After months of research and almost years of contemplation, I began my minimalist journey.
Sure it all starts in the head, but it was a little too difficult to start when I had to run the course.
So instead of purging everything from my closet to kitchen pantry to tech gadgets, I took it one step at a time, quite literally.
I picked areas and began with the home office, the one space in my home where I spend the most time.
The only way to give your cluttered home desk a minimalist makeover is to find and have a place for everything else. Declutter and ensure you only work with the basics. Curb your habit of bringing everything nearer to your laptop and your desk. Make sure you store your files, pens, and notebooks away from sight.
I learned early in my journey that the only way to get the minimalist look was to get the minimalist mindset. Organize. Organize and organize some more.
To begin your minimalist journey from your home office, try and analyze the nature of your work and start prioritizing the things that need to be on your desk.
That plate of mac and cheese you had for breakfast does not need to be on your desk, nor does a hundred bills you are trying to avoid.
If you primarily work virtually, prioritize cables and charging ports over a stack of books you will never open while at the desk.
This is, of course, easier said than done, but it is easier than it is difficult.
It would be best if you had a system and constant reminders of why you began this journey in the first place.
Read on to find out how I successfully brought minimalist vibes to my workspace.
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How does a Minimalist Office Desk Setup Change the Way you Work?
Choosing your home office to experiment with the minimalist look and lifestyle is a great choice.
It has personally been working out great for me. A clean and visually organized workspace to look at can result in greater concentration and a more focused workflow.
The lack of clutter inspires clarity of thought. You do not stumble around to look for your favorite pen or charge your laptop.
Instead, you will find everything you need, from files to equipment, much faster.
According to multiple recent research on the effects of our surroundings on our mental state, clutter can be detrimental to productivity.
Clutter causes distraction, which impairs our capacity to concentrate. It can lower your mood, especially if you place a high value on cleanliness, motivation, and productivity.
Clean lines and an abundance of white space are characteristics of minimalism. During the day, other tools and documents may take up part of that space, but it is only meant for temporary usage.
Those items should ideally have their own secure, out-of-sight storage.
If you want to keep things simple, you may even have an empty desk with only your laptop linked to a power source.
The biggest downside is that you may bend over, which is not the ideal ergonomic decision.
Spending countless minutes just looking for a piece of paper within piles of hapless clutter invites unnecessary and easily avoidable stress, frustration, and irritation.
Unsurprisingly, minimalist desk arrangements have become all the rage in modern offices to reduce clutter and enhance efficiency. It’s also a favorite among gamers and creative people.
Less clutter means more time to be creative, to explore your interests.
Simple Guide to Make your Home Office Desk Look Minimalist
Harness the joy of simplicity to create productive workspaces void of distraction.
Again, it does not take a whole army of builders and garbage can to get the minimalist look and feel for your home office.
A minimalist desk is not everyone’s cup of tea from the get-go. But it starts with simply knowing what you need and what you do not need;
1. Recognize the Clutter
If you look at your home office without deciding to go minimalist, then there is a high chance that you will feel everything on your desk is SUPER IMPORTANT.
Everything on your desk doesn’t have to stay there for months.
- Keep fewer things on your desk.
- Take a look at your desk. Anything you have not looked at or touched in the last week must go.
- Photos, calendars, books, and even food should all be regarded.
- It is time to remove it permanently if it is just occupying space.
2. Use Storage Boxes or Drawers
Putting things away into boxes is NOT CHEATING. It is smart. After all, you can’t get rid of everything you have not used in a while.
- Store things in the right place and keep everything you need to make them both accessible.
- Create less visual clutter.
- Label everything! So, you do not accidentally open a pandora’s box whenever you need anything.
- Take digital photographs of everything before your close the drawers and boxes. That way, whenever you need something, you can open a few photos and know exactly where to find things.
Related article: Should your Home Office Desk have Drawers?
3. Store Things Digitally
- Take notes digitally. There are great sticky-note and note-taking apps available for free. They take 3-4 KB of your cloud storage and allow you to go back and organize your thoughts better.
- Instead of having multiple photo frames, change your wallpapers every few weeks to appreciate the beloved memories.
4. Limit Computer Distractions
Believe it or not, your computer can be essential in helping to eliminate the clutter from your desk. Why?
Because it can be a significant source of distraction, help yourself by arranging everything on your computer desktop before or after you work on your physical desk.
