Want a Little Home Office? Turn Your Closet Into an Office in a Snap!

There’s nothing quite like having your own little home office to retreat to so that you can do your bills in peace, continue some work from the office in the comfort of your own home, or write or create something beautiful. Sometimes, though, space just isn’t an option. You might not have that extra room to dedicate as your own personal home office. You might not even have room for a desk in your home or apartment.

So how can you have your own little home office without having to move, renovate, or build on to your home? It’s easy! Just turn a closet of yours into your own little compact office!

When you begin making your closet office, so to speak, start by maximizing every square inch of the space with smart storage solutions so that your new space will be worth showing off! You will need to keep in mind that this new “room” is also not like any other in your home; you will need to be very wise about how you implement pieces of furniture and space-saving devices.

See below how you can start making your compact office now!

Choose a Great Wallpaper – Since this is an interior segment of your room, you will want to make it pop and stand out from the rest of the room instead of blending in with boring paint or, worse even still, leaving it that nasty white, beige, or off-white color that has been on the wall since the home was built, a wall that has been shrouded in darkness and covered with dust. We humbly suggest using wallpaper instead! Find a really gorgeous piece of wallpaper that speaks to you or makes you feel more creative or productive. A great wallpaper will take your space from closet to a destination

Try Floating Planks – Shelves are a great way to help conserve space, but clunky hardware and the visual clutter of brackets can really put a cramp on your compact office space’s style! Instead, try using floating planks! The won’t overwhelm a tiny room, but they will still have all the space you need to store all those things you need for your office! As a bonus, they will hardly obscure your gorgeous wallpaper!

Select Fun Organizers – With this small space, think outside the box a bit! You don’t have to be tied down to boring office supplies and organizers, especially when office supplies and boxes come in so many great prints, colors, and designs these days! Choose files and boxes that spark your interest. Instead of using a boring old cup for your pencils and paper clips, opt for something more fun like a trophy or a nice vase!

Light It Up – If you’re familiar at all with design, then you probably know that the right lighting can make a space come alive and that poor lighting can negate any positive effect that any paint choice or piece of furniture could provide. To make this closet office a bright, inviting space, choose overhead lighting or even a dainty chandelier to provide the right light while giving your small space an ambiance of elegance. You may also wish to use a desk lamp for practical task lighting as well.

Make Your Own Desk – If you want to place a small desk in your closet space, that’s fine by us, but did you know that you can easily make your own custom desk! You really can! Just start with two standard file cabinets and attach a wheeled stand to the base of each cabinet (to make moving it a cinch!)! You can brighten up the boring cabinets with a bit of indoor/outdoor spray paint as well. Finally, position a ready-made melamine desktop on top of the two cabinets, and you’re ready to use your very own easily-movable desk!

Choose Your Final Furnishings – When you’re done creating your own closet office, select your final furnishings to finish the job! We suggest picking a nice, soft rug that has a big of a personality to make a soft spot for your bare feet and also a small, versatile chair that can easily move elsewhere within the room or underneath the desk if at all possible.

Want more tips? Searching for a home of your own that has enough room for a home office (or at least a big enough closet) and your other must-haves on your list? You’ve come to the right place! We can find you that perfect place just for you in no time. Just call us at (618) 791-5024 or at (618) 791-9298 or visit us online at www.dianamasseyhomes.com to see how we can best assist you!

8 Items You Need To Help Make Moving Easier

Moving is one of the most stressful and arduous tasks that we undertake. It’s a sweaty endeavor that taxes our bodies and minds, and you probably will wind up wondering when all the packing and unpacking and moving will all be done and if you will ever survive the ordeal.

Luckily, we have compiled a list of 8 fantastic, ordinary little items to help you move during your next moving adventure! Get these items because you’ll learn quickly that you won’t ever, EVER want to move without them again!

Sharpie – Yes, a simple Sharpie is on our list! While other markers will do the job just fine in marking and labeling your items, they certainly won’t last after being dragged across the coarse texture of those moving boxes. Sharpies, on the other hand, will not only last through the labeling processes but they will also be around later to help you label your burned discs and anything else whenever you’re settled in your new home!

Tape Gun – Right up there with the Sharpie is the tape gun! It might not be a big deal to duct tape your boxes if you had, say, under 10 boxes, but if that number exceeds 10 (and it most likely will!), you will definitely want a tape gun! You will never have to search for the edge of the tape ever again when you have a tape gun, and you will never have to tear packing tape with your teeth!

Box Knife – You have tools to help you pack up, so you’ll definitely want tools to help you get unpacked after you settle in your new home! A box knife or an Exact-o knife is the perfect route to go! You won’t have to worry about digging your nails into the boxes and trying to rip up the preexisting tape! If you have a box knife in hand, you’ll find opening boxes is a quick and easy task!

Blankets – No, these aren’t for snuggling up in this time! If you happen to be moving farther away than just a few blocks, you will want an older blanket that you don’t quite care about in your moving truck so your favorite pieces of furniture won’t get damaged or scratched on the way to your new home. Once you move with blankets in tow, you’ll never want to move without them! Such a simple thing can save your expensive furniture from so much damage!

Furniture Dolly – Speaking of furniture, one simple tool will save your back and your muscles a lot of grief. That’s right, we’re talking about a good ol’ fashioned dolly! Dollies will make moving large, bulky items like couches, deep freezers, and even a giant stack of boxes or books much, much easier. Trust us, your back will thank you!

Rope – You really can’t get away with moving without tying things down! Even if you don’t wind up tying things on top of your car or truck, tying items down can still be very handy to help hold down tarps or section parts off your moving truck to keep things more secure, so don’t forget the rope the next time you move!

Plastic Wrap – All you’ll need is simple, regular wrap from your local big box retailer! Use the plastic wrap to wrap shelving units and other items to help keep them safe from harm. Plastic wrap works like a charm and even helps stabilize your items so that they don’t tip over in the moving truck!

Walkie-Talkies – We know, we know. You have a smartphone, so why on Earth would you need a walkie-talkie? When you’re moving and lifting furniture and preoccupied with the events of the day, you more than likely won’t hear your ring tones or feel the vibrations of your cell phone, and you definitely won’t hear the bleeps and pings of text messages. Walkie-talkies, which ALWAYS have reception, are relatively hard to not hear, and you’ll feel like a kid again using a walkie-talkie on a special mission!

Looking to move to the home of your dreams? Still need to find your dream home? Just call us at (618) 791-5024 or at (618) 791-9298 or visit us online at www.diamamasseyhomes.com! We can help you find your perfect home without breaking a sweat!