Perfect Office Setup
Tabita Knezevic
This could be a traditional office, a space designed for remote work, or a mix of both. Factors such as location, interior design, and perks all have a significant impact on the desirability of your company office. Follow these five steps when choosing the right office space for your business.
A commercial real estate company can help you find and secure a desirable office space efficiently and without hassle. Without a broker, companies may find it harder to be taken seriously and get their needs met in a timely fashion.
In January of 2005, I found myself on a veranda in Panama after the usual afternoon rain, dreaming of the upcoming year and reflecting on lessons learned since leaving the US. Maria Elena, the matriarch of the Panamanian family that had adopted me, sipped her iced tea and pointed at my bruised feet:
Four of the five are manufactured by Herman Miller (HM) and Humanscale (HS). Prices are from Amazon, as are the star reviews, but discounts of $200-400 can be negotiated with dealers. Both eBay and Craiglist offer similar discounts.
In my case, was it worth it at $450? Most definitely. Particularly looking at the value of time per hour and the lost income due to doctor visits, massage, etc., this is $450 I should have invested years ago.
The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than one billion downloads. It has been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it's been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.
Proper seated posture creates an even load and balance for the body, placing less strain on the muscles and joints. However, even when you practice correct posture, you should not sit for prolonged periods of time. Take regular breaks to walk, stretch and move your muscles.
I ditched the chair altogether, with a standup desk. I had one made for me by the good folks at While most people who have standup desks have back problems, I like the added space in my study and the additional energy I get from being on my feet.
The next step in my office evolution was the addition of a small treadmill underneath the standup desk. I chose a relatively inexpensive one from The treadmill desk idea originated with Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic.
I use something called the Aviator. I got the idea from a business magazine after reading the rave reviews from business travelers. (The device was made with them in mind, but I use it at my work desk at both of my work desks.)
The material selection for the chair is the only downside. If you are sitting on the chair long enough be sure to put an extra cloth on the seat to eliminate the friction between your pants and the chair.
I found out through experience that Aeron chairs Eat Pants for Breakfast. I sat in those chairs for 4 years and the pants in question were military dress uniform pants. Nearing the end of those 4 years, several pairs of my dress pants had worn through in the seat, rendering them Unwearable. Replacement was Not Cheap.
I would love to know about your experiences with foam layered mattresses. Plus since you written about ergonomic chairs, could you also write about ergonomic tables (or table heights) to go with your shiny new chair? Thanks
As a person that works on my computer all day sitting on a hard wood chair at the kitchen table, I can appreciate the need for something a bit better. When I first started doing this I had a noticeable tightness in in my neck and shoulders from hunching over the laptop all day. I have focused on improving my posture, which has helped. But, I can certainly see where a good quality chair can offer much more support and posture help.
Thanks Tim, for being OCD and researching all viable options. It really does save me lots of time as I also develop OCD as well when it comes to making a sizeable purchase. I think the research is the thrill of the hunt, prior to the kill, aka purchase.
Especially for me after being a blue collar (mentallity) truck driver for 18 years. Not blowing smoke at you; your info put me over the edge. I was close to falling back to the old mindest; and your info saved my business, and my career.
Long-term, get your workstation set up properly. A laptop on top of a table is awful, both for the eyes, wrists, shoulders and upperback. keyboard tray with a keyboard, monitor with a monitor arm, a footrest does wonders for the lower back, etc etc.
Fancy cushioning makes for great marketing, but is often the cause of injuries rather than the solution to them. Cushioning masks the pain of poor habits such as heel striking that damage your joints over time. Once again.. unfortunately very few manufacturers actually build their shoes around this concept. Fancy cushioning sells better and for higher prices. Puma makes a few pretty good shoes though. For purists who want as close to the all natural experience as possible, there is always the Vibram Five Fingers.
I like the idea of ditching the chair all together and found some interesting information concerning the harm we inflict upon ourselves by sitting too much at They make a work station that attaches to existing treadmills and encourage constant movement throughout the day. Just my two cents but I like that idea more than balancing on a ball, turns out they offer that too!