- For starters, pick a simple non-chaotic, even monotonous, wallpaper image.
- Organize and store all unnecessary icons. You can start the next work day on a clear, clutter-free note.
5. Improve Lighting
An organized and well-managed office space in a dark corner would be a moot point.
- Add lamps or place your setting where light attracts you to the productive corner.
- Having an electric lamp that suits your style or invites you into space.
Find out about the best desk lights for your home office.
6. Cable Management
It makes zero sense to hide, categorize and organize all your belongings while still tangled up in a wired mess.
- Invest in good cable organizers and multi-plugs that are multifaceted. So you do not have to run around with cables every time a meeting starts.
- There are significant power switches and hiding options for the said power strips available in the markets that shorten and simplify your cable needs.
7. Habit Building
You would not believe how quickly a corner or space clutters up if you let your guard down. Once you have hammered in the minimalist choice,
- Always make it a point to remember why you made that choice in the first place.
- You must remember to remove any clutter consciously — the candy wrappers, the plates, the pencils, and so on, from your desk.
Having a minimalist setup is not a one-day effort. You have to be faithful every single day to your decision.
This is so that whenever you have to return to your working space, it always has room for your thoughts and work regime.
8. One Task at a Time
This is a social media nightmare, but you must learn to stay with a task one at a time despite the challenges.
- Instead of jumping from one task to another and bringing in whatever you need for multiple projects to your desk, finish one.
- Remember to always: begin one task, work on the same task, bring everything you need to your workspace, finish the task, and then clear up your desk.
- And repeat it over and over again until it becomes your natural inhibition.
Types of Minimalist Desks
You must select a desk according to how you will use it. Consider the shape, color, and dimensions of the desk. Drawers are great if you need extra storage.
1. L-Shaped Minimal Desk
Minimalist desk setup ideas shouldn’t’ be overlooked because you need more space. An L-shaped minimal desk setup will help you with better working space with better storehouse privileges.
Despite looking complicated to execute and assemble, you need two simple tabletops arranged to optimize your space and work.
Here are a few recommendations for you;
| L-Shaped Desk | Specification |
|---|---|
| Bush Furniture L-shaped Cabot Computer Desk | Sixty inches of space on each side with four USB charging ports. It measures 30.16"H x 59.45"W x 59.45L |
| Cubi L-shaped Office Computer Desk | Extra space for desk accessories and made from durable wood material. It measures 67"L x 47.3"W x 29.53"H |
| L-shaped Green Forest Corner Desk | Water and scratch-resistant, durable wooden desk can be switched from L-shape to U-shape. It measures 58.1"L x 18.9" W |
2. Minimal Corner Desk
Corner desks may be a space-saving solution in their simplest form or a sweeping suite of surface area in their more complex arrangements.
Depending on the size you choose, they can give you more desktop space in a smaller area or a big L-shaped spread. The fact that they can give more legroom is the finest feature.
Read more: Are Corner Desks Ergonomic?
3. Monotone Color Minimal Desk
Nothing is more minimal than going all-white or all-black for your desk. Just pick a color- the easiest would be a white or black desk.
You could even go for pastels or greys to match your favorite accessories and décor better.
If you want to take it to the next level, you can even opt for a similar color palette when choosing your gadgets.
4. Natural Wood Minimal Sitting Desk
Natural wood minimal desk setups work well with almost every piece of furniture, whether old or new. And this is true specifically for office furniture.
If you decide to go for a minimal wooden sitting desk, it’ll surely be one of the most elegant materials you can choose, but also it’ll match with literally anything you pair it up with.
5. Transparent Glass Desk Setup
Another great minimalist addition to your home office can be a transparent glass desk. A chic desk with a clean and smooth line is a must for the organized perfectionist.
Adding accessories in a popping color for your work will only accentuate the look.
6. Standing Desk Minimal Setups
Standing desks are an innovation for the fast-paced world.
Their multifaceted mode can be used in standing and seated working styles and will give you plenty of room to arrange the inevitable tidbits required for your project.
A minimalist dream come true!
