Open Thread: Making the Home Office Homier
October 23rd, 2007 (11:00am) Mike Gunderloy 17 Comments
When you’re just getting started with web work, a home office doesn’t have to be extravagant. A desk, a chair, a laptop with an internet connection, a phone, and you’re ready to take on the world. But what’s the point of working at home if you just recreate corporate cubicle culture? If you stick with this particular flavor of web work for any length of time, you’ll find yourself wanting little amenities to make your office more personal and pleasant.
In my own case, a high-end speaker system and satellite radio, for loud music at any hour, were high on the list of home office upgrades. Others opt for a riot of potted plants, posters on the walls, the best desk chairs that money can buy, or the desktop coffeemaker. Here’s your chance to brag on your own taste and good fortune a bit: what have you done to make your own slice of office at home a nicer place to work?
17 Comments Post your own comment
Colin says: October 23rd, 2007 11:37am
Many people swear by incorporating elements of into their office.
The cleaner.. the better. In my experience, nothing de-motivates you more than clutter in your home office.
Cathy Moore says: October 23rd, 2007 12:47pm
Definitely good speakers. Also a bright southern exposure with big windows, a cheery yellow painted floor, a 9-foot potted palm, a treadmill, a snoring Great Dane, and a mini-trampoline for working off excess energy while Bollywood blasts from the speakers. Plus very little clutter.
Eliza Amos says: October 23rd, 2007 12:53pm
Yes, windows are important, although I once read that Jonathan Franzen plasters paper over his to keep out the distractions. (Me, I don’t find birds and flowers that terribly distracting.) I added an armchair because sometimes, the desk is just too darned formal. And I love to have a batch of muffins in the oven while I work; it smells great and I get to fuel up on the results.
Britne says: October 23rd, 2007 1:00pm
Comfy armchair. Super-bright halogen light. Window. Everything within reach (file cabinet, printer, notepads, reference books, project folders). Fan. As many bright pink office supplies as I could find (I love you Container Store!). Cats. Mug-sized hotplate for keeping the coffee/tea warm. More cats.
I think I’ve got everything I need comfortably squeezed into half the space of an average cubicle.
Suzanne says: October 23rd, 2007 1:47pm
I had new windows installed in the last year and the one in my office was extended so that it starts at the top of my desk. Then I hung a couple of bird feeders outside and now enjoy the soothing activities of my feathered friends outside while one or two of my chocolate Labs lounge on the cushy carpet or on the recliner. Add the Coffeehouse on Sirius Satellite Radio, some halogen lights, speakerphone, walls covered in books, earthy red wall paint, photos of outdoor adventures smattered around, and three lucky bamboo plants and I’m in home-office heaven!
Amie Gillingham says: October 23rd, 2007 2:23pm
While I’m currently working from the dining room (on toddler patrol), our upstairs office has good light, iTunes, an extremely gorgeous easel my husband had custom built for me about 5 years ago, and an obscene amount of art (not surprising given that we run an online artists community). And I recently splurged on a magnetic whiteboard calendar from Pottery Barn that just arrived today. Sweet!
Jeri Dansky says: October 23rd, 2007 3:48pm
Colorful walls. Lots of art. Kitty perches to give the cats good places to hang out with me. Pictures here, although I now have a new Mac.
Rob says: October 23rd, 2007 4:37pm
Speakers is a must - I have some older ones that sound pretty good.
Also have a couple pictures on my walls and my cockatiel (bird) that I brought into my office in his cage. I also have a dog bed for when one of my dogs comes to visit me.
Amanda says: October 23rd, 2007 5:48pm
I love our little fridge. It is within arms reach when ever I want a yogurt, pudding cup, Diet Hansen’s soda.
My husband and I got two bright red visitor chairs from Ikea. We always end up in the office when our friends come over. It’s nice having chairs for them.
Mike says: October 23rd, 2007 7:05pm
I just moved into a new apartment. I am about to set up one room as an office, and get to start with a blank slate. So far I just have a desk, a chair, some speakers, and some plants planned. I am sure it will get more complicated…
Jon Peltier says: October 23rd, 2007 8:47pm
My home office has these improvements over the cubical at my last “real job”:
a DOOR
a radio
a television so if I’m working late I can still root for the home team (go Red Sox!)
southern-facing windows
a couch
a kitchen one floor down
no boss
Darren Meyer says: October 24th, 2007 7:41am
Oh! The comforts of working from home. I’m actually a dual-site worker, working from a cube some of the time, and from home the rest. My home office has the following advantages:
ߧ Club chair. Sometimes it’s nice to just sit and think in comfort.
ߧ Game systems. During all-nighters, it gives me something therapeutic to do while I wait for compiles, or when I need to get “unstuck”.
ߧ Mini-fridge. Stocked with ready-to-hand caffeine, juice, and beer (for celebrating!).
ߧ Three-monitor display. So much more productive than the dual-head setup in my cube: documentation on the left, code in the center, output/debugging on the right.
ߧ Music system. My whole music library available and handy, nice set of speakers, nice set of headphones (for when my partner is home).
ߧ Proper lighting. I have a lamp behind my displays, which the cube-nazis won’t let me do, but which I find vastly easier on my eyes. I also have a full-spectrum (Ott-light) task lamp, which makes me feel better on gloomy days, and gives me excellent contrast on paper media.
ߧ Cat. There’s absolutely nothing like coding while a malevolent ball of fur purrs on your lap.
ߧ Easy access to the outdoors. In good weather, I can take the notebook onto the deck and enjoy working in the shade of an 80-year-old ash. The cube farm will never top that.
Pedro Villalobos says: October 24th, 2007 11:23am
I really enjoy having a nice sound system. But whath really brings me on is to work without shoes. For some reason, i just hate them!
Bob Iliff says: October 24th, 2007 5:04pm
I listen to Pandora.com on my 1957 Telefunken Princess (stereo console) fed from my personal PC thru an FM transmitter. The dogs are in stereo also. I need a plant.
Judi Sohn says: October 24th, 2007 5:09pm
@Pedro, me too! I often joke that shoes constrict my brain. I am far more productive without them.
Mike says: October 25th, 2007 7:49am
Inspiration is very important element of my home office (located in the guest bedroom). It comes in many forms that have already been touched upon by other readers such as music, a great view, and working without shoes. I also use inspirational quotes. My wife and I have been taping fortune cookie “inspirations” to our multi-function copier for a long time now. But my favorite is actually a little plaque that simply states: when nothing is certain, everything is possible.
Workspace observation says: October 31st, 2007 2:48am
[...] Web Worker Daily post reminded of an observation that I made about my workspace. There is one thing that shows if I [...]