I’ve been working on setting up my new office. It isn’t complete yet, but there has been some good progress, and I’m excited to share.

The light makes it look dark in my office, but it is actually VERY bright, so I don’t typically turn on the overhead (florescent) light. Also, my phone couldn’t figure out the contrast, so this is about as good as it gets without blowing out the window even more.

I have a Jarvis desk with bamboo top that is 72 inches long. I opted for that length because I got the treadmill as well, and wanted enough room to sit and walk.

This is much more typical light (below). I have my MacBook Pro lofted on a Roost, and my montior sitting on a custom stand that my dad made for me out of maple. He came and measured about a week ago, and I told him what my concerns were – that I can nest my keyboard and trackpad inside it when I’m not working, and that it very smoothly slides across the desk – no wobbles. So he made sure that it was wide enough to place the keyboard and trackpad in it and he put felt feet on the bottom. There are also handles on either side, which is perfect for grabbing and pulling.

I also keep a screen-cleaning cloth nearby (because of the amount of light, any smudges show up pretty starkly, and I somehow touch my screen a lot), a coaster for my water, and my headphones.

Here’s a close-up of the stand (ignore the unsightly fan in the background – it gets very hot in my office, so I have two). Keyboard and trackpad fit perfectly!

When I’m ready to walk, I slide everything down and press button 2 on the Jarvis, and I’m ready to rock! Well, walk. Ready to walk. Do you get it? Say it out loud.

I have also set up a little arid plant area on part of my window ledge, and I got a decorative box to put all my miscellaneous stuff in so it’s not quite so obvious. I got my desk with two hooks, so I hang my backpack on one hook and my cords (in a WooCommerce pouch) and scissors on the other. I use scissors a surprising amount. I always seem to need them in my office.

This is my comfort nook. Right now it’s directly behind my treadmill, but I’m thinking of moving it when my office is fully cleared out (there’s a spare desk in here as well as some very large pieces of cardboard I’ve asked for help moving to the recycling dumpster). I like it’s proximity to the window, but I don’t like it being in full view of my monitor. I’d like to sit there away from my screens to just chill out. I am planning on adding a second comfy chair (when I find one I like) and a small table. I love the rug.

I don’t have much up on my walls yet. I have a lot of frames that will go up once everything is out of storage, and probably I’ll start hanging up my bumble bee paintings eventually too.

It’s a work-in-progress, but I feel very effective, efficient, and comfortable. I also get to walk about 4 miles a day while I’m working, and I feel really good about that.