Globe staffer Aruna Dutt is ready to upgrade her hand-me-down furniture to buy something that will last a long time. In this new Shopping Her series, we're looking for experts to help you make purchasing decisions worth investing in.
If you started working from home at the beginning of the pandemic, you probably created a comfortable home office years ago, but I put off making the investment until earlier this year. I was still using the little desk I bought on Amazon as a stopgap solution, but it's finally caught up with me. It wasn't until I started having extreme shoulder pain that my chiropractor recommended I change my setup to one that didn't involve hunching my back or letting my arms dangle without support.
If your office is still not ideal, workplace design specialist Beverly Horii can help. Mr. Horii is an award-winning Managing Director and Principal of his IA Interiors Architects Toronto studio and has provided design leadership for 32 years. She started advising clients and employees on how to create home offices during the pandemic and has since helped companies across the country adapt to hybrid workplaces, including Bank of Nova Scotia, CIBC, Autodesk, and Tris. Ta. Here are her tips.
Desk size: “Our rule is 30 inches from front to back. That's enough space for a monitor and laptop,” says Horii. “At home he's fine with 24 inches, but in the office he won't do that because he won't be comfortable.”
From there, consider where you want it in your space. You also need to consider what kind of work you will be doing. If you need a larger monitor or multiple monitors, you will need to increase the size.
To save money, forget about storage and aesthetics. “The lowest price for a work desk is $200 to $300,” Horii says, noting that built-in storage increases the price. “I like when the storage options are freestanding, have a little pedestal that you can tuck under, or are attached to the wall.” Desks without storage can also be more versatile. “You can also lean it against the wall to place statues and ornaments,” Horii says, and if your desk is in the living room and you need to make it look nice, ” If it has a better design and upgraded materials such as solid wood, the price can be higher.
Standing desk standards: “Even before the pandemic, all of our employees have been using sit-stand desks. We feel ergonomics are important. They should be moving up and down throughout the day.”
Material: For durability and sustainable picks, Horii recommends solid wood tops and veneers.
Please test in store. “Whenever possible, look at the product in person and test the mechanism by kicking the tires. See if it's stable and if it shakes when you put something heavy on it. And play around with how it works. Let's see: Some sit-stand features are noisy, and you may not want the noise to be made every time you raise or lower your desk. Please make sure there is.
Use an adjustable chair. “Desks and chairs work as a pair, so we usually consider them together,” says Horii. A chair that moves up and down is also recommended. “To type on a keyboard at desk height, your chair needs to be high. Your arms should be at 90 degrees and your monitor should be directly in front of you so you don't have to tilt your head. Legs dangling. So I use a footstool. You may need a monitor, a laptop stand, and a separate keyboard tray.”
A good desk isn't everything. “You need to change your posture throughout the day, and the best way to do that is by moving to the dinner table, the couch, or another position. Just like in the office, an ergonomic space allows you to get different postures. I need to move to the conference room or the couch.”
Introducing Horii's recommended stand-up desks in three price ranges.
Shipping costs are not included in the price.
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Trotton sit/stand desk, all white, $299 at IKEA. HANDOUT/Handout
budget
Trotton sit/stand desk, all white, $299 at IKEA (ikea.ca)
This desk has a particleboard tabletop and height adjusts from 27 1/2 inches to 47 1/4 inches.
“It's a simple, discreet desk that raises and lowers with a hand crank. It comes in a variety of sizes and doesn't need to be installed near a power source. Also, the storage is sold separately, so if you want to use the desk for other purposes, you can.”
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Solo Sit-to-Stand Desk, $849 at Steelcase. HANDOUT/Handout
best cost performance
Solo Sit-to-Stand Desk, $849 at Steelcase (steelcase.com)
This desk has a laminate table top and a controller that adjusts the height from 22.6 inches to 48.7 inches.
“Many of the leading commercial furniture manufacturers, such as Teknion, Haworth, MillerKnoll, and Steelcase, offer home office products online. These companies produce high-quality products that withstand rigorous testing in the commercial market. Steelcase makes the Solo Sit-to-Stand desk specifically for the consumer market: it's stable, has a large work surface, and is easy to assemble.
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Jarvis Bamboo standing desk, $1,330 at Herman Miller. HANDOUT/Handout
splurge
Jarvis Bamboo standing desk, $1,330 at Herman Miller (hermanmiller.com)
Mr. Horii says that this electric desk has a high quality feel when sitting or standing, as the top is made of warm bamboo and you can choose from three height levels.