Chair mats for carpet and hard floors in rentals
Match the mat to the floor: cleated mats for carpet (and the right pile depth), smooth-backed mats for hardwood, tile and vinyl. A glass mat like the Vitrazza…
Stella Richter
Editor
Interior designer specialist
Guides by Stella Richter
Under-desk drawers and rolling carts
Measure the clear height under your desk first: most rolling storage is 22 to 27 inches tall. The Bush Key West file cabinet fits under most desks; the…
Two people, one small room: shared home office layouts
Choose the layout by room shape: side by side along one long wall, back to back in a wider room, or an L with one desk on each wall. Give each person their own…
Headsets vs speakerphones when you share the room
If anyone else is in the room while you are on calls, use a headset with a microphone close to your mouth: it keeps their noise out of your call and your call…
Do you need a footrest? How to tell and what to pick
You need a footrest if, with your chair set so your hands sit at elbow height on the keyboard, your feet do not rest flat on the floor. Measure the gap between…
Wall-mounted vs fold-down desks for tiny apartments
A fold-down desk disappears after work but gives you a small, light-duty surface. A fixed wall-mounted (floating) desk stays open, usually holds more, and…
Laptop stand or second monitor? Setting up a small desk
If you work on a laptop for hours, raise the screen and use a separate keyboard and mouse. A laptop stand does that in the least space. Add an external monitor…
Armless or armrests? Choosing a chair for a small desk
Armrests help only if they adjust to just touch your forearms and still let the chair slide close to the desk. If they hit the desk edge or cannot be set…
Renter-friendly home office upgrades
Most of a good desk setup needs no holes: clamp-on monitor arms, clamp-on cable trays, a light bar, a chair mat and a freestanding hutch. For anything that…
How far should your monitor be? Distance and height explained
Keep the screen about 20 to 28 inches from your eyes, roughly an arm’s length, with the top of the screen at or slightly below eye level. OSHA, Mayo Clinic and…
Corner desks for awkward corners
A triangle corner desk turns dead space into a laptop station; check that its sides fit your walls and that there is room for your knees. The ODK triangle desk…
The small-space home office checklist
Measure the space first, then choose the desk, set up the screen, sort out seating, light the desk, and tidy power and cables, in that order. Each step depends…
What size desk do you need? A measuring guide for small rooms
Leave at least 36 inches of floor behind the desk (42 to 48 is comfortable), choose a depth that keeps your screen 20 or more inches from your eyes, and pick a…
How to light a home office with no window
Layer the light: a task light aimed at the desk (aim for about 500 lux for reading and typing), a softer general light in the room, and optionally a light…