Home office set up suggestions please!

[alohamom]

My son will be starting a summer internship as a video game developer next week and we are in the final stages of drywalling an area in our basement that can function as an office.
We also found out his last year of University will be online so he is basically going to be using the office for school next fall as well.

We have moved his desk from his bedroom down there and he has a decent but well worn chair and all his computer equipment ready to go but now I am wonder what else he might need. He is going to be down there 40 hours or more a week.

For those of you working from home, what are the things you "must have" in your office space?
What about supplies?
I just want to make sure he is not scrambling for stuff come Monday morning.
I think I would like to get him a good office chair since he will be sitting for so long-any one have any suggestions? I am more concerned about lumbar and ergonomics than looks and I dont want to spend a ton

TIA for your help!

 

[RogueX]

I don't use multiple monitors for work, but many of my coworkers find it helpful to have two monitors set up with their computers as they are working on projects. Definitely a good chair (though I don't have any recommendations).

My go-to work from home items: scrap paper, writing utensils, adjustable lighting, and always something to drink close by.

 

[alohamom]

Ahhh adjustable lighting is a great suggestion!

We have a small mini fridge that my daughter had in her dorm so I will put that in there, thanks-good thought.

My son is actually pricing out a second monitor due to the nature of his job (game code programming) but I am leaving that up to him. The studio he is working for suggested it too. I have been googling images of programmer offices and multiple monitors seems to be the standard.

 

[hdrolfe]

What you have already sounds like a good starting point. A chair for sure, now that some stores are starting to reopen that might be easier to find (I've been searching online for something decent and they all seem to be out of stock or really expensive, I think everyone else bought them at the start of this). A second monitor for sure, I miss that a lot.

Otherwise I'd suggest he work with what you have for a few days, he will quickly note what may need to change. A clock would be good too, I know computers have them of course, but something he can really see, or set an alarm on so he remembers to get up and move around. I assume he has a cellphone he can use for alarms and to listen to the radio or music if it might help, I do sometimes but other times I prefer quiet.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Some things are personal taste but for me I made sure that I am sitting correctly. You say he has a good chair, thats the first step. The next thing to make sure is that the chair height, screen level, mouse using hand / arm are all at the correct level.

I am using 2 of the Fantasmic foam cushions to raise up my laptop so that when I'm typing, my arms / shoulders are at a good level. I also make sure that that when I use the mouse , my wrist and arm are supported properly. I also use a foot rest to make sure that my legs/ feet are in a good position.

I have a Tinkerbell phone holder so that my phone is always in the same place, as I get phone calls from clients during the working day.

I keep a notepad and pen on my desk, as well as post it notes.

I have a coaster for my coffee mug.

I have a water bottle.

I have a wall organizer as well as a calendar. I also have a pin board where I have the WiFi code, just in case, you never know.

I have pen holders with various types of pens and highlighters, as well as tipex.

I have a box of tissues and a small snack jar, currently filled with maltesters.

I have a wire in tray / out tray to keep current paper work tidy and then I have a filling cabinet for storage.

I have a radio and personal laptop. Some days I listen to the radio, some days I listen to Spotify or have CNN / SKY NEWS on my personal laptop.

I also have any chargers I may need such as laptop and phone, as well as a plug extension strip.

The chair and laptop position are the main focus. Everything else is then orientated around that, so that everything is within easy reach and I don't need to scoot around or stand up to get something when I'm working.

Another thing to consider is light and the position of the window in the room or you may have aircon. You have to consider how the sun moves in a day, and how it affects the glare on the screen. For example, I used to only use my home office in the evenings before lockdown, but now I am working from home full time and start at 9.30am. I had to adjust the position of my laptop for the morning sun.

You should also consider the airflow and things like air fresheners. If you have aircon, is there a draft in a certain part of the room.

Many of these things he will figure out as he goes a long and he will probably move things or get rid of things or get new things as the weeks go by.

 

[Donald - my hero]

a good quality UPS is essential when he's coding according to my hubby. You never know when power might be knocked out- summer thunder storms are coming - and if his computer doesn't shut down gracefully you'll all be saying some choice words!!! The UPS will give him the chance to gracefully power things down.

hubby has worked from home for close to 30 years (real challenge using dial up modem, fun times! We had to put in a separate phone line as well because cell phones weren't a thing yet! ) and he only managed to survive in the office in the basement for about 6 months. He found the lack of natural light a real drain on his mood and energy so look into getting a light that mimics that and encourage him to get out of there for breaks.

 

[starvenger]

- Don't skimp on the office chair. If he likes a certain material go with that. I've got one with lumbar support, a headrest and mesh backing as it's first floor with a west-facing window. Costco has some nice office chairs, but I happened to get mine from Amazon.

- I also installed a ceiling fan light. Again, I have a west-facing window, and it can get stuffy, even with the AC on.

- I use an IKEA table which works fine for me, but your mileage may vary.

- Get the appropriate floor mat for his work area.

- Get a footrest. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, just something to stretch out and elevate your legs. I have one of those small kids stools from Dollarama.

- I have an HDMI KVM box so that I can switch my monitor/keyboard/mouse between my work laptop, my personal laptop, and my NES Classic.

- Ergonomic "natural" keyboard and trackball mouse, in case anyone was interested. It's definitely not everyone's cup of tea.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Definately agree about breaks, you can get so caught up in tasks and documents that suddenly its been 3 hours since you moved, which is not good.

I time myself with tasks and documents and if I know I'm about to start something that is detailed and involved and will take some time, I will get up and go to the restroom before starting it.

I make sure to take a lunch break at 1pm every day. For my lunch I go to the kitchen and make my lunch and then I try to eat somewhere in the house other than my home office.

