Ask HN: What does your ideal home office look like? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: What does your ideal home office look like?

16 pointsbenrmatthews23 comments

I’ve got the opportunity to design a home office from scratch and as it’s where I spend 90% of my working week I’d like to make it a good one. What does your ideal home office look like? I’m talking tech, furnishings, art, books - even apps and services to help make the best environment possible.

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I have a separate work space in the backyard, an entirely separate building with a view of some flowers and plants, and a door that locks. Walking to work (about 12 feet from the house) and closing the door behind me does wonders for my focus and productivity.

Worth over-spending on a quality chair that fits and can adjust, too. I tried a dozen or more until I got the right one and it's been money very well spent. Don't skimp on the ergo!

I just recently got a rolling tool chest from Home Depot with a lot of somewhat shallow drawers. Perfect for stowing a laptop, laying out pens and pencils in neat order, and other miscellaneous cruft. The whole thing rolls (quite heavy though) and plugs in to the wall with a surge-protected outlet strip built in. Put the laptop on the top and it's a reasonable standing desk, too.

This is what I'm hoping to do. I want to get a container home outbuilding placed in my backyard, with some good big windows and a view of the woods behind my house. Probably gonna cost 40-50k though furnished and installed...

If you're setting up a desk, I would highly recommend something with adjustable height. It doesn't necessarily have to be sit/stand, but that's probably ideal. The standard desk height of 29ish inches is too high for 95% of the population [0]. Your shoulders should be relaxed and keyboard a few inches above your lap. You could mitigate this with a keyboard tray too, but I'm not a fan.

0: https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/5-adjustments-you-need...

I have a comfortable couch, a plastic lap desk, and a pillow below it. On top of it is a fairly old MacBook Air. I used to think I needed multiple monitors until I got the MacBook. Its three-finger-swipe to go from one virtual desktop to another is my favorite feature. I work laying down.

It is fairly dark. I have a Sonos speaker to play music whenever I need to. I get up to stretch and walk around a bit at least once an hour.

That’s your ideal working environment? Sounds dark and bad for your posture, but whatever works for you.

I'm slowly getting towards my ideal with my latest addition of a treadmill, motorized desk, and 4k monitors. I definitely could use more above-desk power though. I enjoy having oversized desks that are large enough to stretch my legs out under when I do sit, like 30-36"+. A great set up I had was when two 30" table tops met in a corner - there was about 45" of legroom there! Chairs and lighting are always important too, and I definitely put some emphasis on color. I used a warm, cozy brown in a cold climate, and a lighter blue in a gray and rainy climate. I do try to have a view and natural light, otherwise it gets a little bland, and I like having both overhead lights and task lighting.

In an ideal world I'd have more audio options than just headphones and Sonos. It'd be awesome to have in-wall high quality speakers, but headphones will suffice for now. If I could get a water supply and coffee/espresso maker in the room too, that'd be sweet, but it's probably good to move around and go to the kitchen every now and again.

App wise, RescueTime and WakaTime have been interesting products for getting and keeping focus. In the past I've engaged in "rituals" to get in the zone like certain playlists, beverages, an Esington hour glass for pomodoros. But other pomodoro apps have been reasonably effective too.

I like having a couple "things" around, e.g. art, tchotchkes, that are meaningful, but I lean towards (what I think of as) an art-gallery-meets-cozy-reading-space type of aesthetic - a few books, a couple choice pieces of art, etc.

I'd love to eventually have a separate work space - a little shed/nook in the backyard, that I could spec out with all the "wishes," but alas that dream will have to wait a bit longer...

Most important for me has been a really good monitor. I've used two externals in the past, but lately I've been really digging my 34" Dell monitor in the 21:9 form factor ("ultrawide"). I think the extra width is really helpful for work, being able to put several windows side by side. It's also pretty cool to watch 21:9 movies, but that's a secondary consideration.

