Workspaces/Desks – What’s your workspace setup and why?
Three professional organizers share their actual work from home desk setups.
Welcome to part two of our three-part series on working from home, a collaborative effort from three professional organizers and KonMari Consultants. Sandy Park, of Tidy with SPARK in Orange County, California is a mother of two kids and part-time CPA who fights the good fight against perfectionism and debt. Devin VonderHaar, aka The Modern Minimalist, lives in Portland, Oregon where she champions minimalism, sustainability, and the rebirth of the modern matriarch. Kelley Jonkoff of Organize with Kelley lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she advocates addressing the clutter in your heart and in your home.
We are friends and colleagues who are leaning on each other more than ever in these socially-distanced times. The second stay-at-home orders hit, we upped our regular Zoom calls together from twice a month to once or twice a week. Having a regular check-in has been so helpful for keeping our spirits up about life and our businesses while we all figure out how to navigate our present and prepare for the future.
This week, we’re sharing our individual desks with you and sharing why they work for us.
Sandy Park, Tidy with SPARK
Day to day I wear many hats while engaging in two very different types of work. To get into the right headspace for the type of work I’m tackling, I created two separate workstations in my home. While two desk spaces might seem excessive for some, this is the solution that best suits my needs.
The idea to create two different stations was born out of the vastly different work that I perform. As an Organizing Professional, one desk space houses a lightweight laptop with enough space to hold a notebook and few supplies like a pen and post it notes. My desk and laptop are light and transportable and match the light and airy feel of my work tasks.
My second workstation houses two large monitors, a laptop docking station and space for a wireless full-sized keyboard and mouse. Keeping multiple monitors is essential in the database work that I perform because I access multiple files with large datasets. A significantly more substantial desk is used in this workstation which acts as a solid anchor.
To further keep these spaces separate I even use two different chairs instead of using one chair that I move back and forth. Other than an efficiency standpoint, the two chairs have a different look and feel that matches the work that I perform.
The physical separation of the workstations defines and contains the work giving me the division in my day to promote efficiency and productivity across the many tasks I tackle.
Working from home often blurs the lines between personal and work tasks, but having these separate desk spaces ensures that there is no crossover in my work product.
Kelley Jonkoff, Organize with Kelley
Space
My home office doubles as our guest room. There’s just enough space for a queen-size bed, a night stand, a small bookshelf in the corner, and my big table-style desk. My sister gave me this IKEA desk when she upgraded her home office. It’s not what I would have picked out for myself, but it is exactly what I need!
I am what you might call a spreader-outer…that is, I take over a surface area while I’m working. As such, I’ve always found myself gravitating to wide open tables to do my work instead of small desks. The wide and deep top of this desk lets me have all the things I need open and available. When it’s time for some deep work or creative thinking, I clear off my desk for a sense of expansiveness that helps to open my mind; space in my environment lends space for my creativity!
Lighting
I have a touch of what I call “cubicle PTSD”. Many people can work in a cubicle just fine, but I’m not one of those people. Back in my project management days, working in a greige box far away from any natural light sources didn’t exactly inspire me. It’s taken me many years to accept the fact that I have sensitivities to things, and more importantly, that I’m allowed to try and create conditions that help me thrive instead of enduring environments that don’t work for me.
The most impactful change I made to my former cube was asking building maintenance to remove the fluorescent light bulbs from the ceiling fixture over my desk. Fluorescent lights function by flickering so rapidly that we often don’t notice it, but wow, I noticed!! Now that I work for myself at home, I can enjoy all the natural light my heart desires. I set my desk up against the window, partially because it fits best there, but mostly because I love the light.
The Setup
The Setup I’ve been noticing some extra neck and back pain lately, so I finally accepted that I needed a more ergonomic setup for my home office. I’m still on the hunt for the right chair (there are WAY too many options out there), but in the meantime, picking up a bluetooth keyboard and mouse have made a huge difference in how I feel. Now I place my lap desk on top of my desk and my laptop on top of the lap desk, allowing me to look out as I type and click away instead of down. My neck is so very thankful for these small changes!
Another thing I learned in cubicle life is the importance of switching up my position throughout the day. One of the features of my desk is that it can be manually raised into a standing desk. Switching between standing and sitting during the day is one small way to keep my body from getting too stiff. When I’m standing, I can also have a mini-dance party to get my blood moving! Some days my mind wants to work, but my body wants to chill, so I take it to the guest bed. I prop myself up with some pillows until I’m comfortable and then get my lap desk out. Being able to switch between sitting, standing, having my feet up, and sitting cross-legged on the bed really keeps me going. My body and physical health are so worth the investment, plus, I bring better energy to my work when I’m not squirming from body aches.
Joyful Supplies
My first desk job out of college was on a government contract. All of the supplies we used were standard issue, basic black/gray/beige, functional items. They got the job done and I was grateful for them, but my black wire mesh pen holder looked pretty dismal, especially compared with the beautiful hand-thrown white and green pottery pen holder I use now. I don’t keep much on my desk, but what I do have are items that bring me joy. Right down to the highlighters I use (pastel Stabilo’s!!), every item present on my desk has been chosen with care.
