Comments on: Open Thread: Making the Home Office Homier

By: Workspace observation

Workspace observation — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 09:48:50 +0000

[...] Web Worker Daily post reminded of an observation that I made about my workspace. There is one thing that shows if I [...]

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 14:49:13 +0000

Inspiration is very important element of my home office (located in the guest bedroom). It comes in many forms that have already been touched upon by other readers such as music, a great view, and working without shoes. I also use inspirational quotes. My wife and I have been taping fortune cookie “inspirations” to our multi-function copier for a long time now. But my favorite is actually a little plaque that simply states: when nothing is certain, everything is possible.

By: Judi Sohn

Judi Sohn — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:09:45 +0000

@Pedro, me too! I often joke that shoes constrict my brain. I am far more productive without them.

By: Bob Iliff

Bob Iliff — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:04:23 +0000

I listen to Pandora.com on my 1957 Telefunken Princess (stereo console) fed from my personal PC thru an FM transmitter. The dogs are in stereo also. I need a plant.

By: Pedro Villalobos

Pedro Villalobos — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:23:35 +0000

I really enjoy having a nice sound system. But whath really brings me on is to work without shoes. For some reason, i just hate them!

By: Darren Meyer

Darren Meyer — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 14:41:23 +0000

Oh! The comforts of working from home. I’m actually a dual-site worker, working from a cube some of the time, and from home the rest. My home office has the following advantages:

ߧ Club chair. Sometimes it’s nice to just sit and think in comfort.

ߧ Game systems. During all-nighters, it gives me something therapeutic to do while I wait for compiles, or when I need to get “unstuck”.

ߧ Mini-fridge. Stocked with ready-to-hand caffeine, juice, and beer (for celebrating!).

ߧ Three-monitor display. So much more productive than the dual-head setup in my cube: documentation on the left, code in the center, output/debugging on the right.

ߧ Music system. My whole music library available and handy, nice set of speakers, nice set of headphones (for when my partner is home).

ߧ Proper lighting. I have a lamp behind my displays, which the cube-nazis won’t let me do, but which I find vastly easier on my eyes. I also have a full-spectrum (Ott-light) task lamp, which makes me feel better on gloomy days, and gives me excellent contrast on paper media.

ߧ Cat. There’s absolutely nothing like coding while a malevolent ball of fur purrs on your lap.

ߧ Easy access to the outdoors. In good weather, I can take the notebook onto the deck and enjoy working in the shade of an 80-year-old ash. The cube farm will never top that.

By: Jon Peltier

Jon Peltier — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:47:18 +0000

My home office has these improvements over the cubical at my last “real job”:

a DOOR
a radio
a television so if I’m working late I can still root for the home team (go Red Sox!)
southern-facing windows
a couch
a kitchen one floor down
no boss

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 02:05:02 +0000

I just moved into a new apartment. I am about to set up one room as an office, and get to start with a blank slate. So far I just have a desk, a chair, some speakers, and some plants planned. I am sure it will get more complicated…

By: Amanda

Amanda — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 00:48:31 +0000

I love our little fridge. It is within arms reach when ever I want a yogurt, pudding cup, Diet Hansen’s soda.

My husband and I got two bright red visitor chairs from Ikea. We always end up in the office when our friends come over. It’s nice having chairs for them.

By: Rob

Rob — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 23:37:17 +0000

Speakers is a must – I have some older ones that sound pretty good.

Also have a couple pictures on my walls and my cockatiel (bird) that I brought into my office in his cage. I also have a dog bed for when one of my dogs comes to visit me.