Create a solid foundation for your desk space with these 6 essentials.
Whether you want to spice up your desk space or create the gaming setup you’ve always dreamt of, here are a number of ways and products you can use to spruce up your on-desk work and gaming space.
Disclosure: This post does contain affiliate links for which I may receive a small commission from when you purchase through the links below at no additional cost to you. These are all products that I personally recommend. Thank you.
1. Desk Space Lighting
Adding lighting such as RGB is a staple lighting technique plenty of gamers use for their setup, whether it be using light bars, panels or RGB strips. It doesn’t just have to be for gamers either – RGB can help elevate any workspace.
Here are the benefits of RGB Lights:
Illuminate your gaming/work space creating an immersive or relaxing atmosphere
Be used for custom lighting making the space your own
Be a cost-effective energy saving alternative
If you want to know how to setup RGB LED lights, here’s some recommendations.
To keep your professional work space and gaming station reserved and sleek, I recommend hiding lighting behind or underneath items for the best effect. Here are some recomendations:
Around the Sides of the Desk
Tip: Stick RGB lighting to the back of the desk rather than the sides. Sides aren’t as subtle and can be harder to hide if you don’t have desk side storage.
Behind the monitors
Having ambient RGB LED lighting behind your monitors will help reduce eye strain during those late night sessions – plus they create a nice ambience.
Extra Tips and Tricks:
Use RGB Lights with diffuser channels to reduce ‘hot spots’ making the RGB Light strip appear evenly spread for a cleaner look.
Here are a few recommendations to get you started on your RGB addiction
Maybe you’re not a fan of RGB Lighting? If that’s the case, there are certainly other ways to keep your work and gaming space looking clean.
Using plants can be a perfect way to accent your desktop. Desk plants create a natural ambience that will complement all setups – especially wooden and all white themes.
Remember you don’t need to use real plants either! Fake plants are a great alternative for your home office space.
Number of ways you can use plants for desks
Desk Plants can be a centre piece for your office desks space. Whether it be under your monitor or sitting on either side of your monitor stand
Desk plants used as side accents – perfect to fill up room on the sides of your desk space
Desk Plants look great ontop of everything – On the top of your PC, Speakers or on-desk storage
Take a peep at the inspiration for some office desk plant ideas
1) Desk Plants on either side of the monitor
2) Desk Plants as side accents for the office desk space
3) Desk Plant on top of PC
Here are some recommendations of desk plants for your home office to get you started
Bluetooth or wireless products are a perfect way to keep your desk space looking clean and minimal. Wires can be messy and a nuisance to deal with, so why not get rid of them completely.
Wireless products you may like to look into:
Wireless Mouse
Wirless Keyboard
Wireless Headphones and Wireless speakers
Take a peep at the inspiration:
One of the drawbacks with wireless products is the higher latency or lag time. This basically means it takes a little longer for the computer to register inputs compared to wired products.
Wired products can be more beneficial for gaming, however, most people can’t visually see the delays making a wireless mouse and keyboard perfectly fine to use.
These are simple additions but they can be the difference between a clean looking desk space and a messy one.
Here are some affordable entry-level recommendations to get you started
If you don’t want to take the wireless route, there is always the option to manage the cables on your desk. Keyboard, mouse, speakers and computer cables can all be kept in order with a few simple solutions.
Here’s a bit of inspiration to help get you started
Tip: Use cable grommets or clips to keep your keyboard and mouse cables exactly where you want them.
Tip: Use cable sleeves to keep all your PC wires together making it easy to manage
Tip: Buy cleaner looking cables such as a coil cables for your keyboard.
Tip: Use velcro straps to secure cables to your monitor stand or the desk itself.
Here are a few essential cable management products to get your desk space clean and organised.
Monitor Mounts or Arms are a great option to clear room on your desk space. You can clamp them down to your desk
Benefits are:
More desk space – which is especially beneficial for those of you who clutter your desk when you’re working
Creates a clean and minimalistic look
Tons of adjustability to move your monitors into a position that is perfect for you
Generally, includes cable mangement in which you can run your monitor cables down the arm
Here’s a few examples and some inspiration
IMPORTANT THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING A MONITOR MOUNT / ARM
1) Buy an arm that can hold the weight of your monitor. Some can be either too heavy or too light for the mount – If you are unsure, check the weight of your monitor on the manufacturers website and make sure that it sits within the weight range of the mount you want to buy.
Tip: Some monitor arms for smaller screen sizes can hold the weight of larger screens as long as you stay within the weight range. This will save you a bit of money especially if you have a larger monitor.
2) Make sure your monitor is compatible with a monitor arm. Not all monitors are VESA compatible, meaning they do not have the available holes in the back ready for attachment.
Tip: If your monitor is not VESA compatible, you can search up “*insert your monitor model here* VESA adaptor”, which will show you an adaptor that will allow your to attach your screen to a mount.
Here are some affordable recommendations – Make sure these products will work for your monitor by following the tips above.
North Bayou Monitor Desk Mount
Holds screen sizes between 17-30″ and a weight capacity range between 4.4-19.8 lbs.
If you want the extra space but don’t want to spend money on a monitor arm, you can use a monitor riser.
A riser will let you use the space under your monitor for extra storage. They will elevate your work and gaming setups both figuratively and literally.
Monitor Risers will let you:
Store work items such as your laptop, paper, etc., giving you more desk space.
With a drawer provided, you can store your office essentials such as your pens and pencils.
Store away your keyboard and mouse for when you need more room in front of you.
Here’s a bit of inspiration
Risers add extra functionality and customizability to your setup. Definitely an underated item.
Take a look at a few of our recommendations to get you started:
Desk and mouse pads are the perfect items to fill the blank canvas in front of you.
Desk & Mouse Pad Benefits
Non-slip surface
Can dampen keyboard sounds and vibration
Prevents desk damage
Personalize the desk space in front of you
Defines your workspace keeping your focused and productive
Here’s a bit of inspiration – You can add a personal touch like the Gundam theme, or you can keep it minimalistic and sleep with plain solid colors.
Desk and mouse pads can really help bring your theme to life on the desk space in front of you. They are an iconic addition that can single handedly transform your gaming and work space. So what are you waiting for?
Remember you don’t have to buy everything on this list all at once. The best part about building your gaming and work setups is slowly watching it come together piece by piece!
What piece on this list will you add to your work or gaming setup first? Let us know down in the comments!
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