July 17, 2008
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By:
Dannyoutlaw/
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- Articles
In my opinion, if you work from home, money spent on your home office is money well spent. Of course, there are something that are worth investing in more than others. For example, investing $500 in a good chair is well worth it. Investing a few grand on the Omptimus Keyboard because its “cool”, is not. Below is a list of 6 things you should invest in to make your home office more comfortable and more productive.
1. Buy an Expensive Chair
Spend at least $400 on a chair. Think about, if you sit in something for 40+ hours a week, don’t you want it to be comfortable? Next to your computer, your chair should be the most expensive thing in the office. An ergonomic chair will go a long way in making your life more comfortable and increasing work flow. There is nothing wrong with finding a chair online fore cheap, but don’t ever order a chair without sitting in it first. Go to your local office store and try out chairs there. Once you find one you like, look for it cheaper online.
Suggested Chairs
- Aeron Chair
- Contessa Task Chair
- Think Chair
- Cella Chair
- TR2 Chair
- .04 Chair
- Freedom Chair
- Eames Aluminum Group and Soft Pad Chairs
- Leap Chair
- Mirra Chair
2. Create a Cordless Desk
With more and more wireless devices coming on the market this is becoming easier than ever. But, there are still many wired devices that clutter our desk and work space. Maybe Im just anal or maybe its a zen thing, but I like not being able to see a spider web of wires every time I walk into my office. Life hacker has a cool article on how tackle that giant knot of wires under your desk. With just a few hours of work and a hand full of cash, you can have a tidier and cordless workspace.
3. Invest in a Second Monitor
If you have never worked with dual monitor setup, you don’t know what you are missing. Having two monitors makes your life so much easier you will wonder how you ever lived without it. The amount of time you will save daily by having a second monitor will pay for the second monitor in no time at all.
If you have some cash that is burning a hole in your pocket, you can check out these 30 inch monitors:
Alternatives to Apple Cinema Displays.
Suggested Monitors
- Samsung SyncMaster 245BW (Black) LCD Monitor
- Hewlett Packard w2207 Monitor
- ViewSonic VX2255 (Black) LCD Monitor
- Apple M9178LL/A (Silver) LCD Monitor
- Samsung SyncMaster 920NW (Black) LCD Monitor
4. Buy a Cheap Desk
Desks are crap and overpriced. There is no real reason to spend hundreds on dollars on a desk. Im not saying you should go buy a $40 dorm room style desk. Im just saying you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on a desk. A simple table will do just fine and probably give you more room than typical desk would. Many small business start ups use large steel kitchen tables as desk and only pay $100 – $150 for them. If you cant find a restaurant table, try some of the desktops at IKEA. Many of them are large and cost less than $160.
Suggested Desks
5. Splurge for Some Artwork
We as designers love to look for inspiration, but why limit to our desktop wallpaper or bookmarks? Save up a hundred bucks or so and go on a “inspirational shopping spree.” Visit you local print store, shop at some of the art websites, or just buy some posters. Anything you want to help decorate those empty walls of your office. If nothing else, get some of your favorite snap shots blown up to large prints and hang them on the wall.
My favorite place to get prints is from the artists at Deviant Art. They have a marketplace where artists can sell their work for as little or as much as they would like. You can find some super inspiring stuff there for next to nothing.
Our Favorite Artworks
- Redemption
- Impossible LOV3 ver.3
- Reach for the Stars
- …a dream on our way to death
- freddy – the climb
6. Buy a White Board
A white board is one of those inexpensive items that can make a world of difference. For less than $20 bucks you can pick one up at your local office supply store. They are great for meeting, brainstorming sessions, or just taking down quick notes. If you can, try to find one that is magnetic, that way it can double as a message board as well. Now you can take notes and keep your important receipts handy and within reach.