Are you looking to build, or upgrade your desk setup?
Let's face it, we have stayed at home over the past year or so, longer than we have in our entire lives.
So it's important to have a battlestation setup where you can still do productive work, or escape reality and game do some hardcore gaming.
Your desk setup should be designed and built to make it easy and comfortable to sit at for a long time without distractions.
With so many different options out and items, you need to purchase, it can be difficult to find the perfect setup that suits your needs.
I’ve built many desk setups over the years and I can tell you that there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
It all depends on what your needs are, whether it be productivity or gaming. But before we get into that, let me ask you this...
What do you need from your desk?
Is it just a place to put your computer so you can work more efficiently?
Or do you need something with room for some serious PC gaming action?
Maybe both?!
Whether you are looking to build a gaming room setup, a productive home-office setup, or a hybrid of the two, read on!
You might find out that my advice will help make your life easier in ways that only someone who has spent years building desks could understand.
We'll cover everything from ergonomics to desk size to decluttering your desk, and more!
So enough talk, let's get started!
Building your desk set up next to a window allows for more natural light to come in which is beneficial to your health and productivity.
A study which was completed in 2014 by researchers from Northwestern Medicine and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign suggests that...
Workers who had more light exposure through windows at the office slept better and longer at night.
So it's only natural to build your desk set up next to a window for that natural light illumination.
It's also good ergonomic-wise to take your eyes away from your computer screen every 20 minutes or so to avoid eye strain.
If you don't have natural lighting in your place, then consider getting artificial lighting like a clampable desk lamp, a ring light, or Philips hue lights.
Having adequate lighting for your setup is important to prevent long-term damage to your eyes as a result of eye strain.
Getting a desk where you can adjust the height can make a huge difference in your health and posture.
Let's face it, we spend an ungodly amount of hours sitting at your computer, and if you don't maintain good posture, you can end up with pains or even injuries in the long run.
Getting an adjustable desk can solve this issue.
Perfect workplace ergonomics dictate that your arms should be bent at a 90° angle and that the top of your monitor should be directly in line with your eyes.
That means no slouching or hunching over and instead keeping a straight spine in a neutral, comfortable position for when you sit down at your desk for long hours.
Additionally, an adjustable desk allows you to raise it to the point where you are standing. This is great as it can give you a much-needed break from sitting for too long.
Standing at your desk allows you to significantly reduce back pain, neck pain and can even alleviate headaches, overall prevent any long-term injuries.
Which brings me to my next point...
Having proper ergonomics no matter where you are is essential for staying healthy and prevent injuries in the long term.
The simplest way to check your desk setup ergonomics is through this video by the Wall Street Journal:
In order to achieve this, it's important to choose the right table height (that's where adjustable tables come in) and a comfortable, ergonomic chair.
You can check out the post we did on reviewing the best chairs to sit on for long periods of hours here.
Additionally, the top of your monitor should be in line with your eyes, so getting the right monitor is also important.
And if you can't adjust your monitor to the right height, buying a monitor mount will solve that issue. Here is a post we did on the best dual monitor stands and mounts
Some desk setups look sleek and minimal, but they can often feel like they're missing something which completes the look.
Usually, that 'something' is some sort of natural element.
So adding something natural like some aesthetically looking plants can give your desk setup some life and energy.
Here is an example of that:
It does not matter how good your desk setup looks if you can't even use it because of all the cables.
For this reason, cable management is an important part of creating a great desk setup.
Surely there are some ways to hide those pesky wires that we will cover in future posts, but for now, just make sure they're out of sight and away from people's feet.
You can keep them off the ground by installing a cable management tray to keep all of your cords and surge protectors elevated, and out of sight.
You can also grab some cable clips and feed your wires through the bottom of your desk and out of sight.
There are many different ways to do it, and you don't have to spend a ton of money to do cable management.
Get creative and rid yourself of those pesky cables so your desk setup looks clean.
"A cluttered space = a cluttered mind"
Although true (to a certain extent), having unnecessary clutter on your desk is both annoying and can disrupt your workflow.
It might take a little time to get your desk set up in order, but when you do it should be clutter-free and organized.
The best way to do this is to have organizers and drawers to put away all of your stationery items, important files, and any accessories in a safe, organized place.
It's important to keep what you use daily on your desk. Everything else should be hidden and out of sight.
Finally, you should maintain your desk so that it is clean all the time.
There is a productivity principle known as a 'reset'.
What you do is at the end of the day, before you head to bed, you reset your setup or 'workspace' and get it ready for the next day.
You 'reset' your desk to the way it was in the morning.
This means putting away documents, cleaning up your notes, and placing everything back to its original positions.
And you do this every single night.
That way your desk never gets cluttered with unnecessary junk, and you always feel at peace when you are seated at your desk the following day.
Additionally, you should also keep your peripherals and your desk clean.
A great way to do this is to grab a PC Air Blower to blow away all the dirt in those hard-to-reach places.
Or you can regularly vacuum or wipe down your equipment every week, that works too.
Below are some examples of desk setups built with specific themes, or for specific purposes...
Check out more minimalist desk setup inspiration here.
We wrote a whole other guide on some great accessories you can add to your desk setup, especially if you're a gamer, feel free to check it out!
But to not leave you hanging, here are some recommended desk setup accessories that you can grab to help you build a proper desk setup.
To build a desk setup, you need the essentials, which are:
Additionally, you can also grab:
There are many inexpensive options to start off within each category, so you don't have to spend an arm and a leg to start picking up these items.
Check out our recommended desk accessories above.
The way I would recommend building your setup is to buy what you can with your given budget, and upgrade over time.
The best times to upgrade are during big sales, whether it's the Christmas sales, Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, or random flash sales.
The best place to set up your desk is next to a window so you can have some natural light coming in while you work.
If you don't have the luxury of setting up your desk next to a window or don't have much natural light in your place...
Just find a convenient spot that won't take up a lot of space.
Get creative and efficient with your spacing. For example - getting an L-shaped desk to put into the corner of your room.
If you want a minimalist desk, similar to the one shown here then all you have to do is make sure you keep it super simple.
That means get rid of any unnecessary peripherals and accessories and keep your desk clean with only the necessities.
Minimalist desk setups have a ton of space, are clean, and only have what's needed on the desk.
If you need some inspiration, check out our list of the 15 minimalist gaming room setups and get your creative juices flowing by checking out other people's setups.
To be more productive means to be able to focus and get into 'deep work' for longer periods of time.
So the best way to make your desk more productive is to minimize the distractions on your desk.
That is usually in the form of getting rid of clutter and having more of a 'minimal' type of desk setup.
Additionally, it's important to be efficient.
Depending on your work, you may need to access certain documents or write on a whiteboard or notebook.
Have these accessories readily available at your desk so if you gain some fresh ideas, you can jot them down easily.
There are a ton of things to learn on how to become more productive...
And so I would recommend checking out Thomas Frank on YouTube to gain good insight on productivity.
Here's one of his videos on how to set up your workspace from home:
By now you should have a good idea of how you can build your ultimate desk setup...
Whether you're a minimalist, a stay-at-home worker, a gamer, or anywhere in between, you can build a setup that suits your needs.
What's important is that you feel comfortable sitting for long periods of time, that your setup is efficient, and that you enjoy the aesthetics of it all.
Your desk is a place of solace for many people, a place to escape reality for a moment and immerse yourself into another story through games...
Or to build something incredible through your work.
If this post helped you build your desk setup in any way, comment down below with a picture of your setup so we can share it on our social media!
Happy building!