Working from home? We asked our team about their most effective home office setup

Everyone at MailerLite can work from home, but there are big differences in what that looks like for each person. There are people who love jamming to their favorite tunes, while others need complete silence. Some work from the couch, while others need an ergonomic setup for their back. We have team members that created a real home office, and people that use whatever surface is not occupied—which sometimes can be an ironing board if space is tight.

It’s good to put some thought into your home office setup. Think about what you need to be most productive and happy at home, and try to find solutions based on those needs. It can be as small as a desk lamp to investing in a standing desk that’ll benefit you long-term.

At MailerLite, we invest in our team’s remote workspaces. Every team member receives a budget of 1000 USD for their remote or home office setup, so that they can work comfortably from wherever they choose. We asked the team to share their workspaces, and here’s what we received!

Sean

Performance copywriter

I'm keeping it "Lite" with a minimalist home office free of distractions. This setup helps me to focus on tasks at hand. The room is flooded with natural sunlight during the day while night time sees the floor and table lamp provide warm light. A nearly indestructible houseplant does double duty as a promising air purifier and visual companion.

Nikola

DevOps

The most important thing in my home office is my desk chair. I bought the Steelcase Please desk chair 2 years ago and I’m really happy with it. I’d advise you to invest in a good ergonomic office chair, as it’ll last you a long time. Your back will thank you too!

I can’t work with multiple screens because I lose my focus jumping from screen to screen. That’s why I use an ultrawide screen (34 inches) and installed the Magnet app, which can split my screen in half or thirds. A good dock helps to keep things organized, as I only need to plug in 1 cable. I use the Caldigit TS3 Plus. On my desk, you’ll also find good speakers to play music, a mechanical keyboard and a wireless Logitech MX Master mouse.

Marta

Legal Counsel

This is my cozy working corner. I don’t need much for my home office design, just my Apple MacBook Pro, a couple of green plants, a desk lamp and of course, high-speed internet. I normally work from our HQ in Vilnius but now that I’ll be working from home for a while, I’d like to add some framed pictures to give the room more atmosphere. I alternate between this home office and the couch in the living room, though my back isn’t happy when I work from the couch too often.

Marcin

Video and Webinars

My home office space is a little different from most, as I made it into a soundproof recording studio to host webinars and record videos. The 3 greatest investments I’ve made for my home office are the large screen, a laptop stand and an office chair without a backrest.

I also use an electric standing desk. I have the camera on the table and adjust it with a remote. This home office desk is perfect for taking videos, photos, eating soup and cleaning! You just move it up to the highest stand and vacuum underneath, easy peasy!

Jessika

Partnership Manager

Thanks to MailerLite, I invested in an adjustable desk, so I can go back and forth from standing and sitting down. It replaced my ironing board (see my previous setup in the photo below), but don't worry I will keep it for its main purpose! I’m a fan of minimalism and also prefer to keep it simple. I would always choose a place with natural light. Here I feel focused, comfortable, and ready to work.

Tautvydas

Developer

The picture above is taken at the coworking space where I’m normally renting a desk. There I’m using an ultrawide monitor, which is really awesome. I have the laptop standing beside it for Slack messages and video calls, so it’s separated from the task I’m doing. To split up my laptop screen I use Spectacle and Mac OS X’s Spaces.

Now that I’m working from home, I dug up my iPad mini 3 and installed the Duet app to use it as a second screen. I also use Apple’s magic mouse and keyboard, which are both quite comfortable and offer good functionality. This is what that looks like:

Meg

Content writer

I love my pink laptop stand. Not only does it coordinate perfectly with my laptop, but it has also saved my neck and shoulders! I’ve paired it with an ergonomic mouse and magic keyboard. There’s also a notebook plastered in MailerLite stickers. Call me old-fashioned if you like, but I like writing lists to stay on track! 

Erin

Customer Support

Unlike the fancy home offices a lot of our developers have set up, I can be found on the couch with my laptop most of the time. I like to travel, so my home office setup needs to be as compact as possible—which means just having my laptop and charger so I can always be on the go.

Adam

iOS Developer

I’ve decorated my desk with Philips Hue lights to set, and change, the mood.

An electric standing desk is a definite must for me, so I can sit and stand during the day. The tabletop comes from IKEA and the desk legs are from a local market. They have electric desk legs at IKEA as well. If your home office setup is more elaborate (think 2 monitors and a speaker), pay attention to the maximum load so you know it can safely lift your work setup. My table will lift up to 100kg.

Nikol

Developer

I live in a very small space, so there wasn't a lot of room for a proper home office setup. I took the brightest corner in the flat and organized myself there. Natural light helps me to better focus. I’m also conveniently next to the balcony door so I can get some fresh air now and then. 

My most important home office gadget is my Marshall headphones. These are a must, as my boyfriend and I are both working from home (he took over the dining table). 

And yes, if you’re a Star Wars fans you’ve spotted that correctly: That’s Chewbacca in front of my pencils on the right. I know it's controversial to talk about the newer Star Wars movies, but I loved Chewbacca and the Porgs, so this was an instant buy!

Ignas

CEO

My work environment is relatively simple. I have a second external screen, a desk that I can move, high-speed WiFi and the city view on my right—that’s the best way for me to focus. I definitely prefer a liftable table over a traditional desk, as it helps with my posture.

What does your home office look like? Share your setup below!

Editor's note: This article was originally published in March 2020, but we've updated it with some new remote office examples from our team.