The Evolution of My Work From Home Office
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In 2019, I started a new job which brought my family out of the city and into the suburbs.
When we began the search for our new home, we knew we had to prioritize a few things. One of the things on our short list (at least for me) was having a space where I could focus, create music, take calls from clients, and maybe play some video games. When we were in the city, my workspace at home was always mixed with a guest room or a common living space. After a ton of searching and some offers that didn’t work out, we eventually found the perfect place–and it had a basement. Here is what it looked like in December 2019 when I was figuring the room out:
Generally, the space felt okay once I got it cleaned up, but I couldn’t deal with the weird beige-ish color. And of course, I was missing some things! It wasn’t good enough, but I didn’t have a ton of time to make it what I wanted. And then March 2020 came around the corner…
When the pandemic started and lockdowns were enforced, I rushed to my office to grab what I could to work from home. My desk became a hodgepodge of stuff from my desk at work mixed with my music gear–and it wasn’t all horrible!
The Issues
This setup served me well during that time, but eventually, the beige got to me. It wasn’t just the beige. There were other issues about this space that I needed to solve. If there’s anything I’ve learned about design, it’s about providing solutions for the user. Not just making things look better. Here are some of the issues I had:
Audio & Mixing Issues – I was dealing with some reflections off the walls I wasn’t happy with.
Ergonomics – My back was not doing well from that white plastic chair pictured above–despite the cool mid-century vibe.
I Didn’t Own Everything – Over the year, some of the gear from work would have to go back to the office. Say goodbye to the 34-inch Ultrawide.
Making Room For The New – I acquired new equipment and accessories throughout the year that I needed to incorporate well.
That’s how it all started. Since then, I’ve worked really hard to solve these issues and to accomplish a big goal: to create a versatile space for work AND for play. Here’s how it’s going:
The Solution: A Peek Into The Studio
I’m really proud of how this space has evolved over time. While I won’t give a fully detailed tour for this post, I wanted to share the solutions I brought to the issues listed above. You can also see a full list of gear on my setup page by clicking here.
Audio & Mixing Issues – To eliminate early reflections from my Yamaha HS5’s***, I ended up salvaging some old fiberglass insulation from an old guitar amp isolation box from work. I built some simple frames from common board and wrapped the fiberglass insulation with canvas dropcloths. More on this later.
Ergonomics – In the middle of the pandemic I ended up investing in a quality ergonomic chair that really saved my back, neck, and shoulders from the long hours I worked last year. I ended up going with the Autonomous Ergochair Pro. The build quality and the features of this chair are incredible. It was completely worth the investment! More on this later, too.
I Didn’t Own Everything – When certain pieces of equipment went back to my office at work, I decided to figure out what to add to my wish list. Specifically, I missed having an ultrawide monitor and a solid keyboard. And thankfully…I didn’t make much personal investment in it, because I ended up having those two things gifted to me through friends and family! Anyway, I ended up receiving a 29-inch LG Ultrawide Monitor and a Glorious GMMK Mechanical Keyboard. These have been incredible additions to my desk setup.
Making Room For The New – Throughout the year I chose to make some big investments such as: a new 88-key MIDI keyboard from Arturia, a new audio interface from Solid State Logic, and even some fun gaming headphones from Steel Series. Again, more on these things later!
Not just a flex. I just really really love this space.
Soon enough, I’ll find time to give you a full tour of my basement studio. But for now, I hope this inspires you to bring intentionality to your workspace. It really makes the difference. I truly love this space. It’s not just some man-cave down there. It’s a place I feel free to create, have fun, focus on work, and relax all in one place. Oh, and in case you were wondering…the beige is gone.
Cheers!
-Freddy
