The Working-From-Home Desk Setup in 10 Square Feet
September 21, 2020
Updated Feb 2022: This post is out of date, and there’s a new post here with my latest equipment and setup
Working at home for an extended period of time has meant I stay in one place more often; No more walking from meeting room to meeting room. No outside meetings, walking 1:1s, and no lunch or coffee chats.
Less important: battery life, weight, simplicity. More important: screen space, comfort, efficiency.
Space efficiency was especially critical, as my work space is shared. Three key decisions let me pack it into about 10 sq. feet.
- Always stand. Generally better for you (take care of your joints though!) and no need for a chair.
- Get the smallest desk possible. Think carefully about what you really need on your desk, and how you can simplify and condense. My desk is very compact, and making that work meant attaching and mounting accessories to the sides and underside of the desk wherever possible.
- Get a divider. This helped separate my work space from the rest of the room physically and visually.
The equipment, as of July 2021:
Desk
- Jarvis Standing Desk, $569: I got one of the smaller sizes, and it is fully adjustable, and easy to move.
- Acoustic Desk Divider, $74: Fewer visual distractions from the rest of the room.
- Topo Edge Standing Desk Mat, $99: Critical piece of the setup. I no longer use a chair with my desk.
Display and Keyboard
- Jarvis Monitor Arm, $99
- Dell 27” 4K monitor, $540
- Happy Hacking Keyboard Hybrid Type-S, $337 - Compact, mechanical but quiet keys, bluetooth.
- Stream Deck, $90-$250 - Great for fast access to critical hotkeys and macros. I wrote a post about the Stream Deck Mini and customizing icons for your StreamDeck.
Camera
- Logitech C920, $89: Having an external cam is an upgrade in quality and positioning, but this camera also feels a bit fuzzy when changing focus.
- Pipishell 25 Inch Webcam Gooseneck Stand, $22: This stand works without a low profile on the desk - due to the clamp mount - and the gooseneck works well.
- Elgato Key Light, $199: People need to be able to see my evenly-lit face.