How do you make your home workspace feel inviting and productive?
September 17, 2022 9:58 AM   Subscribe

I have a nice desk and a fairly comfy chair, but I still always want to sit on the sofa. How do you make your home workspace more comfortable and inviting? Alternate question, how do you make working on the sofa more productive? Please share product recommendations, tips, and mindset hacks. Thanks!

(To be honest I think part of the problem is my main project right now is kinda toxic, so until I can complete it, I just want to be snuggled in a blanket to re-regulate. But that aside, how else can I get some home productivity going?)
posted by nouvelle-personne to Home & Garden (13 answers total) 18 users marked this as a favorite
 
I have a little love seat that I often work from laying down with my right arm on a low coffee table with my wireless mouse. The set up of the room also allows me to look out the windows in this spot. I hate work, but that sport makes it a lot more tolerable
posted by raccoon409 at 10:20 AM on September 17, 2022


The only thing that keeps me at my desk is basically that my work laptop screen is too small & I don't like looking at it for too long, so I know on those days that I retreat to the couch it's because that's really my last resort for getting stuff done. I also don't have good enough internet in my bedroom to try to do any work in there so that also helps.

I know these are pretty idiosyncratic suggestions but I guess my point is i find it helpful to look for natural barriers to nudge me back to my desk, but sometimes it just is what it is & there's nothing wrong with that.

That being said the #1 thing that keeps me in front of my desk is having a really good task system so I'm constantly moving things forward & automatically socializing them. If your project is toxic the key thing is having some tangible, visible form of progress every day or as often as you can.
posted by bleep at 10:53 AM on September 17, 2022 [1 favorite]


Also, I recently treated myself to this heated foot warmer blanket when I was at target, & it's expensive but it's also perfect for sitting at my desk, & saving me money because I'm not running my space heater at full blast aimed at my feet every day of the year.
posted by bleep at 10:59 AM on September 17, 2022 [1 favorite]


On the couch, I have a tray with useful stuff like pen, paper, book, and where I can put sort of safely put food. In winter, the couch faces to cozy wood stove, which it was cold enough yesterday evening to start using.

At my desk in my bedroom, I like my old wooden swivel desk chair. I like the bigger monitor that I can use with the laptop screen. The desk has a nice view of trees. The dog is more likely to walk up to the desk for petting. The desk has a small electric heater, if needed.

Realistically, I tend to land wherever the laptop and charging cable are.
posted by theora55 at 11:35 AM on September 17, 2022 [1 favorite]


This... might come under "mindset"? Basically, please take me as a horrible warning. I sat unergonomically at a desk for enough years to cause myself some real damage. I am now very strongly motivated to work only at a desk configured exactly right for my body, which means absolutely not sitting on a couch.

But also, my desk has so much stuff that makes my work easier: extra monitors, cordless mouse and keyboard, comfy wrist puck for using the mouse, notebooks and post-its and pens scattered across it. And it has stuff I like: nice pictures on the wall behind it, some of my favourite coasters, a really good Bluetooth speaker so I can listen to music while I work without putting up with the computer speaker, origami paper and a couple of fun little fidget toys to keep my hands busy in Zoom meetings. If I tried to work on the couch I'd feel more relaxed, but I'd be frustrated by having to work on just the tiny little laptop with the touchpad and the non-ergonomic keyboard, and by having none of my other stuff around.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 12:09 PM on September 17, 2022 [2 favorites]


I have not yet fully achieved an inviting and productive office, but I'm partway through the process. I need colour, a window, nature, and just-enough stuff that lets me do my work and make me feel warm and happy. If the work isn't going well, I can take a small visual vacation by turning away from the monitors for a bit.

Colour: Years ago I painted my office butter-lemon yellow, which is energizing but not overwhelming in this small space. I'm replacing the old white plastic window blind with floaty blue curtains soon.

Window and outside nature: When I'm at my desk, I can turn my head to the right and look through the window at a bog-standard Canadian maple that is beautiful at any time of the year, but especially over the next few weeks.

Inside nature: I'm bringing in MOAR PLANTS that will sit here and there or will be suspended from good old-fashioned hippie macrame. I found these hangers at Shopper+ and am going to try dying them with tea, red onions, and whatever as a winter project.

Beautiful and/or useful possessions: Some of my furniture is just functional, like the ancient Ikea Junker computer desk I work on, which will never be a Pinterest star but does the job it needs to do. But my grandfather's century-old wood desk will soon replace the tall, grey metal shelving that has been behind me for ages. As a result, a lot of things stored on that shelving, which I kept there just because I had the space, will now be put in deep storage, given away, or re-cycled.

I'm really visual, so these are the things that are most important to me, but all the things you mention in your question are tactile (comfy, snuggled in a blanket.) The foot warmer blanket bleep mentioned might work for you, or you might want to explore some other senses, like nice smells from flowers or incense, or a curated soundtrack.

