9 ways to revamp your home office

September 5, 2021

By Kim Komando

Is your home office environment feeling a little stale? Rearranging furniture not enough to get that comfortable office feel?

You know what you’ve got to do. It’s officially time to upgrade. But did you know you don’t have to break the bank to get the office of your dreams?

With just a few small changes, you can relax in comfort with technology that makes you feel more comfortable and looks amazing. Here are a few affordable ways to revamp your home office.

1. Start with a new workstation

The biggest change you can make to your home office is replacing your old, worn-out desk. This CubiCubi study computer desk is sturdy with its black metal frame, and it offers a rustic tabletop look. It comes with an additional storage bag that attaches to the side, perfect for school supplies, office supplies, snacks or general desk clutter. An iron hook can be attached to hold cords, a headset, your purse and more.

Promising review: “I’m glad I purchased this desk because it is so well-made. No wobble at all — just a good, strong desk to hold my things! Everything I needed to assemble the desk was included in the box. I highly recommend this desk.”

2. Get the support you need

One of the best upgrades you can get for your home office is a comfortable chair. When you’re staring at your screen for several hours every day, it’s important to have lumbar support, a high-density sponge cushion and flexibility. This chair promises a 360-degree swivel, breathable mesh material and 125-degree tension control, so you’re comfortable, can rock and can spin around when you need a minute to think.

Promising review: “I went with this chair because the price was right. I’m so glad I did, too! The back is mesh, and the way it’s curved makes for the most relaxing and comfortable experience while I’m crafting. I use this chair for up to 9 hours a day, and let me tell you, there is no complaint here! I highly recommend!”

3. Capture your best side

Are you tired of all your video calls capturing you in shadow? Say goodbye to dingy lighting and hello to this dimmable desk ring that comes with a tripod stand and phone holder. Attend meetings with the perfect lighting so your boss can see you’re really paying attention. This is especially helpful when you need to hold notes or show off your pet during video calls. Use it to record videos for your social media after work, or use the light source as a lamp. The possibilities are endless.

Promising review: “This is a perfect desktop ring light for teleconferencing. It comes with a small but stable desktop-appropriate-height tripod with a switch to control the intensity and color of the ring light. It has a convenient holder for your camera phone. Very easy to set up and delivers all it advertises.”

4. Add some character

When you’re tired of showing off your home in the background during all those work meetings, go for a newer, fresher look. Try this 7×5 backdrop that looks like you have an enormous yard and gorgeous French sash windows. It makes your home look bigger and your office more professional. It’s also ideal for any videos you want to post on social media, portraits to take or a general display when you’re online.

Promising review: “I recently started working from home and am on quite a few video calls. The backdrop serves two purposes: One, it makes the office feel like it has a great view of the backyard, and secondly, it adds a comfortable aspect to the video call, not a cold wall or a static picture. It’s a neutral piece behind me.”

5. Have fun with your space

If you like switching up your backdrops, or if you’ve decided to invest in a green screen, don’t forget to buy an adjustable backdrop stand. This kit comes with a carrying bag to help you get the perfect backdrop wherever you go. While this is ideal for workspaces, you can also use it for taking family pictures, holding a projector screen on movie night and more.

Promising review: “Worked well for my backdrop. I do candy/dessert tables for parties and special events. This stand works well for how I need it. Easy to assemble and take apart. Very easy to transport. I’ve only used it on lightweight backdrops.”

6. Safety first

When you buy a new desk, it makes sense also to buy a leather desk pad protector. Keep surfaces scratch-free with this waterproof pad. But it isn’t just for your desk. Use it on countertops, kitchen tables, side tables and more. It comes in a variety of colors to suit your tastes and has a nonslip friction-resistant underside.

Promising review: “We wanted an inexpensive and attractive desk pad to protect the desk while working from home on a new desk. These pads are not fancy, but they are durable, attractive and have a soft backing that keeps them secure on the desk, as well as being gentle on the wood. The top side looks exactly like the photos — nice, even coloring and a soft leather feel. It provides a little padding for a laptop on the desk and eliminates the need for a mousepad.”

7. Listen to meetings and your music

One of the best ways to revamp your home office is to purchase new speakers. These provide strong bass and feature blue LED accent lights for a modern look. The bases come with scratch-free padding and you don’t even need to download drivers. Just plug them in and play your favorite music while you work, or use them to project strong sound during meetings.

Promising review: “Amazon Basics has done it again! These are amazing speakers and have good sound. I bought them for my work computer, so I didn’t want anything huge but still wanted good quality. These are the perfect compact speakers. Both have a blue halo around the base, which looks nice but isn’t distracting. The volume control is a knob that is actually inline in the wire cable going to the first speaker.”

8. The perfect desk topper

It can be hard to get the right lighting when your desk is overrun with paperwork, supplies and necessary gadgets. Not anymore. This AFROG LED desk lamp works as both a slim, space-saving lamp and as a Qi charger for your smart devices. You can control five different lighting modes with a touch and includes a 5V/2A adapter for fast wireless charging.

Promising review: “I bought two — one each for two of my grandkids. I had built them each a desk and wanted a desk lamp that didn’t take a lot of room. The lamp puts out plenty of light for them to do homework. It’s nice that it has various color temperatures and a timer so they could even use it as a nightlight. The built-in USB charger is a plus.”

9. Capture crisp, clean video

This HD webcam is the perfect new camera for your video calls. It offers full HD 1080p video calling and records at 30 fps. The camera can autofocus, so it adjusts to get the best quality even if you’re in low light. The built-in microphone can easily pick up your voice up to 3 feet away, and the XSplit VCam can remove, replace or blur your background without a green screen.

Promising review: “Plug and play works well, so setup was easy. Using Logitech capture and two C920s, I was able to create a simple video of a lab experiment for remote learning. Camera quality was outstanding and the auto focus feature worked flawlessly. The stereo mic is also excellent and picks up my voice clearly for all my online meetings and classes.”

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