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What Furniture Do I Need to Work From Home?

Desk with analog camera behind laptop

Due to social distancing, millions of Americans are now required to work from home. If you're a seasoned remote worker, you've doubtless already got your work space all figured out. But what if you're one of those people who never thought they would work from home? What if you don't even own a desk? If you’re new to working from home, read on for tips and tricks to make your home feel more like a work space.

Tips for Setting Up the Perfect Home Office

  • Declutter your space—its going to be easier to set up your office initially if you get rid of some of the extra stuff taking up your physical space and depleting your focus by crowding your mental headspace.
  • If you’re not in the market for buying a new desk chair, at the very least fashion yourself a chair that you can tolerate sitting on for eight hours a day by buying a foam seat pad or memory foam cushion.
  • Setting up your workspace near a window can help increase productivity, boost mood, and allow the opportunity for little peeks outside. Oh yeah! That’s what the outside world looks like!
  • Add some joy to your work from home space. Family photos, plants, or your kid’s drawings are all surefire ways to make your space more cheery. If scents foster happy emotions for you, you can set up a scented candle or oil diffuser in your work room.
  • Adding another monitor—even if it means using your TV—does wonders for your productivity. It really underscores that you are at work and in the productivity zone, not just tinkering on your laptop while sitting on the sofa. With modern tech options that let you mirror your screen from your devices to your TV (Google Chromecast or Apple Airplay AppleTV are two easy ways to do it), you don’t even need to worry about HDMI cables.
  • An important tip for everyone but especially for small spaces—declutter your desk at every opportunity. Nothing robs you of your focus like having to reach around empty cereal bowls, mugs, and stacks of office supplies.
  • Have a dedicated workstation! Read on for tips on buying a new desk, or setting up your very own diy desk space.

Tips for Buying a New Desk

Man Standing at Desk

We now have a wealth of research to prove that sitting all day is bad for your health. That’s why standing desks and adjustable height desks that go from sitting to standing are so popular now. It's important to change positions regularly, even with a standing desk, so sit/stand adjustable desks are a great choice.

Shop Adjustable Height Desks

However, if you find you’re more productive when seated or a standing desk isn’t an option, consider a seated desk. A lot of standing desks don’t offer a lot in the way of storage, so a traditional seated desk with storage pedestals or a hutch might be a better option for you.

Shop Desks with Storage

Office with Ivory Furniture

What's the Right Size Desk for Me?

Sitting Figure
Standing Figure

Sitting

Standing

  • Your eyes should fall about 2 inches from the top of the monitor to prevent neck pain.
  • The height of your desk should allow your hands to sit flat on the keyboard.
  • Your elbows should bend at a 90 degree angle and rest close to the body.
  • To find your ideal desk height, take your height in inches and divide it by 2.5. So if you are 5'9'', the ideal desk height is 27.5 inches.
  • When you're standing, you should be able to type with your elbows at your sides, and your forearms slightly angled down towards the floor.
  • Your monitor should be eye level.
  • Elbows should be close to the body and the keyboard should be around hip level so the hands are at the height of the elbows, or slightly lower. That means that the tabletop should be roughly at or slightly below elbow height.

Discover the Right Desk For You

Writing Desk
Writing DeskArlington collection
$918
Available to Order
On Display
57" Computer Desk
57" Computer DeskTopaz collection
$1,599
Available to Order
On Display
60" Table Desk
60" Table DeskBerkeley collection
$690
Available to Order
36" Computer Armoire
36" Computer ArmoireEastwood collection
$1,527
Available to Order
Laptop/Tablet Desk
Laptop/Tablet DeskBonanza collection
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Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskKanwyn collection
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68" Double Pedestal
68" Double PedestalCanyon Ridge collection
$2,262
Available to Order
47" Writing Desk
47" Writing DeskTamarack collection
$495
Available to Order
52" Writing Desk
52" Writing DeskXpressions collection
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Laptop/Tablet Desk
Laptop/Tablet DeskBonanza collection
Available to Order
48" Home Office Desk
48" Home Office DeskLazabon collection
$159
Available to Order
47" Writing Desk
47" Writing DeskTamarack collection
$495
Available to Order
Computer Desk
Computer DeskAddison collection
$1,734
Available to Order
Writing Desk
Writing DeskRevival Row collection
Available to Order
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskBayflynn collection
$128
Available to Order
Desk
DeskKoncept collection
$1,074
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Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskStarmore collection
$539
Available to Order
Writing Desk
Writing DeskXpressions collection
$909
Available to Order
Youth Desk
Youth DeskCape Cod collection
$825
Available to Order
Lift Top Desk
Lift Top DeskRealyn collection
$477
Available to Order
52" Writing Desk
52" Writing DeskXpressions collection
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Desk & File Cabinet
Desk & File CabinetBerkeley collection
$1,116
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Home Office Small Desk
Home Office Small DeskCamiburg collection
$157
Available to Order
Desk & File Cabinet
Desk & File CabinetBerkeley collection
$1,116
Available to Order
Desk
DeskAccents collection
Available to Order
Desk
DeskKoncept collection
$1,074
Available to Order
Writing Desk
Writing DeskMagnolia Manor collection
$820
Available to Order
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskBeckincreek collection
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Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskRowanbeck collection
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Home Office Small Desk
Home Office Small DeskOthello collection
$219
Available to Order
Youth Desk
Youth DeskCape Cod collection
$825
Available to Order
60" Home Office Desk
60" Home Office DeskLyncott collection
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Writing Desk
Writing DeskFresno collection
Available to Order
Office Desk
Office DeskBaldridge collection
$312
Available to Order
Vanity Desk
Vanity DeskMagnolia Manor collection
$898
Available to Order
54" Writing Desk
54" Writing DeskXpressions collection
$729
Available to Order
Home Office Large Leg Desk
Home Office Large Leg DeskCarynhurst collection
$312
Available to Order
Writing Desk
Writing DeskJewel collection
$495
Available to Order
Desk with File Drawer
Desk with File DrawerKeystone collection
$1,107
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Writing Desk With Drawer
Writing Desk With DrawerPulaski Accents collection
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42" Writing Desk
42" Writing DeskEastwood collection
$492
Available to Order
Accent Vanity Desk
Accent Vanity DeskMagnolia Manor collection
$420
Available to Order
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskStrumford collection
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Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskOnita collection
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60" Table Desk
60" Table DeskBerkeley collection
$690
Available to Order
Home Office Desk
Home Office DeskStrumford collection
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Desk
DeskRealyn collection
$403
Available to Order
48" Flattop Desk
48" Flattop DeskWillow Creek collection
$1,299
Available to Order
Desk
DeskMagnolia Manor collection
$1,954
Available to Order
47" Writing Desk
47" Writing DeskTamarack collection
$495
Available to Order

For more advice on buying office furniture check out our Office Chair Buying Guide


Not in the market for a desk? No problem!
Transform your existing furniture into a desk or DIY one

Anything can become a desk if you're creative enough. Here's some ideas for an instant work surface:

Floating desk with computer on top