The laptop mount came in today and that along with implementing this 10′ coaxial cable that allowed me to reposition my cable modem finished up this weekend’s Desk 2.0 project. I’ll have to take some pictures tomorrow but the main goal was achieved and I have things mostly the way I imagined. However, I have a few hiccups in my desk game and wanted to write a little on them.
First, let me say that I really like this laptop mount. It has cleared up some desk space where I’ve moved the other desk mount to the side temporarily. That also gives me more visible space to access the rear power strip. The one downfall though that I should have done a better job at anticipating was dealing with my 27″ curved Samsung monitor. While this monitor is probably the best one of the bunch, it’s a little bulky. When swapped the positions between my laptop and this Samsung, I did not measure how much space it would need and how the cable modem would bump into the rear. So this monitor is pushed up front a little more than I’d like. And since I don’t think this monitor has the VESA rear mount, I won’t be able to get another arm mount for it (I’ll have to double check but I’m almost certain it doesn’t have the VESA mout).
The other major issue is that it covers up the small shelf. So the only way I can get everything organized is either to move that shelf, which means putting all the devices into an awkward space or add a small side table to host the Samsung. I think that would be overkill at this point. One other option would to move the main twin arms to where the laptop mount is and doing a swap. But in changing that over, I’ll lose some of the shield from my balcony window.
Quite honestly, I think this setup is fine for now. I just don’t like having the monitor this close to my face. And I want to have easy access to the shelf. Yet with the cable modem, external drive and router taking up the bulk of the space, I feel that the limited access I have doesn’t really give me much back. Instead, the better solution is to get another side extension that probably will go to the left of my table. And with that I can place stuff like my Kleenex box, paper towels or other utilities. Originally, I wanted that space to be an extended cabinet. But I might end up putting something like that under the desk. Having the extra room to the left would allow for me to put my iPad on that area with a stand. But maybe I can just have the double decker type of shelf except with more of a cup-like frame. That way I won’t fear knocking something over by accident. I do want an area dedicated for my iPad though and I want to have it on a stand.
Something else I need to consider is how I can organize all the cables on my table. I’ve got quite a few and it can get chaotic since they’re sticking out in all directions. Even if I can get another laptop arm, I’ll still have cables running around. So down the line, I’ll want something to help clean up my cable mess.
Another thing I did was move that new desk light. I really like this thing. It’s much brighter than I expected and I put it on the left side just behind the new 27″ monitor. It’s a nice light for reading and just brightening up the little middle section because my living room area is poorly lit at night. Also, by moving the light, I’ve freed up the side space where I can add another extension to the right. Right now I’m considering adding another shelving unit to that side, a mini cabinet extension or something like a desk pocket/folders to keep things like key documents or slim books and magazines that I want handy. Right now, I’ve got my small cup holder with a tiny boxy extension that I keep some loose utility stuff. Having a drawer under the desk would allow me to move some of those items that I don’t want to accidentally knock out (like scissors) So what I could do with another shelf is move the cup holder to the left side, swap my mobile phone holder to the right side and add a 3rd shelf to the left side. I still like the idea of having a small extension to the left though.
Regardless, probably one of the biggest winners in all of this is my floor under my desk. The only device remaining is my air purifier which is in the obnoxious middle section connecting my L shape desk. But outside of cleaning that area, I don’t really see myself messing too much with that. Nonetheless, the rest of the desk’s underside has become immensely easier to clean. Tomorrow, I’ll probably take the early afternoon to give it a good sweep and vacuum.
Yet with a good chunk of this desk in a better spot, I’m starting to think about what other things I can do here. I did mention the probable next piece of furniture would be an end table that sits between the left side of my couch and the wall. Since it has a USB charger (along with the normal one), I could set it up to charge my laptop. I’ll probably end up just using the normal charging outlet because I had issues with the power strips I recently got. But I might use the charger for something like my iPad. There’s a little basket underneath but I’m not sure what I’d do with the space just yet. I just know that I need more lighting on that side of the room.
Also, with the two monitor/laptop stands being unused, I’d like to figure out something for them. That’s partly why I wanted an extension to the left of this desk. I could still use both stands and just have them stacked on each other. I don’t know if that’s the best idea as it seems transient. But I would like to figure out other uses for them down the road (Lego?)
Maybe the one thing I’m not totally happy about is the feeling that I lost some space for food. While I have my cup holder, I don’t have that much space for meals. I probably shouldn’t be eating on my work desk (especially because I have a proper dining table not 6 steps behind me). However, I like eating at my desk because I have my computers here and I enjoy watching things on my monitors while I eat. Even with all the space savings, it’s still feels tight. The only way I can solve this is getting another monitor arm for my personal MacBook Pro. Again, that’s a project for the future.
Overall, I think the setup is far better than where I started. The floor having nothing on it besides my mat, the footrest and air purifier are huge wins. There’s still space for expanding and further clean up. For now, I think I’ll just let this ride until something like my carpal tunnel dictates another series of upgrades.