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Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based mostly in London, U.Ok. She covers varied way of life tales, specializing in journey, well being, dwelling/inside design and property/actual property. Soo lined the COVID-19 pandemic extensively from 2020 to 2022, together with a number of interviews with the chief medical advisor to the president, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Soo has reported on varied main information occasions, together with the Black Lives Matter motion, the U.S. Capitol riots, the warfare in Afghanistan, the U.S. and Canadian elections, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Soo can be a South Korea professional, overlaying the most recent Ok-dramas—together with the breakout hit Squid Recreation, which she has lined extensively, together with from Seoul, the South Korean capital—in addition to Korean movies, such because the Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated Previous Lives, and Ok-pop information, to interviews with the largest Korean actors, comparable to Lee Jung-jae from Squid Recreation and Star Wars, and Korean administrators, comparable to Golden Globe and Oscar nominee Celine Tune. Soo is the writer of the e-book How one can Reside Korean, which is on the market in 11 languages, and co-author of the e-book Whats up, South Korea: Meet the Nation Behind Hallyu. Earlier than Newsweek, Soo was a journey reporter and commissioning editor for the award-winning journey part of The Every day Telegraph (a number one U.Ok. nationwide newspaper) for almost a decade from 2010, reporting on the most recent within the journey trade, from journey information, client journey and aviation points to main new openings and rising locations. Soo is a graduate of Binghamton College in New York and the journalism college of Metropolis College in London, the place she earned a Masters in worldwide journalism. You will get in contact with Soo by emailing s.kim@newsweek.com . Observe her on Instagram at @miss.soo.kim or X, previously Twitter, at @MissSooKim .Languages spoken: English and Korean

Soo Kim

Life and Traits Reporter

One lady’s formidable plan to show a small, cluttered cabinet into a totally useful workplace house has gone viral on TikTok, drawing viewers’ admiration—and a few skepticism.

TikToker Bessie (@atbessies) shared a video of the transformation, which has amassed 919,000 views because it was posted on March 16. A caption shared with the submit reads: “Everybody laughed after I mentioned I wished to show this messy cabinet right into a tiny workplace house!”

With the rise of distant work and house optimization, many owners are rethinking their residing areas to accommodate new wants—together with turning surprising corners of their houses into useful workspaces.

House renovation spending in the USA has surged lately. In line with a survey by dwelling design web site Houzz, the median renovation spend elevated by 60 % from 2020 to 2023, rising from $15,000 to $24,000.

The survey discovered that kitchens have been essentially the most generally renovated inside room in 2023 (29 %), adopted by visitor bogs and first bogs (27 % and 25 %, respectively).

The viral TikTok clip begins with a shot of the cabinet crammed with storage cabinets and containers filled with toiletries and clothes. The video then exhibits the girl emptying the house and eradicating the storage items earlier than attending to work on its renovation.

Within the subsequent scene, she is seen chopping a big board panel elsewhere in her dwelling earlier than she’s later proven portray the sides of the cabinet’s arched doorway.

The video’s large reveal showcases a modern, minimalist workplace setup with a small desk, a rolling workplace chair, and shelf house mounted alongside the partitions. The once-overlooked cabinet has been reborn as a trendy and environment friendly tiny workplace nook.

‘What a Transformation’

The cabinet-to-office transformation has drawn a wave of reactions from TikTok customers, with many praising the undertaking’s creativity and ingenuity.

A commenter named Lauren Rochelle Kinn commented, “Wow what a metamorphosis.”

Consumer @amanda.hbk responded to criticism of the undertaking, saying: “Why are individuals hating? This seems sooo cozy!”

Many customers noticed the house’s potential past an workplace, with @deb_honeybee suggesting it “Would have made an superior e-book nook,” whereas Nad mentioned, “This might be so cute as a cat den as nicely.”

One other viewer, @eilidhcoylex, praised the practicality, commenting, “I believe that is wonderful. If it really works for you and provides you additional house elsewhere, then who cares what others say. Want I had considered this after I had one in my home x.”

Nevertheless, not everybody was satisfied. TikTok consumer @user873896435 was skeptical, writing, “I am nonetheless laughing, you have to be joking, proper? The claustrophobia.”

Commenter Becky_KTF jokingly expressed concern in regards to the setup: “I would be scared I would roll backwards out that cabinet. Appears nice although.”

The unique poster responded, reassuring viewers: “There is a lip on the sting.”

Do you’ve a house renovation-related video or story to share? Tell us through life@newsweek.com, and your story might be featured on Newsweek.