This DIY office in a box will transform your WFH setup

Work from home means very different things to different people: work from couch; work from bed; work from a chair stacked on a table, knee-deep in kids’ toys.

If you’re one of those people, a new open-source design called the Transform Box could be a magic blueprint for a work-from-home setup that has some of the amenities of an actual office. The key difference is that it all folds up when it’s time to clock out.

There have been a slew of designs over the past year to help people who suddenly had to turn their homes into offices. Everything from custom stools to robotic furniture made an appearance as people aimed to make the most of their space. The Transform Box is a clever addition because it’s an all-in-one solution: Simply download the plans for free and take a trip to the hardware store (you’re on your own for supplies and raw materials).

The setup, by social design firm Nosigner for Open Sohko Design, is more than just a desk. In fact, Sohko Design calls it your “one and only office.” The design for the palette-size box includes a desk, cubby shelving, large coat closet, and a fold-down shelf for your morning coffee. The box itself is on wheels and opens via hinges, revealing the interior components. That said, all of these components appear to take up more than double the room required for a standard desk. It probably won’t fit into the spare floor space of, say, a Brooklyn apartment.

Now, actually constructing this all-in-one solution seems like quite a project. The box is made out of plywood, with individual components like hinges and drop shelves that make the unit more customizable. A pegboard allows you to hang all of your tools and knickknacks; there’s roll-out shelving to fill with cubbies or binders. You could even paint your set-up to brighten the space if it all feels a bit drab.

It will definitely require a run to your local hardware store, provided you have the time and construction skills to do it yourself. But who doesn’t need a project these days? (And you can always hire someone else to make it for you.) A weekend later, you’ll have a brand-new WFH setup that you can close up any time you want to leave the office. Water cooler not included.