of smaller items and office supplies, I selected a variety of adjustable shelves, but there are many other options such as drawers, shoe racks, corner units, and units for hanging clothes.
You can mix and match modules in different ways until you get the perfect DIY closet system for your needs.
The Closet Builder creates a sketch for your own custom DIY closet.

Step 4: Purchase
Once I had everything measured and my module types selected, I placed my order.
In about 2 weeks, these boxes showed up on my doorstep.
I couldn’t wait to get started!

DIY Closet Installation
Even though the hubs and I are in no way closet experts, we had no trouble at all getting our custom closet installed.
There was absolutely no need for a professional installer. The instructions were so clear, with every piece labeled, that even novice DIYers like us could easily tackle this job.
Preparation
The first step was to take out the existing wire shelving.

The shelf supports were attached with drywall anchors, so there were plenty of holes that needed to be filled after we removed them.


Install the Cleat Hanger
The closet kit came with everything we needed for our custom closet build.
It included all of the necessary hardware, and even some nice extras like the appropriately-sized drill bit, and a touch-up pen in case we made any scuffs during installation.

We used a stud finder and a level to ensure the cleat hanger was anchored into the studs and perfectly level.


This is the most important step because the cleat supports the weight of the floating closet. You want it to be level and anchored into the studs.
Install the Side Panels
The side panels have a notch that slides over the cleat hanger. We made sure to hang them with the cam pin sides facing each other.


Install the Cam Locks & Pins
We installed all the cam locks and pins into the horizontal shelving pieces before assembling them inside the closet.



Can I just pause a moment to point out the quality of these wood pieces?
They are made of solid plywood with real wood edging. No particle board here.
Closet Assembly
Actually assembling the closet was super easy.
The cam locks snap over the pins, and then we used a screwdriver to lock them in place.
I mean seriously, how easy is that?


We used the included shelf pins to install the adjustable shelves to our desired positions.
Finishing Touches
The custom closet kit by Wood Closet Designs even comes with some nice little extras to pretty everything up. 🙂


The Reveal

I love how the shelves can be adjusted according to personal preference, and to take full advantage of vertical space in my office closet.
I customized the shelf heights to work for storing my office supplies, craft supplies, file folders, and even a workspace in the middle!


It already looks so much better than my previous closet!
My New Organized Home Office Closet
Take a peek at my new organized home office closet!



The bottom section of the middle module is intended for hanging clothes and came with a closet rod. I chose not to install it because this is the perfect place for my Cricut cart to roll in and out for easy access.
I can always add it later if this room ever reverts to a bedroom.

Accessories
To maximize every bit of extra space, I installed this wall-mount sliding accessory that is meant to hold scarves.


For a closet such as this one, it’s a great way to hang scissors, ribbons, and other odds and ends. It would even work great as a cord organizer!
If you’re installing a built-in closet in your bedroom, you might choose from other useful accessories such as a valet pole, tie or belt racks, jewelry drawers, etc.

Lights
But wait, I had one more trick up my sleeve!
One of the best ways to install light fixtures in a small closet without calling an electrician is to use light strips such as these.



This set came with a total of 5 light strips. I attached two on each side of the closet, and one on the top.
The remote easily turns the lights on and off, adjusts the brightness level, and can even be set on a timer, so you don’t forget to turn it off and use up the batteries too fast.

Before & After
Let’s take a moment to recall how far we’ve come.


Such a dramatic improvement, right?
I’m so happy with how this entire closet turned out.
I now have enough space to store all of my office essentials, with extra storage space left over.
Plus, it’s so pretty now that I often leave the closet doors open while I’m working in my office. It feels like I’ve gained extra square footage in the room!
Wishing you the closet of your dreams,

Let’s stay in touch! You can subscribe to The House on Silverado, and follow on social media, so you won’t miss a thing!
Facebook —– Instagram —– Pinterest
Looking for more organization posts?
Click on the pictures to visit the posts…



This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog.
Would you please share how you stored your files? I have a lateral filing cabinet in my closet and want to remove it and replace with an organized system like yours.
Hi Louise,
Those big fabric boxes underneath the shelves are where I store my file folders. I got them at HomeGoods. Hope that helps. 🙂
Thank you SO much for sharing your closet make-over at Inspire Me Monday at Create With Joy. I’m SO excited to feature you at this month’s party (#569). Have a wonderful week! 🙂
Oh, thank you so much! I’m honored that you’ve chosen my makeover!
Looks very nice. Less stress when things are organized and neat I have found.
This looks so great! I have to do this to mine…especially since I just emptied out my office closet due to a mouse discovery…ugh! Thanks for the inspiration! Pinning!
Shelley
Eeek, on no! I’d empty out my whole darn house if I found a mouse. We’ve had them in the garage and that’s terrible enough. Good luck, Shelley!
I’m pinning this one because my home office closet looks a lot like your “before.”
I wish you luck Donna. 🙂 It’s such a relief to have it finally tamed, though. 🙂 PS. Thanks for sharing. I’m so glad I’m not the only one.
That is such a lovely transformation!
I agree, dramatic improvement! It looks great inside with your pretty organizational baskets. That was an excellent idea to add remote lighting. Thanks for sharing at the #HomeMattersParty!
Thanks so much, Allyson. I’m enjoying my much-improved closet!