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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

Writing Desk
Writing DeskModern Farmhouse collection
$1,485.00
72'' Chicago Counter Table
Library Desk
Library DeskCatalina collection
$276.00
Writing Desk
Writing DeskTelluride collection
$2,307.00
60" Writing Desk
60" Writing DeskAmericana Modern collection
$323.00
Executive Desk
Executive DeskSutter collection
$3,627.00
Pedestal Desk
Pedestal DeskShoreham collection
$779.00
Desk
DeskLinville Falls collection
$3,027.00
Junior Executive Desk
Junior Executive DeskCorsica collection
$3,627.00
Laptop/Tablet Desk
Laptop/Tablet DeskBonanza collection
$1,200.00
Table Desk
Table DeskIntrigue collection
$692.00
Acrylic Desk
Acrylic DeskA La Carte collection
$713.00
Workstation
WorkstationSausalito collection
$2,173.00
Dbl. Pedestal Executive Desk
Dbl. Pedestal Executive DeskHuntington collection
$1,019.00
Junior Executive Desk
Junior Executive DeskBurnham collection
$3,627.00
Desk
Desk
$2,310.00
2-Drawer Writing Desk
2-Drawer Writing DeskWork From Home collection
$2,365.00
Writing Desk
Writing DeskWashington Heights collection
$540.00
Writing Desk
Writing DeskMaisie collection
$902.00
Writing Desk
Writing DeskGavin collection
$894.00
Writing Desk
Writing DeskBristowe collection
$2,472.00
Desk
DeskLinville Falls collection
$2,268.00
Writing Desk
Writing Desk
$2,475.00
Executive Desk
Executive DeskLa Grange collection
$5,607.00
Writing Desk
Writing DeskMelange collection
$1,977.00
Fraser Island Desk
Fraser Island DeskIsland Estate collection
$3,949.00
Writing Desk 54in
Writing Desk 54in5198 collection
$1,977.00
Poets Crossing Writing Desk
Poets Crossing Writing DeskRoyal Kahala collection
$2,799.00
Executive Desk
Executive DeskCastella collection
$6,597.00
Short Modern Wooden Writing Desk
Short Modern Wooden Writing DeskCurata collection
$2,802.00
96" Desk
96" DeskLinville Falls collection
$3,948.00
Writing Desk
Writing DeskHuntington collection
$540.00
Desk in Beach White
Desk in Beach WhiteHome Accents collection
$320.00
96" Desk
96" DeskLinville Falls collection
$2,925.00
Leg Desk
Leg DeskHome Office collection
$987.00
Single Pedestal Desk
Single Pedestal DeskPerspectives collection
$1,280.00
Desk
DeskLinville Falls collection
$2,829.00
Writing Desk
Writing DeskTempe - Grey Stone collection
$191.00
Writing Desk
Writing DeskChapman collection
$3,132.00
Writing Desk with Storage
Writing Desk with StorageDeer Valley collection
$4,798.00
Rustic Glam Leg Desk
Rustic Glam Leg DeskRustic Glam collection
$1,647.00
Writing Desk
Writing DeskCorsica collection
$1,812.00
Desk
DeskPacific Heights collection
$2,173.00
Table Desk
Table DeskMesa collection
$310.00
Desk
DeskLinville Falls collection
$2,532.00
Serendipity Desk
Serendipity DeskHome Accents collection
$525.00
Executive Desk
Executive DeskMaren collection
$2,466.00
Desk with Chair
Desk with ChairRemi collection
$648.00

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