Desks and home office stuff

[Celery Man 20535]

Just went under contract on a new house, where one of the rooms will be a home office. Praise be to sweet baby Jesus. Serious strategic error in the last one to cede the office to my wife's treadmill. At any rate, I feel like I've also officially slid out of the... mish mash of furniture stage of adult life and should set this up well. I'm feeling the cheapskate pangs when I start looking at desks and stuff, but I'm trying to get myself in a reasonable mood to drop a modest to medium amount of money on office furniture. Also trying to ascertain the middle ground between expensive ass furniture and cheap shit. Looking for suggestions on desks and chairs and other various office pieces, and criticisms of shit you bought that sucked.

[baboso 6030]

Stay away from the pressed wood stuff at Office Depot.  Buy real wood furniture.  Check out Macy's, they have decent wood office sets.  Highly recommend finding a used Herman Miller Aeron chair on Craigslist.  Bought one early in the pandemic when we went to work from home and it has been a lifesaver for my back.

[LABEVO 928]

We didn't but I regret not but craigslist has an abundance of furniture specifically tables and desk. If you aren't in a rush, I would watch that for a while. With that said, I would buy a great chair online.  

[Bevo&Pevo 4880]

Maybe you could get some used items from Tom Herman's office?  I'll keep my fingers crossed for ya.

[Enchubben 5492]

I'm in this boat as well. I have a nice set of all wood office furniture that is super functional, but the look does not match my new office or the home in general.

Wife wants me to go very sleek with a new desk that's a little more modern looking, but that's not not gonna give the desired look or be usable for me with all the wires and items I actually use on an every day basis.   I'm considering going the built in desk and bookshelf route. 

Edited November 9, 2020 by Enchubben

[DCA_HORN 725]

You're obviously a celery man, but are you an oak man?

[Handcruser 2799]

I use something like this:



I dislike regular office furniture.


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[Deej 76081]

Just make sure it goes with the treadmill. 

[Irish Wrist Watch 1335]

Consider going second hand. Estate sale. Heavy duty drawers that will take weight, built in pendaflex bars. Depending on how you arrange it, a place to hide  desktop computer/wiring. Scratch/spill resistant. If you'll be in it a lot, you'll need a chair with rollers. Adequate space for Halo trophies. Matching liquor cabinet.

[Horn of Gabriel 1570]

I have a sit-to-stand desk from Uplift Desk and it is awesome.  Never realized how shitty it is sitting so much until you can work standing for part of the day, you just feel better.  Takes a while to get used to but worth it and healthier.

[Chewbacca 7612]

7 hours ago, baboso said:

Stay away from the pressed wood stuff at Office Depot.  Buy real wood furniture.  Check out Macy's, they have decent wood office sets.  Highly recommend finding a used Herman Miller Aeron chair on Craigslist.  Bought one early in the pandemic when we went to work from home and it has been a lifesaver for my back.

Cannot recommend this highly enough.  You should be able to pick one up for $400-500 and it will last you forever.  I'll never have any other office chair.

[Texas St. Armadillos 1368]

I got my office stuff off Wayfair.  I have found their stuff is what you pay for.  If you want cheap, you can go cheap.  The higher tag stuff is pretty solid.  Also, check Costco online.  Look at the weight in the Specs.  That will give some hints on quality too.

[Celery Man 20535]

I have a Costco bookcase that's going in the office and it's a nice piece of furniture. Maybe I should check out what they have.

Estate sales are a good idea. I would really love to find something like that. I also feel like there should be steals to be had on desks from the liquidation of office space, but I'm not sure how to go about finding them. Pretty soon after I got laid off the old office had a "if you want a desk come get it the fuck out of here" policy which I regret missing out on. Automatic standing desks.

Good tip on the chair. I've had some back pain as a result of working in shitty positions over the covid times, sounds like that's a leader in the ergonomic clubhouse.

[Hank Scorpio 17691]

Similar to the estate sales I like Live Auctioneers for furniture and stuff. It will show you all the auctions going on in your city and you can browse the photos. Once shit opens back up you can go to the dealer’s business and look at the stuff in person. They were auctioning off David Dewhurst’s stuff from one of his ranches a couple of months ago and I almost bought his desk. But chances are it was cursed and/or full of makeup. 

[F250 28380]

[Celery Man 20535]

lol, wife is going all Frasier Crane on my chair (big old beat up leather recliner with ottoman) and how she wants to get rid of it and it'll look terrible in the office with more modern furniture, so I told her fine I'll buy a fucking Eames chair. Which... she likes. Are those things even comfortable?

[Incredulity 11141]

Cocobolo Desk

[elfenix 34000]

sounds like a great excuse to buy a bunch of tools and do some woodworking on a desk designed 100% for your need and not by some asshole swede or some amish fucker who's never seen a computer

Edited November 24, 2020 by elfenix

[Chewbacca 7612]

Cocobolo Desk

Costs 7k or so, as i recall. But definitely worth it.

[Bullneck 18617]

I refurbished a huge and very nice desk about 15 years ago.  The only problem is that it predated the computer era and isn't very comfortable for doing computer kinds of things.  And no credenza to go with it, either.

The ergonomics of a 90 degree workstation can't be overstated.   

[52-80 18962]

hells yeah son

 

 

[Celery Man 20535]

Finally got all of my shit together and have an office again, after not working at a real desk since March. Wife exerted her influence on the furniture citing french doors and visibility from the hall, so I ended up with some crate and barrel stuff. I'm sure it's overpriced and mid grade, don't care. Ecstatic to have a proper working space. Thanks for the input on the chair, I did more research and wound up getting the Aeron. After a week, back is feeling actually significantly better.

