Closet re-work

[lalasmama]

I'm spending the day cleaning out a tiny under-the-stairs closet in our living room. I have dreams of using this space, but I'm not sure what for yet... Its like 3 feet by 6 feet, with a sloped ceiling for most of it. It has no light in it, however, I could easily bring a lamp in for light; there's 2 nearby outlets.

My initial ideas are:

• A reading nook. Lala has a ton of books, and a bookshelf, in her room. They are taking up valuable play-space! The closet-into-a-reading-nook would be a cheap conversion--just some sweat getting the bookshelf and books downstairs, and maybe $50 for a bean bag and pillows, maybe some fun paint.
  
• Storage. This is SO's favorite idea. But he doesn't live here, so his vote isn't the end-all Realistically, my townhouse is VERY full--every closet is 75% storage and 25% clothing-related. I'm working on this pack-rat issue! (My pack-rat-ness is a fairly bog point of contention between SO and I, which is why I don't like the storage idea--I mean, woo hoo, storage, I can keep more crap!)
  
• A well-contained kid craft area. Again, a lamp, some fun paint, and the conversion would be about done. We already have a little table, and all her crafty things are in plastic drawers. However, there's carpet in the closet, so I would have to have something on the floor there all the time. I could see it annoying me when its playdoh tracked onto my (new) carpet!
  
• A quiet space.... bean bag, pillows, soothing paint, a few calm/sweet kid books, maybe her Magnadoodle... a place to go when either her or I just want to "get away" or need a quiet moment. ... or for those times when she "must" be with SO and I, and we are just having quiet time reading.
  
• A mini-office. This would be part storage, part organised chaos. I am terrible at keeping things organised and have a hard time with "a place for everything and everything in it's place". So, I could have my desktop computers in there (there are 2) and my "important crap" file cabinet (which hasn't been used since Lala was maybe 18 months old!). I could keep all Lala's crafty stuff in there too, and her puzzles and such. However, I couldn't use the computers in there, the place is too small for that, so once a month or so, I would be having to haul them out to use.
  
• A a-little-of-everything room.... The DVDs, the crafty things, the file cabinet, and whatever other random things find their way in there while looking for a permanent home.... oh, and a place to keep the stuff going to Goodwill!

Thoughts? Other ideas? I need help from those of you who are so much more creative than me!

I'd like to keep the buget for the room well under $100. And I don't have a picture of the space, as it is still full of junk

[bigpassport]

I like the idea of reading nook or quiet space for DD, plus if its painted cute it might encourage her to read. It sounds too small to me (but I'm tall) for you to get in there and clean up after her craft projects.

[jgenie]

I like the idea of a reading nook / quiet place for Lala.

[bubbaray]

Either reading nook or craft space.

[vludmilla]

Reading nook sounds like a good idea.

[misshollygolightly]

Another vote for reading nook/quiet space. I think trying to clean up and maintain such a small craft space would be nightmare, and such a dark, cramped space would be difficult for me to use as a real office. But it sounds perfect for a little getaway for snuggling up with a book!