Okay, folks I have decided to grow up. I cannot handle the clutter of papers everywhere, books stacked up next to the books, half read magazines. I don’t think I can handle typing on my laptop while sitting at the dining table or lounging on the couch, I want to dedicate a room to being a proper office. And frankly I have no idea where to start.
Don’t get me wrong — I know precisely what is the color of the carpet and what is the kind of wood finish I want. What I don’t know — what is the right height for a work table. What is the most affordable yet good on my back chair? What are good brands — not the ones that are most hyped – that one should be looking at when it terms to my
What kind of lamps to get and of course, what should be the position of the table and chairs in relation to the natural light streaming into the room. Are there any disadvantages of using an old dining table as a work table? And how do I set up a podcasting/video podcasting set-up similar to Leo Laporte so next time when I go on Twit Live, I don’t have to wear those dorky Skype headphones. 🙂
If you have any tips, please share them with me.
PS: Don’t think I am that lazy — I have taken a look at blogs like Unclutterer and The Office Stylist
Om, I have found Unpluggd has some oft inspiring ideas. check it out http://www.unplggd.com/
I came across a great new site with modern style furniture and actually purchased my first home desk and desk lamp there – http://www.rypen.com . It’s a desk that I am able to mount right into my wall. I’m loving it!
The site is new and I believe is still in beta but has some real great stuff (desks, desk lights, etc…) All of which is very quality and focused on the builders behind the pieces. They are still a bit low on the office chair selection. I’d recommend to check it out. Great stuff and a cool new site that’s in its early stages.
The one thing I wish I had bought was one of the standup desks , the height of which you can adjust. Hence you can work either standing up or sitting down. The best ones are motorized, flip a switch and the go up/down.
As for chairs, Herman Miller seems to be the default. Maybe a Fujitsu scanner that scans right to Evernote, and get one of those old fashioned staplers that you can hammer on.
I’m a big fan of http://www.levenger.com, they seem to have great stuff for an office/desk that just works.
As for lighting, I think more lighting is the best.
My good friend David Allen of #GTD fame put this together a while back.
http://www.davidco.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=732&d=1318434446
As for Twit, not clue!
Happy Holidays
Buzz
When I built my home office, the key for me was to design it around my workflow. I wanted to minimize getting out of my chair for routine tasks, such as retrieving printed documents, files, reference material, etc. I ended up with a desk shaped like an L with lots of working surface. The long side was six feet long and the short side was three feet. To maximize the work surface, I also used the area under the desk for small file cabinets and printers. The printers were on sliding shelves that I could pull out as needed, but were neatly tucked away when not in use. This also allowed me to hide any cables on the underside of the desk so I wasn’t getting them tangled in my feet. My primary work area was in the corner of the L.
Above my desk I had shelves and cabinets all within easy reach. I also ran power to these areas for lights, accessories, etc.
Since I’m handy with powertools, I built my own custom desk and cabinets.
Whatever you do, don’t use an old dining room table for a desk! It’s too high and you’ll get back aches. To determine the height of the desk, I used the following general rule: When you’re seated in the position you’d use the desk, rest your arms at your sides, keeping your elbow at a 90 degree angle and your upper arms in line with your torso. If the desk is the right height, your hands should rest comfortable on the desk.
The last option is to figure out what type of chair you’ll want. I spent a few hours at an office supply store testing chairs. Sit in all of them and figure if you want one with arms, leather, fabric, etc. Since you’ll be spending a significant part of your day in your chair, don’t skimp on the quality or price.
For your headphones, try those available at sculptedeers.com. I discovered these when Leo was testing them during his netcasts from CES 2011. Side note: It was was entertaining watching Leo fight to remain absolutely quiet for a few minutes while the headphones processed.