Home office tour

My home office has slowly evolved over the 9 years I’ve been working from home. It started in a tiny bedroom where the desk took up the vast majority of space. It wasn’t until this year that I finally had the time and budget to give my home office a full overhaul.

Since I enjoy looking at other people’s work environments, I thought I’d share my setup. Hopefully it provides some inspiration for your own workspace.

Desk setup

The desk is where I spend most of my time. Here’s how it looks:

Photo showing my desk against a wood panelled wall
My new minimal desk setup
  • Ikea Bekant sit/stand desk – I’ve had this desk for 5 or 6 years now, and while I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this particular desk, I do recommend a standing desk. When it’s time to upgrade, I’ll find one with programmable height presets.
  • MacBook Air 15″ – The best laptop I’ve ever owned. Apple silicon is worthy of the hype, it handles everything I throw at it with ease and does it without fans spinning up and getting uncomfortably hot (unlike my old Intel MacBook Pro).
  • ViewSonic VP3268-4K 32″ monitor – A decent monitor I’ve had for 5+ years. I picked it for it’s colour accuracy (it’s great for photo editing) but there are better options on the market now.
  • BenQ ScreenBar Plus Monitor Light – These are all the trend on YouTube these days and for good reason: they provide a decent amount of light on the desk without causing monitor glare. This particular model comes with a little puck that allows you to control brightness and colour temperature.
  • Raico Desk Shelf and Desk Tray Drawer – A new addition that helps keep my desk tidy by utilising the otherwise dead space under the monitor.
  • AnkerWork C310 Webcam – A mid-range 4k webcam that provides a reasonably good image. I like the built-in privacy shield.
  • Nord K Desk Mat – Received as a gift and I love it. It adds a lovely aesthetic and feel to the desk.
  • 2x HomePod Speakers – I have a love/hate relationship with HomePods. They sound really good but they’re buggy and occasionally need restarting. Make sure you get the 2nd Gen if you buy some, I believe they fixed some of the glitches.
  • Logitech MX Master 3 Mouse – Ergonomic, loads of configurable buttons, vertical and horizontal scrolling wheels. It’s a great mouse, highly recommended.
  • Logitech MX Keys Keyboard – I’ve tried various mechanical keyboards and while I prefer them, I end up getting RSI pains. I’ve never had that from this keyboard. It’s the best low-profile keyboard I’ve tried.
  • Apple Magic Trackpad – I usually use the trackpad with my left hand, but often switch it for the mouse. Helps keep RSI pains to a minimum.
  • Ikea Markus Office Chair – Had this for over 9 years now and while it has lost the padding, it has lasted well. It’s a good chair for the price.
  • Oak Wall Panels – One of my favourite features of the new office. A mate helped fit them, but it was relatively easy to cut them to size, then use adhesive and a few screws to fix them to the wall.
  • Under the desk, I use a Cable Trunking Tray from Ikea. I have two extension leads that are fixed to the desk using builders wire. It keeps the cables nice and tidy.

Shelving and storage

I added shelving and a cabinet behind my desk. Since I spend a lot of time on video calls, I wanted to design a backdrop that added some character to the room. Here’s how it looks:

Photo of shelves with books, plants and cameras on
Books, cameras, whisky, music: pretty much sums up my interests
  • The rustic shelves and brackets are from Etsy. I ordered them untreated (natural) and then coated them in Treatex Hardwax Oil to protect them, then darkened them using Fiddes Supreme Wax Polish. I’m really pleased with how they look.
  • Under the shelves is an IVAR cabinet from Ikea. I had to reduce the height to fit under the shelves, and I cut it to fit around the skirting so that it would sit flush with the shelving. I then painted it to match the walls.

Misc other things

Next to the desk is my reading chair (and where the dog usually sleeps).

My reading chair
My reading chair
  • The chair was from Made.com before they closed down.
  • The side table is from Raico.

And a few other misc things to mention:

  • The paint is Sage Green from Little Greene. I’m so happy with the colour, it looks better IRL than in the photos. It’s a good quality paint that was easy to apply.
  • Some of the plants are from Beards & Daises. It’s the first time I’ve ordered plants online but they came really well packaged. Related to indoor plants: I highly recommend The Plant Rescuer. That book has armed me with enough knowledge not to kill any plants.. yet!

What’s next

Overall I’m really happy with my new setup. It’s cosy, calming and perfect for what I need.

My next purchase will be a new office chair. I’ve got my eye on a Herman Miller Embody, but I’m just waiting to find one at the right price.

The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed the curled network cable under my desk. That’s my next project: run an ethernet port from the hub which is the other side of the house.

If you have questions or suggestions about anything I’ve mentioned above, get in touch.

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