ALSO ALSO: ergonomics will make you and your body happier in the long run. For example, if you use multiple monitors, make sure each of them is at the right height and that you don't have to turn your head a little to see the main monitor. Trust me on this.
posted by maudlin at 12:29 PM on September 17, 2022 [2 favorites]


One more thing: if your office is a small room, like mine, try not to block your access to the window by putting furniture in front of it, even if the window itself isn't obstructed. Reaching the window is easier and you will definitely feel less cramped. I'm making this change in as many rooms as possible in my house and it blows my mind what a difference this makes.
posted by maudlin at 12:32 PM on September 17, 2022


Response by poster: For others reading this, I'll include what I do:

Turned my desk towards the centre of the room. Now there's a wall a few feet behind me and I'm facing the window. I get much more light, space, and enjoyment of the seasons this way, plus my zooms look way better and are faster to set up since behind me there's just a clean wall.

All storage containers and shelves etc are white, so the room looks very bright and airy.

Lots of low-care plants, all in mismatched but coordinating white ceramic pots so the plant area looks cohesive.

Try to keep all horizontal surfaces clear.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 12:45 PM on September 17, 2022


I try to save my tempting office daybed for reading online newspapers, answering personal emails, and blowing time on the Internet. I use my desk is for work work or household management work with pens, pads, etc. on the desk and not near the daybed. The key word is "try." Both face windows so I'm not deprived of light or a view either way.
posted by Elsie at 2:27 PM on September 17, 2022


I realized not long ago that I have a tendency to get what I need for my desk area, but never go the vital step further to get what I need to make it feel good/right. That sucks - I spend so much time there! So I've made some strides in that area that have helped me a lot.

1) I got a monitor arm for my monitor, replacing the stand. This frees up space on my desk and also makes it far easier to adjust the monitor so it's exactly the right height and closeness for various kinds of work. (The monitor is also BIG, which is important, as it keeps me out of the dual-monitor business and still gives me tons of screen real estate.)

2) I bought this amazing foot cushion, which has been game-changing. I have a tall desk and a long waist but fairly short legs, so my feet were never able to reach the floor when the rest of me was ergonomically fine. The cushion is warm and soft and lovely to put my feet on, and just the right height.

3) I also bought a very clicky keyboard, which I've never done before, but it's got a super nice sound and it's almost like it's keeping me company while I work.

4) Warming desk mat, over which I have laid a pretty desk mat, so the warmth bleeds through but the basic black mat doesn't glare out at me in an ugly fashion. And it's SO warm; I almost can't wait for winter. (I'm also about to go take a look at bleep's foot warmer blanket!)

5) Got some plants. Now I also have cute leafy plant company during work. It was touch and go at first, I have a black thumb, but after several discussions, my polka dot plant and my succulents have consented to grow happily even if I happen to be in the room.

6) Worked hard on cable management, since cords everywhere is such a distracting and unpleasant look. It's made it a lot nicer to look at my work station, which makes it a lot easier to go to my work station and work.

7) Started curating a "work music" collection on Apple Music and Spotify for some soundscaping while I work. For me, that's easy/low/calming background music that keeps my ears busy but doesn't have lyrics to distract me.

I do sometimes still hang out with my work laptop in the living room recliner, but I actually like my desk now, and spend way more time there than I used to.
posted by invincible summer at 3:10 PM on September 17, 2022 [5 favorites]


My tips are more to do with the productivity end, but I have learned that since WFH means a much less changing environment than the office (coworkers interrupting, going to grab lunch or coffee, etc.), I have to build fairly specific checkpoints in my day and adhere to them so I don't feel like I'm just sitting in one room for hours. Mine look something like this. My workday is 7-3.

Before 7 I roll out of bed and make coffee
I do morning meetings and such and then take a shower around 8
I work some more and then take the dog for a short walk around 10
I take a lunch break and tidy up the house a bit around 12

I have some wiggle room but the main point is that I build in break times every 2 hours or so so I can get up, leave the room, and do something else for a bit. And I stick to these breaks because otherwise it's easy to get sucked in and then realize you spent 6 hours doing not much. I also change rooms a couple times a day, from office to living room, and try to work outside for a bit whenever possible. I worked much of my summer from a picnic blanket in the yard with a pillow to prop up my laptop. I used to think it would make it worse, but it actually makes it easier for me to concentrate if I take more, shorter breaks to change my scenery and do something that's not work.
posted by nakedmolerats at 8:11 PM on September 17, 2022 [1 favorite]


I also prefer the sofa/bed, but it helps if the room is warm enough (and on a cold day, if I'm wrapped up in a blanket while at the desk). It also helps to get some exercise before starting work so I'm already warm.
posted by pinochiette at 10:09 AM on September 18, 2022


Do you have access to the outside of the window? I've loved having a window box full of geraniums visible from my desk this summer and am now looking to plant a low maintenance winter one with a string of battery operated fairy lights on a timer.
posted by humph at 1:36 PM on September 23, 2022


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