Did you consult a physiotherapist? Working as a computer programmer, I had chronical lower back pain about 15 years ago. I consulted a physiotherapist, and she showed me abdominal and lower back exercises and proper form for them that I do nearly every morning (crunch, reverse crunch, bicycle crunch, sitting on the floor legs extended and touching toes to stretch the lower back, plus some other streches). 1 Set of 30 reps for each exercise and 30 seconds for each stretches, takes me 5 minutes in the morning.
I highly recommend using an external monitor with a keyboard and mouse for your laptop at your main office, but if not a sloped stand will help a lot, and keep you from slumping your shoulders, or feeling uncomfortable sitting straight but looking down at your monitor. Viewing at eye level is key for comfortable computing!
Over the past year, we've been trying to fit in a little desk somewhere for me. Not only am I the CFO of our family (bills, bills, billz), my workload for the blog and other projects I've taken on has expanded and I really needed a place that wasn't the dining room table for my laptop and wasn't the top of the microwave for paperwork. We initially thought we'd work a little counter desk in with the kitchen remodel, but once we drew up the plans there was no room really. Plan B was to fit a desk in the master bedroom, but the more I thought about it, a desk in the bedroom didn't sound all that romantic. And honestly, it would probably collect more clothes than I'd like to admit. And then it dawned on me, could we fit a slim desk on the empty wall in the study?
Aaannnnddddd, I just searched for 20 minutes for a "before" photo of this wall opposite the wall to wall shelves with no luck. I did find a semi-before photo (before we painted the room super dark green) from a shoot I did for Cleansing Cry. This corner usually had a chair stuffed in it, but that's really it.
The wall measures in at less than 40 inches from corner to doorway trim and once I started looking for space saving options, I came across this leaning wall desk from Crate & Barrel that was just under 28" wide. I loved the extra shelf storage above, the fact that it had a drawer, and it was under $200. I slept on it and ordered it first thing the next day.
We put it together and attached it to the wall a few weeks ago, and it has been perfect! I love this desk! I love the height it adds to the wall! I love that there is storage space, but not too much other space that it can get cluttered--you know! I love being right next to all the windows in the study. I love being near the front door so I can open it before the fedex guy knocks and Charly barks and the whole house wakes up. I love working late at night at my desk while Chris reads cookbooks on the adjacent couch. How did I not think to put a desk here before?
The desktop easily fits my laptop and a little linen lamp I also ordered from C&B on clearance. Since the room has no overhead light, that lamp is as functional as it is cute once the sun goes down. I am currently using one of our spare dining chairs as my desk chair, but I ordered a modern black windsor one that will eventually go here. The ironic thing is now I've grown to love the way the shell chair looks here and I already know it's comfortable. Maybe I should have just gotten another one? Ha! We'll see how that all plays out in the coming weeks.
The shelving holds: My camera + lenses (I used my sister's super nice camera for these shots and what-a-difference-I-need-one-now!), a white file box for paperwork to be filed, a big brass M (a steal!!), a sweet grapefruit candle you don't even have to light to smell (in a good way), a framed photo of Charly sleeping (it is a constant reminder to me that I want our house to feel comfortable), a change dish, a rhino letter sorter for incoming mail that needs attention, a swanky gold stapler and an absolutely fake, but good-looking, plant in a cement planter. (note: links to all the sources at the bottom of the post.)
So this is where it all happens now. It's made my work so much more enjoyable--even bill paying? Even bill paying! Not to mention, the project itself has been so rewarding. Quick! Functional! Beautiful. --I'm definitely looking around for more of those around here. Sources below!
And thanks as ever for listing all your sources. Loved those brass letters sooooo much that I just scored what I think is the last "K" on the East Coast (for me) and "L" (for my husband). Now considering the lamp....
Love the new desk area. And I'm with you on the chair. Even though I haven't seen the other one you ordered, the current one seems pretty perfect. I hope to fit a small desk area into our home on a small wall of our living room after our little bundle of joy arrives. Gave me some great inspiration!!
c80f0f1006