Thanks - have a “normal” monitor on order but will swap it for a widescreen. Will definitely be trying not to watch movies in the home office, as that could lead to bad habits...

try a 40" 4k tv hooked up to a decent video card. It's amazing -- enough resolution to put a ton of windows on screen and look at multiple reference materials while drafting text in a different window.

But yeah, getting the display to fit one's preferences is an enormously important part of any set-up.

I have a home office that I love. I spend a fair bit of time in it, but not 90%.

Ikea Standing Desk (Skarsta, crank, 63"). Dual 34" monitors, a desktop I love, Kinesis Freestyle 2 keyboard, and a Kensington Expert Mouse. Pen holders, notebooks, filing cabinet like thing, and a standing mat. I also have a glass whiteboard (essential) against the wall, art in front of me that I appreciate.

I have bookcases full of books, technical, religious, and science fiction - different things to chill out with should I need it. I keep a guitar handy, on a stand, ready to go, with a stereo system, decent speakers, and a great turntable.

I have a papasan chair, and a roadbike on blocks, so that I can force myself to change my space, to explore an idea, or calm down.

Kinesis Freestyle 2 keyboard

Is this not the greatest keyboard ever?! I only wish I could magically hook it up to my tablets as well, but even tethered to my workstation it’s the best thing since sliced bread.

I sed to have an office-in-a-closet setup: an Ikea aneboda wardrobe (single) with a small modification: I lowered the upper plate at a desk height and it effectively became a closet-door gurded office: on the inside of the closet doors i had timetables, todolists and calendars, in the "table" I had my X220 and an external monitor (put on some books to rise it) and a mouse.

If I had to do it again, I'd use some sort of embedded computer like an intel nuc (or in general, something the size of a mac mini). After all such computers are way more than enough for sysadmin / development work.

I would have a super comfortable office I am to spend any time in it.

* I would go for a Herman Miller Aeron chair, I have been using one since 2005

* I would want a high ceiling and good sound acoustics if I wanted to play music. Also good sound proofing in case there is a lot of external noise.

* I would want a set of shelves on one wall to store books

* I would want windows for natural light

* Ideally I would have a zone for heating and cooling or other devices to keep the temperature at a setting I like.

* I would want a really soft couch that is easy to nap on if I decided I needed to short rest.

Absolutely must have a treadmill desk. Sitting down for eight hours at a stretch is tough on your prostate. Standing for eight hours at a stretch is tough on your feet. Walking for eight hours is invigorating and makes you feel good about yourself.

I personally tried it but could not think while walking, I had to constantly stop to concentrate on a task which made having a threadmill useless for me. But that’s my personal experience, it might work for someone tho...

Side question: is your employer paying for your home office re-design, or is this just a personal project? Did you discuss any of it with your employer, or just opt to do it yourself from the beginning?

(Both approaches are good, just curious!)

I run my own business, so this question wouldn’t be relevant as I can choose what I like (after I’ve spoken to my accountant about what I can and cannot expense).

thanks!

Ideal for me is a giant window facing a green space. My current fav is guest bedroom on 2nd floor of my house with great views of the park.

sit/stand desk that goes both high enough to walk on a treadmill, and kneel on the floor. A soft standing/kneeling pad. With this combo I find I rarely use my chair. (not never, just rarely)

Bonus would be a treadmill that is easy to get out of the way when I don't want it (I've never seen this, but you asked about ideal).

Ditto on the treadmill that is easy to get out of the way. Best I've figured out is to flip it up on its side when I want to put a chair in.

Never thought about a treadmill. Do you use one at the moment? If so, for how long at one time?

No, they are hard too get out of the way. When I used one, I found it nice at times, but I quickly found that it wasn't right 100% of the time, and it was in the way of attempts to use a chair. If it was convenient to switch between treadmill and other modes I'd probably be 20% treadmill, 20% kneeling, 50% standing, 10% sitting in a chair. Since I've never had all options easily available I'm only guessing.

I have used them in the past. You need a very slow speed. Even a normal slow walk is too fast - you are trying to think about something else while your feet move, if you want to exercise that is a different thing.

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