Here are some recommendations for you;
| Product | Specification | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Fully Jarvis Standing Desk | Full electric adjustable desk height with four customizable memory presets. Height: 24.5-49.7" Weight capacity: 350 lbs |  |
| FEZIBO Electric Stand up Desk Frame | Four lockable casters and cable management with touch controller. Height: 27.36"-46.06" Width: 43.31"-59.05" Anti-collision technology |  |
| ApexDesk Elite Series Electric Height Adjustable Standing | A stable and quieter electric desk frame with a powerful dual-motor lifting system that offers 1.5" per second operation. Height: 29"-49" Weight capacity: 235 lbs |  |
Must-Have Accessories for your Minimalist Desk Setup in 2024
Furniture markets have adapted to the swooshing trends of minimalism. There are tons of desk options to help you store and organize your work setup.
After picking the right desk, a workspace must be as clean and aesthetically pleasing as your projects and work are.
Choosing the right sized desk is one of the most important factor and a step forward to minimalism. Read more to learn more about home office desk.
It sounds like accessories and minimalism clash on the concept level, but they will only accelerate the process and simplify your life with the right tools.
1. Desk Lamp
Get rid of your need to add a flashing backlight. Add a sleek, small desk LED lamp for optimum functionality and style.
This can be especially handy for note-taking with a pen or pencil and paper during meetings and strategizing.
Some of my recommendations are;
| Products | Features | Product Image |
|---|---|---|
| Ottlite Wellness Series | An award-winning Glow LED Desk Lamp with CRI 97 and 5000K temperature designed to reduce eyestrain by 51% |  |
| BenQ e-Reading Desk Lamp | A perfect task lighting desk lamp that can be adjusted to ambient lighting and from warm to cool. |  |
| Dyson Lightcycle Morph | A 3-point revolve motion light that connects to your smartphone—adjusted to ambient lighting whenever needed. |  |
| LEDGLE LED Desk Lamp | A smart desktop LED lamp that combines direct and indirect light output perfect for workspaces. |  |
2. Filing Cabinets
Filing cabinets are compact accessories that easily store your documents and keep them accessible and within your reach.
They won’t take up too much space or clash with your decor if you pair them up with your minimal desk early on.
Some of the best filing Cabinets for your minimalist home office are:
Do you wish to keep your records secure by adding fireproof file cabinets? Well, check out our new article: Are File Cabinets Fireproof?
3. Gadgets
Bluetooth is a boon when it comes to the minimalist desk setup. Get some small Bluetooth speakers and a keyboard to put them away when you don’t need to.
I recommend,
- Digital clock
- PYLE mini projector
- Echo speakers
- Logitech Bluetooth Keyboard
- Blue Key World Cable Organizers
- JOTO Cable management sleeves
4. Indoor Plants
Plants can liven up and energize any workspace, even (convincing-looking) fake plants that require zero maintenance.
Consider using neutral-colored planters for small and large office plants.
Let only a couple of small plants stay on your desk. This will liven up your minimal setup and give it a hint of that much-needed vibrancy.
Summary of Minimalist Desk Setup Criteria and our best preferences.
| Factors | Minimalist Desk Setup |
|---|---|
| Desk Color | Monotone Color (Preferably All White or All Black, Natural Wood) |
| Desk Type | L-Shaped Desk for Minimalism |
| Desk Lighting | Minimal Desk Lamp with neutral white color temperature |
| Indoor Plants | Succulents with Ceramic Pot |
| Accessories | Place as less as you can. Accessories preferably Speaker, Ergonomic Keyboard, Cable Organizer) |
| Equipment's | Lateral Filing Cabinets, Pen Holder, Desk Organizer |
Final Thoughts
Going about minimalism isn’t a one-off effort. However, it is a beginning of a lifestyle, and starting it from a home office space comes with great rewards.
From feeling great about your work to having literal space for whatever is going on in your life visible in front of you, a minimalist workspace is a way to go if you are tired of everything cluttered.
Consider the abovementioned considerations when setting up your minimal work desk at home.
A minimalist work desk will be less work and give you value for your money.
The minimal desk will be a powerful tool to establish a comfortable and fruitful workspace.
A clear and visibly arranged office desk will provide non-distracting peace of mind that will only contribute to your creative side and productivity.
Isn’t that worth all the trouble for you and your projects?
Standing up and walking to a different area for anything else you need is great for taking short breaks and keeping your desk clutter-free.
Separate work and play regulate productivity and mental health but promote a minimalist work desk environment too!
Minimalism is about having less things but it’s also about being mindful and making room for things that truly matter.
