Your Home Office: Where Do You Get Work Done?
The technology that drives how we live and work today offers, among other things, mobility and flexibility. At Apartment Therapy Tech, writer Carolyn Purnell explores both with a look at where she and her boyfriend — both of whom work from home — are at their most productive during the work day. Carolyn and her laptop generally gravitate toward the couch, eschewing a conventional desk; her boyfriend maintains a traditional workspace setup. And while we recommend you always keep ergonomics in mind (something we specialize in), like Carolyn, we want to know: Do the devices you use to get work done encourage you to move around your workspace, away from a desk? Where are you most productive? Check out Carolyn’s post here, then tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.
By Carolyn Purnell. Used in partnership with Apartment Therapy Tech.
Some of my favorite spaces to drool over are offices. Filled with books, art, and colorful writing utensils, they always seem to be the most inspirational spaces. I’m not ashamed to admit that when I see photos of a particularly inviting desk, I’ll fantasize about spending long, productive hours at its helm. Yet despite my love of a good work space, I’m rarely found at my desk, instead opting for the sofa, bed, or breakfast bar.
My boyfriend and I both work from home, so when we moved into our condo earlier this month the first question was naturally, “Where should our work spaces go?” His job requires a lot of phone calls, filing, and storage, where my writing needs are much more mobile, so we decided right away that his desk should go in the spare bedroom, and he’s been happy there ever since. I, on the other hand, have moved from a small desk setup in the open kitchen/living room area, to the dining room, which doubles as the library, and even to the bedroom, where I had a desk/nightstand combo for a while. And yet even when I have a beautiful space to work in, filled with all those books and pens, I always gravitate back to a less conventional work space.
While it seems somewhat decadent and at times unhealthy to spend the whole day on the couch, I find that I’m rather productive there. The mounds of books that constantly shift on the moving cushions, the pens that get lost in the cushions of the couch, the strange angle at which I prop my computer on the sofa arm: none of these disturb my work, and in fact, I barely even notice them anymore. Lately it has me wondering why I’ve always thought that I’ve needed a desk.
For those of you who work from home, or even those who make use of the computer at home in leisure time, how often do you actually use a desk? And if you don’t, are you generally peripatetic, or do you find yourself gravitating to a particular spot?
Photos: Chris Perez and Tara Bellucci / Apartment Therapy
We choose to live in a small-ish home, but we grew quite tired of working from the kitchen table, dining table, or the comfy chair in the living room. As both my and my wife’s businesses are home-based, we decided that we needed a dedicated work space. Thus, the plans for our “World Shedquarters” were born! We built the office ourselves to save money, but had to splurge on quality chairs. Our choice was the SAYL chair and we couldn’t be happier with them. So, here’s where we do our work now: http://danielhayes.me/build-an-office-shed