Home Office Setup You Will Actually Use

A home office fails for two reasons: the light is wrong and the room feels like an afterthought. Both are fixable in an afternoon.

Put the desk perpendicular to the window

Facing a window means glare on your screen and in your eyes; backing onto one means glare behind you on every video call. Perpendicular gives you daylight on your work surface without either problem.

If the room only allows facing the window, sheers will solve most of it.

White and Gold Computer Desk With Two Drawers

$339

Brown Solid Wood Writing Desk With Two Drawers

$369

White Wood Wall Mounted Pedestal Computer Desk With Hutch

$359

Light the work, not the room

A dedicated task lamp on the desk matters more than the ceiling fixture. Position it on the opposite side from your writing hand so your hand does not cast a shadow.

Add a second, warmer light elsewhere in the room. Working in a single pool of light in a dark room is exhausting.

Bronze Abstract Two Light Round Tiffany Lamp With Dome Shade

$1,369

Bronze Flowers Two Light Round Tiffany Lamp With Dome Shade

$599

Natural Lantern Bedside Lamp With Rattan Dome Shade

$349

Get the heights right

Desk surface around 29 to 30 inches, screen top at or just below eye level, feet flat with knees at about 90 degrees. A stack of books under a monitor has saved more necks than any ergonomic gadget.

Beige Faux Leather and Solid Wood Lounge Chair with Storage

$329

Brown Faux Leather and Solid Wood Lounge Chair with Storage

$329

Black Faux Leather and Solid Wood Lounge Chair with Storage

$329

Make it look like a room, not a workstation

A rug under the desk, one piece of art on the wall, a plant and a tray for cables. Four small additions and the corner stops shouting about work when you walk past it in the evening.

If the office shares a room, a rug is the single best tool for zoning it.

Keep one surface completely clear. A desk with no empty space is a desk you avoid.