My cosy working from home desk setup

Since returning to work after having my youngest son, I've been working almost entirely remotely. There’s a lot of benefits to working from home (and a lot of privilege to be in such a position), but I’ve definitely had to rethink my work setup to make it work. During the lockdowns of 2020 I had a study to work from, but now that that room belongs to my youngest I've had to get a bit more creative!

I definitely need to be in a room with a door so I can hide from the kids, which only really left one option… our bedroom.

Not ideal, but I made it work. Sadly my standing desk was too big for the space, so I settled for a cheap narrow desk that just fits with enough space to comfortably walk around or sit a chair at (but not really both simultaneously). My monitor is also too big for the desk, and I find screens have too aggressive a vibe for a bedroom, so I’ve done without that too. These days when I need more screen space than my laptop screen allows, I use my iPad Pro as a second screen. I wasn’t sure how it would work, but it’s actually not bad.

I wasn’t sure if I’d want to keep the hutch sitting on top, but I’ve found it’s the perfect height for my laptop screen. I also found some bamboo trays that fit nicely in the space, which hold my keyboard, mouse, charger and stationery, keeping them hidden when I’m not in work mode.

Is it ideal to spend a full day working in the same room that I sleep and relax in? Not really. I’ve had work-related insomnia in the past, and staring at my work station whilst trying to go to sleep is not going to help. To try and avoid this, I pack away all of my work stuff when I’m not working, including my desk chair. In non-work mode, my desk is clean but cosy – I’m going for dressing table vibes, minus the mirror.

It takes some discipline to unpack everything at the start of the day and pack it all up at the end. I’ve made it as efficient as I can, and I’ve found it a useful ritual designating the beginning and the end of the work day, especially now that I don’t have a commute or even a different room to go to.

I’m really pleased with my little space and how well I’m able to work there. There’s something satisfying about having just enough space, but used wisely so it’s just right.