Marc Jenkins

Home office tour

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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 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.
  • Herman Miller Embody Chair – A new addition and honestly wish I’d got one sooner. Comfortable, adjustable and looks awesome.
  • 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.
  • Ollin Gaming Monitor Arm – A great quality monitor arm that handles my 32″ monitor easily.
  • 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.
  • 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.

See my /uses page for a list of software that I use.

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.
  • The lamp is a Rayofly Grow Light.

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. Update: I bought a Herman Miller Embody 😊

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.

Changelog

  • 20th Mar, 2024 – Added new office photos
  • 20th Mar, 2024 – Added Herman Miller office chair and monitor arm