I spent the past six weeks creating an artist’s dream desk setup – a beautiful space for joyful productivity and healthy working habits. Let me tell you exactly how I did it.
Affiliate links are included for my personal recommendations ~ the goods I use and love. 🤍
Inspiration + Creative Brief
Before creating a dream desk setup, I wanted to understand the elements that went into good desk setups. I created a Pinterest board for visual inspiration and chose three words to guide this project:
- Beautiful : Cozy and light with natural elements.
- Functional : Joyful productivity and ease of workflow!
- Healthy : Flexible setup for good posture, movement, and mindset.
Step 1: Choosing the Right Desk
The most important decision in a desk setup is the desk itself. My previous desk was an old Ikea standing desk, but I did not use standing mode very often because it had a hand crank and would wobble going up and down.
The Standing Desk Solution
This time I chose a motorized standing desk – the FlexiSpot Comhar Q8 Pro with a light bamboo surface and white frame. It struck a perfect balance of being beautiful and functional.
Since I was already filming the process of this desk setup for YouTube I reached out to Flexispot for a collaboration proposal and they kindly sent me their Q8 desk to try.
I’m including this note for transparency and also to say, it doesn’t hurt to ask!
Step 2: Adding A Desk Shelf
When I started looking at desk setups I liked, I learned that desk shelves are now a thing. Not only do they make the desk look sleek and clean, they also create extra storage and space.
I chose a gorgeous light maple and cork Aothia desk shelf from Amazon. The combination of natural materials, maple, bamboo, and cork created an elegant and soft effect. Simply gorgeous!
If you are looking for really beautiful desk shelves and accessories and you aren’t on a budget, check out Grovemade, so stunning.
Step 3: Creating an Inspiration Board
I’ve been wanting to get into the practice of keeping physical inspiration boards. So I definitely wanted a pin-able board in the space, but not a traditional cork board.
I found this modular felt board by Vivelda and instantly fell in love. It comes with adhesive dots that stick to the wall, but also peel off easily, so installation was satisfyingly simple.
It gives a production studio vibe and looks as good as a textural design element in the space as it does a mood board.
Step 4: Adding Vertical Storage
Shelves are a must because they double as a place for storage and decor. To soften the linear elements of the setup I chose organic-shaped All Modern shelves in light wood to match the desk.
I also chose to hang them diagonally to soften the lines and add some movement to the space. They echo the desk surface and desk shelf to a tee!
Step 5: Electronics
Monitor
I was unsure about monitor size (should I go big, have two, go medium?) So I did some research and discovered medium monitors create less strain for your eyes. So I chose a simple 24″ Dell monitor.
Lighting
I wanted some ambient lighting that was cordless to keep the clean aesthetic of the setup and found these adorable Oneach cordless lamps that have 3 light temperatures. Love these, I actually carry them around to different parts of my home when I need a little extra light.
Speakers
I went with cheap and cheerful Creative Pebble speakers that are well-reviewed and also quite cute.
Keyboard
For the electronic grand finale, I fell down a rabbit hole into the world of mechanical keyboards and chose the Aula 75 with star vector switches as my very first! It has the most satisfying sound and typing feel, and lights up in all colors of the rainbow. It has added an element of joy to my desk experience that I didn’t know I was missing.
Wrist Rest
Also indulged in a cloud wrist rest that is cute and comfy. Didn’t know if I would actually use it, but I do all the time.
Step 5: Cable Management
I have never done cable management before and now that I am an adult, I decided it was time to put some thought into this aspect of the desk setup. Cables are an eyesore, and a pain when they are tangled. A mission for my future self.
Here is how it works, in case you are like me and a total beginner:
- Cable management tray: a tray underneath the desk that holds a power strip.
- The mess is hidden: all of the cables in the setup go to the power strip under or at the back of your desk.
- Single visible cord: the ultimate goal of cable management is to have one cord that you can see plugged into the wall.
- Method: in order to hit this goal, you need to bundle up your cables in bows, stuff them into the tray, and make sure everything is secure and fits.
I found a brilliant hack that made this much more enjoyable ~ plant tape! (Basically Velcro and I use it to secure my tomato plants.) Perfect for the purpose of cable management and I was quite pleased with myself.
Step 6: Joyful Organization & Movement
I treated myself to a couple of little bits that I thought would add some joy and delight to my daily workflow.
- Daily Anecdote planner (2 years, 1 notebook, personal fave)
- Minimal + clean weekly tear-off planner
- New soft + silky gel pens
- Fancy magnetic gold pins for the felt board
And my favorite new discovery, a wobble board. I had no idea how much I would love this wobble board, but I’m finding myself standing on it throughout the day. I’ll start all of my working session on the wobble board and go down to chair mode after 30-45 minutes. I find that it invites this movement and balance and play into my work process.
Step 7: Decorating & Styling
When it comes to desk decoration, I selected a curated grouping of plants, vessels, and various beautiful things from around my home that didn’t get enough daily use. Little perfectly imperfect items that have history to balance the newer bits.
For the final touch I added a bud vase, to establish a weekly practice of cutting seasonal fresh flowers for my desk from the garden. It has been a lovely addition to my working environment.
The Final Result and Reflection
I really love it. I feel like it strikes this perfect balance between being soft and cozy and inviting, but also stimulating and inspiring and colorful.
Designing a space is always a little bit of a surprise. You can do your research, gather inspiration, have a perfect vision. But the magic happens when everything comes together to create a fresh and joyful place to be.
And essentially that is what the new desk setup is about, finding the joy of everyday work.