I remodeled my home office about a year ago and thought I’d share the setup. I spend the majority of my working hours here these days in this 8’x8’ room. Working from home can be a challenge as attentions wander, so I tried to make this as “distraction-free” as possible.
Shown on Desk
iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017, 4.2 GHZ i7, 500GB SSD, 40 GB RAM)
Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad 2
ScanSnap S1500M Scanner
Apple HomePod
Pleson Wireless Charging Pad
Field Notes Notebook with Leather Cover and Space Pen (carry this everywhere)
Ceramic Pencil Cup (made by my then 10-year-old daughter - priceless)
The desk is an Uplift sit to stand desk. I’ve got some back issues that make sitting for an extended time pretty uncomfortable, so I make use of different heights throughout the day. Here’s a picture in the standing mode with a “wobble” stool I use when my legs need a break:
Furniture
Uplift Bamboo 80x30 Adjustable Sit to Stand Desk
Muvman Sit to Stand Stool
Serta Works Ergonomic Executive Office Chair
To keep things uncluttered on and around the desk, I keep a lot of non-essential equipment in a closet and other stuff I need close by velcroed to the bottom of the table top (including three (!) power strips (still kind of a mess - sorry!):
Attached Under Desk or in Closet
Eero Mesh WiFi
WD My Passport Ultra 3TB USB drive (media drive)
WD 500 GB USB Drive (iMac SuperDuper clone)
Hue Lights in Desk Lamp and Overhead Light
Brother HL3170CDW Digital Color Printer
Apple Time Capsule (router mode for Time Machine backups only)
Here’s a view from my office window which shows why I don’t need any other distractions to keep me from working:
There isn’t enough room in this little office to have a place to disconnect from technology for more creative work. For that, I love curling up in this old leather chair, surrounded by my books. Great place to think and dream with the new iPad Pro and Pencil. I’m lucky to have such a sanctuary:
What fantastic working spaces. The more I look at how people work, the more I realise that a focused distraction-free space combined with a relaxing, comfortable creative space is the ideal. Some great thinkers also have a regular walk they use for quiet contemplation - for example, Charles Darwin or Andrew Wiles.
You are very lucky to have such a wonderful office. I am so jealous!
I think that for some of us (definitely for me), “distraction-free” and “aesthetically pleasing” are practically synonymous when describing a workspace.
You are right! I’m a sailor and seeing the water ruffled with wind, or worse yet, boats out there sailing on a sunny afternoon is not good at all for my productivity. Long conference calls with that kind of thing outside my window is pure torture!
Deep Work by Cal Newport has a section on this very idea with some good examples of how focus can be enhanced and prolonged by the type of place you choose to work in. I can definitely attest to the power of environment on my own focus…
Yes, Deep Work is a really thought-provoking book. Even before reading it, I had seen this pattern when studying “writers’ rooms”. If you look at photos of many, many writers’ and thinkers’ rooms you will see the dual space idea repeated. I use it.
Beautiful room and great setup. And you keep it neat with minimal distractions. Very nice.
I work in a space with views of my garden out windows in three directions, and the forest beyond. Even with all that natural eye candy, there peaceful vista makes the day flow by easily.
I like the compact size of the Space Pen. It nestles inside the Robrasim leather cover nicely, and the rawhide grips the pen well and it’s never fallen out, even loose in a bag. I enjoy this super thin notebook that fits well in my back jeans pocket, sport coat or in the Waterfield sleeve I carry my iPad Pro in. I go through a ton of these Field Notes notebooks - the last vestige of my analog note taking …
