Having a home office in a NYC apartment may seem like a cruel, unfunny joke to many of us, especially in a city where having more than one closet (let alone having a closet) is like, a huge deal. Still, many of us often have to work remotely from home, whether full-time or after we come home from the “real” office. Having a dedicated and beautiful place to work in your home can really improve your productivity, helping you track your goals. Space issues? The following hacks can help you carve out a home workspace whether you’ve got a full brownstone or a tiny studio.

Turn a Closet Into an Office

A closet is an excellent space to put an office, especially in space-starved NYC. Depending on the size of the closet, you may be able to just fit a desk and a stool inside, or you may be able to fit a full-sized desk with printer, bookshelf, and whatever else your particular workspace needs. If you’re renting, you’ll need to use what you have, so measure carefully before you cart home that “perfect” desk. If you own, you can probably do a bit of construction to tailor the space a bit more to your specific needs. Either way, remember to take full advantage of the vertical space in the closet.

Ikea Kallax

Ikea is like a magicians’ marketplace. There are so many amazing pieces of furniture and random furniture pieces for sale there that can be turned from simple home decor items into the smartest design hacks. When the store announced that it was discontinuing its extraordinarily popular Expedit line of shelving, reaction was swift, full of rage, and global. Expedit shelving, basically stacked, connected cubes, was ideal for every room in the house, thanks to its simple clean lines and versatility. Citing sustainability concerns (per this Gizmodo article, Ikea uses nearly one percent of the earth’s wood supply), Ikea replaced the line with the nearly identical Kallax line of shelving, identical in every way except for a slight difference in the thickness of the wood. Use the Kallax to seamlessly store all of your home office supplies and equipment neatly and efficiently. One slot can store important books and folders while another can hold an attractive box filled with important paperwork.

Use Your Outdoor Space

The tiny, shed-sized homes advertised on television may be too small for even the most space-starved New Yorkers, but if you’ve scored a backyard, you could actually build a shed office on your property. If you keep the size of the structure under 120 square feet and no higher than 10 feet tall, you won’t have to get a permit from the Department of Buildings or build any special foundations.

Use a Drop-Leaf, Wall-Mounted Table

So you say that you don’t have space for a dedicated desk taking up space in your home all day? Consider the brilliance of a drop-leaf, wall-mounted table. Secured to your wall, it can be flipped down when not in use and flipped up when you need a work surface. Ikea sells the NORBERG and the BJURSTA. At less than 40 dollars, they’re an affordable way to create a pop-up office space when needed.

Take Advantage of Windows, Nooks, or Corners.

Any unused space in a home, whether it’s the area under a window or the corner of a room, is perfect for setting up an office nook. Set up a table, chair, tiny desk (or BJURSTA!), and you’ll be good to go.

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