I have been working from home and improving my home office setup since I was first sent home to work during Covid. Since then, I’ve perfected my home office to be a comfortable setup that suits me for architectural drafting, editing photos, blogging, and all my other home office needs. I have also dealt with back issues, so I created a setup that not only looks good, it is ergonomic and comfortable. Here is my list of essentials for a comfortable and productive home office setup that is good enough for a picky architect.
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Natural Light
This is a non-negotiable for me. I used to work on multi-family housing, and I’ve seen many unit plans where a large closet, small nook, or buried room without a window is marketed as a “home office”. Most working hours are during daylight so I would not be happy spending the majority of daylight hours in a room with artificial lighting. If you are able to set up in a room with a window, it makes such a difference to see daylight while you work. Facing natural light also makes you looks great for your zoom meetings.
comfortable and ergonomic office chair
I had a debilitating back injury at the end of 2024. During my recovery, I decided to try out a kneeling chair and it has been a game changer. It helps with posture so that I cannot slouch at my desk. I even got one that is a rocker so that I can still wiggle around in my chair. I love it and have no plans to go back to a traditional desk chair. I’m totally converted.
large high-definition monitor
Most architects I know work with a large screen. It helps so much to be able to pull up a document on large screen and read about the issue on another screen. It is also nicer to draft on a larger screen, or even any other creative task like editing photos is much nicer on a large screen. I made sure to get one that has a high resolution for any graphics.
laptop stand
I have this laptop stand so that my laptop can sit at the same height as my large screen and I can easily move my mouse between the screens.
wireless keyboard and mouse
Now that the laptop is elevated, a separate mouse and keyboard are required, and having wireless accessories makes them easy to set aside under the laptop stand if I need space to sketch. I know a lot of architects prefer a fancier mouse for drafting, I’ve always used a pretty simple mouse that is small and easy to pack when I need to take it with me.
docking station
I love being able to just plug my laptop in with one cord and having it connected to everything I need in my home office. This docking station makes it easy to move my laptop to a different location if I need to work remotely, or even just need a change of scenery to work from my kitchen table for a few hours.
notebook and pens
I know everything is digital now, but I still use a notebook and pens for sketching, occasionally taking notes, and creating a short to-do list of the most important things I need to get done each day. Being an architect, I am also particular about what pens I will use, no ballpoint pens here. I like to have a selection of rollerball pens for everyday notes and markers for sketching on trace paper. For my everyday notebook, I like these dot note pads with spiral binding. They are the perfect size to fit in my purse or backpack or use at my desk.
water bottle and coffee mugs
Gotta stay hydrated and its always nice to have a good water bottle nearby to encourage more water consumption. I love the easy flip lid on this Insulated bottle. Of course, architects always need coffee so I like this architect mug as a gift. I keep mine on coasters that are actually stone samples, what designer doesn’t repurpose those samples?
blue light glasses
Not on the list just to complete the look of an architect, but they do have a reputation for wearing stylish glasses. I used to get headaches from being in front of a screen for a long time. My optometrist told me to just wear cheap blue light glasses while I worked instead of wearing my actual prescription glasses for distance. I didn’t believe him but thought I would give it a try. My headaches went away and now I won’t work without the blue light glasses.
Power and Cord Management
I have this power strip screwed to the underside of my desk and use Velcro strips to manage the cords so there are no cords on the floor. I even have the power bank to my docking station attached to the underside of my desk with this heavy-duty Velcro.
Creating a home office that is both comfortable and functional makes all the difference when you spend long hours at your desk. These essentials have helped me stay productive, protect my back, and enjoy my workday a little more. I hope they give you some ideas to create a setup that works for you too. Let me know if there is anything you can’t work without.
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