My Standing Desk

Standing Desk Front
Standing Desk Right and Back
Standing Desk Left
Standing Desk Floor Mat

I've been tinkering with my standing desk for the better part of a year. I started with some jury-rigged wire shelving, small IKEA endtables and even my computer tower itself. All this on top of my normal sit-down desk.

Standing desks can be pretty expensive, so I was hesitant to go that far in my quest for the ideal standing/working situation. I didn't want to drop a few hundred bucks on a standing desk that wasn't even the right spec for my needs.

It took a long time to figure out my ideal viewing height, the right height for my arms while typing, and the right height for designing. When I moved to the North Carolina office, I quickly discovered the discomfort of standing on concrete. That's when I got a set of basic floor mats available from most hardware stores.

That's how it was for months. I was content with my unsightly mish-mash. Then Mego found these quite nice Closetmaid modular wooden shelving units. I tried one for my keyboard and mouse. To my pleasant surprise, I had way more room than I had with my hodgepodge setup. Plenty of room for an ergonomic keyboard and mouse somewhere down the line.

Mego got two more units so I could prop up my monitors. Now I'm not so embarrassed about my desk configuration. It actually looks like a proper single-unit. It doesn't wobble precariously like my DIY setup. Plus, I have tons of little cubby space right at arm's reach.

Comments

  1. Tim KoppangMay 2, 2012 at 9:47 AM

    My God, man. What keyboard are you using?

    ReplyDelete
  2. DanielSolisMay 2, 2012 at 11:30 AM

    Standard Mac keyboard circa 2009. I definitely need to get an ergonomic keyboard, but I've been dawdling.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wayne ZombieMay 2, 2012 at 11:46 AM

    I use the Apple BluTooth keyboard and trackpad, plus a MS Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 for fine Photoshop work. There's a company that makes a cool piece of plastic that joins the keyboard and trackpad together in to one unit.

    I used a MS ergonimic keyboard for a long time, but I find no real problems with the Apple BT keyboard. Then again, I had carpal tunnel surgery on both wrists three years ago, just before my cascade of pneumonias. I have used them with Macs in the past, but it's been a long time.

    But what I wanted to write about, aside from your cool setup, is I was wondering if you'd considered incorporating a treadmill in to it? As I understand it, it is a very good thing to do. You run it at 1-2 MPH and just slowly walk all day long. Of course, the people that I've read about doing this are academics or programmers, and graphic arts isn't what they're doing, so I'm not sure how that would work out.

    Where did Mego find these Closetmaid units? I'd like to check them out and maybe do something similar. VERY cool setup you have going there.

    ReplyDelete
  4. DanielSolisMay 2, 2012 at 12:04 PM

    They're available from Target for under $10 each. It was a real bargain for a nice looking standing configuration.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Matthew GandyMay 2, 2012 at 12:53 PM

    I really dig the MS Comfort Curve keyboard. Light ergo, without the full split and mouse wheel in the middle. Just a standard keyboard with 10-key, gently curved.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Matthew GandyMay 2, 2012 at 12:55 PM

    Wayne, if you're talking about the 12South Magic Wand, I've used that, but I got Henge Dock's Clique that just came out, and so far, I vastly prefer it for the Apple BT + trackpad combo.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Matthew GandyMay 2, 2012 at 12:56 PM

    Daniel, this is a really cool post! Thanks for this. Makes me think I might be able to implement something similar. Do the wooden shelves interlock? I'd be worried about everything shifting too easily otherwise.

    ReplyDelete
  8. DanielSolisMay 2, 2012 at 1:13 PM

    The shelves lock together vertically with wooden dowels supplied in the box. They don't interlock horizontally, but they still don't shift around at all. I was concerned that they'd be too wobbly, especially with my monitors, but this hasn't been the case at all.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Tempest's FuryMay 2, 2012 at 9:11 PM

    I'm in desk lust (more for the space than anything else, if I was honest).

    Nothing really useful to say other going wireless on the headphones, but that's because when I think I like to walk around. And talk. Which is occasionally disconcerting to the folks around me because well, I talk over my music. Which can be loud.

    Ooops.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wayne ZombieMay 3, 2012 at 11:06 AM

    Yeah, it was 12South. I bought their leather 'book' case for my iPhone 4S. I've been happy with it, but I'll check out the Henge.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wayne ZombieMay 3, 2012 at 11:08 AM

    Excellent! We have a Target about 100 miles from here, I'll have to check it out when I'm in town tomorrow.

    Yeah, I didn't think a treadmill would work for you. ;-) I do database administration/support for my day job, photography, Photoshop and game design as my sides.

    ReplyDelete

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