Once I finish my days work, I make sure to get up and take a break before coming here to Dis and personal computer time

 

[isabellea]

Does it have natural light? If not, you can buy lightbulbs or lamps that are close and much better than fluorescent light.

DH just got the okay from his company to buy what he needs to set up properly his home office: good chair with lumbar support, two monitors, docking system for his laptop, keyboard and mouse.

Some people like desks that you can adjust height to either work standing up or in a sitting position. Probably our next buy because that won’t be paid by DH’s work.

 

[alohamom]

Fantasmic foam cushions to raise up my laptop so that when I'm typing, my arms / shoulders are at a good level

LOL-I thought this was brand name at first!

I have a box of tissues and a small snack jar, currently filled with maltesters.

Oh yes, good idea!

a good quality UPS is essential when he's coding according to my hubby

I will tell him this, thank you!

Get the appropriate floor mat for his work area.

Get a footrest

Check and check!

 

[alohamom]

docking system for his laptop

Ok, this is a good idea too, thank you!

 

[alohamom]

Otherwise I'd suggest he work with what you have for a few days, he will quickly note what may need to change

Exactly! This is what I am hoping will happen anyway, LOL

 

[SteveH]

Well my biggest suggestion is one you may not like; put his bedroom in the basement and his office in his old bedroom so he has some natural light and a view. Yes I'm assuming the basement has no natural light.
A few things already mentioned;

• A good chair, and I don't mean buy the $75 over the $50 one, though most "kids" don't seem to notice it posture is important.
• A UPS, battery back-up, this really isn't optional, these go for $60 and will protect him from a brown out and loss of work.
• Thick, quality chair mat if he's on carpet, it will save your carpet in the long run.
• If at all possible run Ethernet to his workspace, or make sure your WiFi is strong enough that he's not fighting dropped signals. The Ethernet really is the best way to go.

Most everything else can be added slowly.
Dual monitors is a nice arrangement but for some it's distracting, so it depends on the type of work and if they can stay focused.

I personally don't recommend a mini fridge or snacks in the same room, getting up to get those things is important so they don't become basement dwellers. My son is wrapping up his MS in the computer science field dealing with machine learning. He says the worst year of college was the year his bedroom and computer were in the basement, very depressing for him. I do recommend an Apple Watch or any device that will encourage your son to get up and move, those move goals can really help them mentally but also physically. My son has a larger desktop system but a laptop he can remote into and work. So he's able to move around and not be stuck 100% of the time at the desk.

 

[starvenger]

Dual monitors is a nice arrangement but for some it's distracting, so it depends on the type of work and if they can stay focused.

I think @alohamom said he's doing game programming so it's almost a necessity to have dual. IT developers need as much real estate as they can get.

 

[Dole_whip_doll]

I have this “stand up” phone charger from 5below. It holds the phone upright and charges at the same time. It’s handy in case I need to put someone on speaker phone.

 

[starvenger]

I have one of those wireless chargers. But I discovered that I have an issue as I use a magnetic phone holder in the car and the metal plate blocks the charging from happening.

 

[alohamom]

If at all possible run Ethernet to his workspace,

We were just talking about perhaps doing this.

 

[Silvermist999]

Most important is ensuring he has a good WIFI connection and that you have a good reliable internet service provider. Especially if anyone else at home is working from home and online also, watching Netflix, etc.

My husband and I have been working from home since this all started. Plus two kids (tween/teen) home as well, spending hours online. My son is gaming online a lot, the lack of natural light from the small basement windows doesn’t seem to bother him at all. Whereas I definitely need to have the sun shining in our home office while I’m working. Blinds are always tilted open and lights turned on. My husband doesn’t seem to care much about natural light either, he is often working in the dark, not turning on the light in our basement guest room-turned-second office. Maybe men don’t really notice the lack of light.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Agree with the wifi connection. You might even price out (and see if the company will pay for it) a dedicated modem line so he can hardwire in.

Also, is there a bathroom nearby? Seems silly, but when you're in the coding zone, just being able to make a quick trip to the bathroom could be helpful, rather than go upstairs, then get sidetracked with snacks and a 'quick' conversation with mom.

I agree with outside light, but be sure any windows are not letting light in to shine on his screens. Placement of the desk is important. The light shouldn't be behind him.

If he's going to be doing a lot of conference calls or listening to online lectures that could disturb others in the house, maybe put some sound dampening tiles in the room for privacy. I doubt he wants to use headphones all day.

Oh, that's another thing, he may need speakers. And if he's going to be video conferencing, make sure he has a decent professional background (like a corner with a bookshelf).

Do you have an alarm system or an intercom? Or would texting him when you need him suffice? (ie: supper's ready or there's a package for you) You don't want to be running up and down the stairs whenever you need to talk to him (although you do have to respect some boundaries for him to work).

 

[BadPinkTink]

Do you have an alarm system or an intercom? Or would texting him when you need him suffice? (ie: supper's ready or there's a package for you) You don't want to be running up and down the stairs whenever you need to talk to him (although you do have to respect some boundaries for him to work).

Definitely set up some sort of system or routine or boundaries. I live with my mom, and work time is do not disturb time. I make sure to tell her the night before that I will be working the following day. If its urgent she will text me, otherwise it waits until lunch time or when I finish at 4.30pm

The other day one of my Amazon deliveries arrived in the morning, and my mom just put it on the table for me so that I got it at lunch time.

Also be mindful that what you consider working hours may not be what your son considers working time. He may end up on a different time scale, working late at night and sleeping until noon. Working from home gives you that freedom from corporate 9 to 5 business hours. It depends on the company and if online collaboration crosses time zones, but often as long as the work is completed or a certain amount of hours are logged, it can be any time in the 24 hour period.