There is a subtle benefit to using items you enjoy vs. items that annoy; nothing fragments our focus like feeling annoyed. I wish I had done more to fill my little cube with joyful items back in my 9-5 days.
Decor
While I did decorate my cube back in the day, I have much freer reign now that my desk lives in my home instead of a downtown open-office or on a client site. I currently decorate with plants, a Himalayan pink salt lamp, artwork I picked up on my honeymoon in Asheville, NC, and my vision boards. Surrounding myself with items that delight me and reflect my tastes keeps me centered in my sense of self and joy while I work. Decorating makes the space mine, letting me fully inhabit myself, my intentions, my voice, and my creativity, to bring my best to all that I do.
My Vision for Work
A little more about those vision boards…. If you’re not familiar with them, vision boards are essentially collages of magazine pictures and words that speak to what you’d like to achieve/manifest/create in your future. They can be thought of as a visual representation of your goals or intentions. Some people intentionally look at their vision boards every day to keep their eyes on the prize, but vision boards can also be left to hum in the background, subconsciously keeping you going as you catch a glimpse of them.
Every year in January, I make a new vision board for the year. They help me check in with myself to reflect on what I’ve come through and where I’m heading. I also make a new vision board as needed to focus a particular area of my life. So, I have my yearly vision board up in my closet where I can look at it every morning when I get ready for the day.
I also have two boards related to my business up in my office: one was created when I first decided to start my work as a professional organizer and KonMari consultant; the second I did earlier this year on a retreat with my co-authors and a few other organization colleagues. The first board is still relevant for me, as it speaks to my mission for this work. The second is more near-term, capturing the essence of what I’m trying to accomplish for a specific project. Having these up in my office where I can see them throughout the day keeps me motivated, energized, and focused.
Devin VonderHaar, The Modern Minimalist
As a self proclaimed minimalist, my desk is well, minimal.
I purchased this very basic white ikea desk secondhand on facebook marketplace three years ago. It’s a combo of the alex drawer on the left with a flat white table top and two legs on the right side. Simple + effective. My chair is also white, a midcentury inspired piece. It’s not my spark joy chair quite yet, so I’m keeping my eyes open for something vintage. Once I find it I’ll know it.
The only items that stay on the surface of my desk permanently are my laptop, phone, apple watch, a small light + an upright folder to keep important papers. This makes it super easy for me to see everything I have at a glance, and keep paper to a minimum.
In terms of electronics on the desk, I keep all cords to a minimum by keeping a power cord beneath my desk, with cords for my apple watch, phone + laptop kept in the left corner. Everything else has a home in the electronics drawer, subdivided by category.
In my drawers I keep my planner, journal and one pen in the top drawer. I have chosen a swiss pen that I love the look of, and that performs better than any other pen I’ve tried. And yes, its also white.
I keep all paper, post-its divided by size, envelopes, a few sharpies + business cards in the second drawer. All electronics, including memory cards, flash drives, USB-C cords, phone chargers, and power adapters in the third drawer. Larger notebooks, magazines + reference materials are kept in the bottom drawer. Everything is kept in small compartments by size to keep it organized.
On the walls I like to keep it clutter free. I find that primarily white surroundings help my creativity flow, and allow me to focus on the task at hand. I have a mini vision board directly over my desk, with a few photos of my family + my pup piglet that spark joy, a few quotes that inspire me daily + energize me. I keep a few crystals on the window sill above my desk as well as a himalayan salt lamp in the corner, again to increase the calm energy I love to maintain in this space.
I have all my books kept on a bookshelf to the left of my desk. I have a very small collection, and rent most of the books I read from the library, or listen to audiobooks. I have a dry erase board on the right wall for brainstorming blog posts, upcoming collaborations, and content ideas. On the wall to the left of my desk I have a large vision board that I create in January each year. I also have a large framed quote, and a world map poster. I consider this to be my vision wall, as travel is an important part of my life, and takes up a large portion of my vision board each year.
I definitely do not have a green thumb, but I love incorporating a bit of texture + color with the pampas grass in the corner. I advocate for some plant life, especially if you have good lighting in your office area.
My office is a multipurpose space. I used to have a beauty blog, and would do tutorials often, so having a dedicated beauty area was important to me. Although I no longer have the blog, having this space still brings me joy. My vanity for makeup storage + getting ready is to the right of my desk. To keep with the minimal aesthetic, the same chair is shared for the vanity space and the desk space. A simple ikea alex two drawer wall attachment serves as my makeup storage area, a large round mirror, a small simplehuman mirror for detail work + a mason jar for my brushes.
Where to find us:
Devin VonderHaar, The Modern Minimalist: @themodernminimalist
Sandy Park, Tidy with SPARK: @tidywithspark
Kelley Jonkoff, Organize with Kelley: @organizewithkelley