[Steel Shank 9325]

That rocks!

[baboso 6030]

Those wall mounted bookshelves from Crate & Barrel also? 

[Alfalfa 7]

If you didn’t purchase the multi-surface casters, make sure you get some softer casters for wood floors, otherwise you’ll end up with a halo effect on the floor from all the tiny scratches. 

[Celery Man 20535]

3 hours ago, baboso said:

Those wall mounted bookshelves from Crate & Barrel also? 

I was a tad off - they are from "CB2" rather than Crate & Barrel. CB2 is another Crate and Barrel brand, I'm not sure the exact distinction but I think it's a tad heavier on the modern furniture.

https://www.cb2.com/helix-96-walnut-bookcase-with-2-drawers/s471188

https://www.cb2.com/fullerton-modular-desk-with-2-drawers/s574758

The big drawers in both the desk and the bookcase can be set up as filing drawers, which is nice since when we moved I threw away the Costco cheez-it box where I've been storing my important documents for 15 years.

 

2 hours ago, Alfalfa said:

If you didn’t purchase the multi-surface casters, make sure you get some softer casters for wood floors, otherwise you’ll end up with a halo effect on the floor from all the tiny scratches. 

I did get the hard floor/multi-surface casters. I *kinda* wish I had paid for the most adjustable arms (these go up and down, I think it was another $70 or something for the ones that rotate a little) but also I'm happy with the chair. I had looked a lot at steelcase chairs as well - one thing I hadn't considered much but I do like is the breathability of the HM design.

[baboso 6030]

20 hours ago, Celery Man said:

I was a tad off - they are from "CB2" rather than Crate & Barrel. CB2 is another Crate and Barrel brand, I'm not sure the exact distinction but I think it's a tad heavier on the modern furniture.

https://www.cb2.com/helix-96-walnut-bookcase-with-2-drawers/s471188

https://www.cb2.com/fullerton-modular-desk-with-2-drawers/s574758

The big drawers in both the desk and the bookcase can be set up as filing drawers, which is nice since when we moved I threw away the Costco cheez-it box where I've been storing my important documents for 15 years.

 

I did get the hard floor/multi-surface casters. I *kinda* wish I had paid for the most adjustable arms (these go up and down, I think it was another $70 or something for the ones that rotate a little) but also I'm happy with the chair. I had looked a lot at steelcase chairs as well - one thing I hadn't considered much but I do like is the breathability of the HM design.

Pro tip: they don't do anything to muffle a fart, either.

[DonkeyCigars 144]

I am getting a stipend for work, but it's not much, and saw this thread after being really surprised how much good office furniture costs. But what's the story with the hunter green painted walls, if there is one? Psychologically-tested to make you more productive? University of South Florida or Ohio Bobcat alumni?

[elfenix 34000]

am i the one asshole that likes keyboard trays anymore? 

[Celery Man 20535]

On 2/15/2021 at 12:54 PM, baboso said:

Pro tip: they don't do anything to muffle a fart, either.

16 hours ago, DonkeyCigars said:

I am getting a stipend for work, but it's not much, and saw this thread after being really surprised how much good office furniture costs. But what's the story with the hunter green painted walls, if there is one? Psychologically-tested to make you more productive? University of South Florida or Ohio Bobcat alumni?

I like the color.

Dark room with windows does make it such that I've had to fiddle with the webcam settings to get a bright exposure that isn't washed out.

9 hours ago, elfenix said:

am i the one asshole that likes keyboard trays anymore? 

I forgot about those - is there an ergonomic reason for that, or just an attempt to keep the top of the desk clear?

I'm a heavy typer - I had a desk with a tray in... college I think but I'm not sure i used it even then. I think it had a lip, which I don't like.

[elfenix 34000]

I forgot about those - is there an ergonomic reason for that, or just an attempt to keep the top of the desk clear?
I'm a heavy typer - I had a desk with a tray in... college I think but I'm not sure i used it even then. I think it had a lip, which I don't like.

Both ergonomic and keeping the desk clear for other stuff. I think it came with a lip but I didn't use it. It's pretty sturdy (I lean on it a lot), but it's a 24 year old sauder desk. So fake wood grain veneer which is worn out in places. Looks like garbage.

[DonkeyCigars 144]

1 hour ago, elfenix said:

 

 

Both ergonomic and keeping the desk clear for other stuff. I think it came with a lip but I didn't use it. It's pretty sturdy (I lean on it a lot), but it's a 24 year old sauder desk. So fake wood grain veneer which is worn out in places. Looks like garbage.

 

I ended up buying a sauder executive desk; $749 and looks fine as long as I replace it in a few years I imagine, versus paying $7k for a real wood, nice executive desk that lasts a lifetime. The difference is, expensing $750 purchase completely or expensing $750 and having to pay $6250 out of pocket. Made my choice easy.

[elfenix 34000]

might just buy an electric adjustable base from monoprice and a top from ikea.  get some hanging drawer slides and a nice piece of shelf from home depot, some cable management bits, and have myself a new battlestation for $300 or so. 

Edited February 21, 2021 by elfenix

[Celery Man 20535]

That's a great idea.

If wife hadn't weighed in heavily against I would have picked up whatever version of that adjustable desk (I had the Steelcase version at my old office) and a rolling file cabinet + drawers to stick underneath. I've used and enjoyed the standing desk functionality but even just getting the exact right height and then having lots of space underneath the desk (to sit in whatever position you want) had me leaning that way.