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What Furniture Do I Need to Work From Home?

Desk with analog camera behind laptop

Due to social distancing, millions of Americans are now required to work from home. If you're a seasoned remote worker, you've doubtless already got your work space all figured out. But what if you're one of those people who never thought they would work from home? What if you don't even own a desk? If you’re new to working from home, read on for tips and tricks to make your home feel more like a work space.

Tips for Setting Up the Perfect Home Office

  • Declutter your space—its going to be easier to set up your office initially if you get rid of some of the extra stuff taking up your physical space and depleting your focus by crowding your mental headspace.
  • If you’re not in the market for buying a new desk chair, at the very least fashion yourself a chair that you can tolerate sitting on for eight hours a day by buying a foam seat pad or memory foam cushion.
  • Setting up your workspace near a window can help increase productivity, boost mood, and allow the opportunity for little peeks outside. Oh yeah! That’s what the outside world looks like!
  • Add some joy to your work from home space. Family photos, plants, or your kid’s drawings are all surefire ways to make your space more cheery. If scents foster happy emotions for you, you can set up a scented candle or oil diffuser in your work room.
  • Adding another monitor—even if it means using your TV—does wonders for your productivity. It really underscores that you are at work and in the productivity zone, not just tinkering on your laptop while sitting on the sofa. With modern tech options that let you mirror your screen from your devices to your TV (Google Chromecast or Apple Airplay AppleTV are two easy ways to do it), you don’t even need to worry about HDMI cables.
  • An important tip for everyone but especially for small spaces—declutter your desk at every opportunity. Nothing robs you of your focus like having to reach around empty cereal bowls, mugs, and stacks of office supplies.
  • Have a dedicated workstation! Read on for tips on buying a new desk, or setting up your very own diy desk space.

Tips for Buying a New Desk

Man Standing at Desk

We now have a wealth of research to prove that sitting all day is bad for your health. That’s why standing desks and adjustable height desks that go from sitting to standing are so popular now. It's important to change positions regularly, even with a standing desk, so sit/stand adjustable desks are a great choice.

Shop Adjustable Height Desks

However, if you find you’re more productive when seated or a standing desk isn’t an option, consider a seated desk. A lot of standing desks don’t offer a lot in the way of storage, so a traditional seated desk with storage pedestals or a hutch might be a better option for you.

Shop Desks with Storage

Office with Ivory Furniture

What's the Right Size Desk for Me?

Sitting Figure
Standing Figure

Sitting

Standing

  • Your eyes should fall about 2 inches from the top of the monitor to prevent neck pain.
  • The height of your desk should allow your hands to sit flat on the keyboard.
  • Your elbows should bend at a 90 degree angle and rest close to the body.
  • To find your ideal desk height, take your height in inches and divide it by 2.5. So if you are 5'9'', the ideal desk height is 27.5 inches.
  • When you're standing, you should be able to type with your elbows at your sides, and your forearms slightly angled down towards the floor.
  • Your monitor should be eye level.
  • Elbows should be close to the body and the keyboard should be around hip level so the hands are at the height of the elbows, or slightly lower. That means that the tabletop should be roughly at or slightly below elbow height.

Discover the Right Desk For You

Ladder Desk
Ladder Desk - collection
Price $259.00
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskKanwyn collection
Price $1,289.00
Writing Desk
Writing DeskBrookview collection
Price $839.00
48" Home Office Desk
48" Home Office DeskLazabon collection
Price $149.00
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskBayflynn collection
Price $119.00
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskStarmore collection
Price $699.00
Lift Top Desk
Lift Top DeskRealyn collection
Price $629.00
Home Office Small Desk
Home Office Small DeskCamiburg collection
Price $239.00
Writing Desk
Writing DeskMagnolia Manor collection
Price $829.00
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskBeckincreek collection
Price $479.00
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskRowanbeck collection
Price $649.00
Home Office Small Desk
Home Office Small DeskOthello collection
Price $269.00
60" Home Office Desk
60" Home Office DeskLyncott collection
Price $529.00
Office Desk
Office DeskBaldridge collection
Price $399.00
Vanity Desk
Vanity DeskMagnolia Manor collection
Price $909.00
Home Office Large Leg Desk
Home Office Large Leg DeskCarynhurst collection
Adjustable Height Desk
Adjustable Height DeskZendex collection
Price $689.00
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskStrumford collection
Price $159.00
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskOnita collection
Price $239.00
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskStrumford collection
Price $159.00
Desk
DeskRealyn collection
Price $549.00
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskBattelle collection
Price $219.00
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskDeznee collection
Price $279.00
2-Piece Home Office Desk and Shelf Set
2-Piece Home Office Desk and Shelf SetSoho collection
Price $259.00
Desk
DeskJaspeni collection
Price $119.00
Desk
DeskFreedan collection
Price $319.00
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskDorrinson collection
Corner Desk
Corner DeskGrannen collection
Price $199.00
36" Home Office Lift-Top Desk
36" Home Office Lift-Top DeskYarlow collection
Price $199.00
67" Home Office Desk
67" Home Office DeskAustanny collection
Price $799.00
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskBayflynn collection
Price $189.00
Desk
DeskJaspeni collection
Price $119.00
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskStrumford collection
Price $129.00
Writing Desk
Writing DeskSamson collection
Price $559.00
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskLynxtyn collection
Price $329.00
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskDeznee collection
Price $149.00
Adjustable Height Home Office Desk
Adjustable Height Home Office DeskLynxtyn collection
Price $279.00
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskStrumford collection
Price $139.00
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskDorrinson collection
Price $129.00
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskKorestone collection
Price $899.00
36" Home Office Desk
36" Home Office DeskGerdanet collection
Price $199.00
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskShawburn collection
Price $219.00
68" Home Office Desk
68" Home Office DeskRoanhowe collection
Price $949.00
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskKanwyn collection
Price $479.00
63" Home Office Desk
63" Home Office DeskJanismore collection
Price $379.00
Desk
Desk - collection
Price $539.00
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskCamiburg collection
Price $269.00
48" Home Office Desk
48" Home Office DeskWaylowe collection
Price $179.00
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskLynxtyn collection

For more advice on buying office furniture check out our Office Chair Buying Guide


Not in the market for a desk? No problem!
Transform your existing furniture into a desk or DIY one

Anything can become a desk if you're creative enough. Here's some ideas for an instant work surface:

Floating desk with computer on top