

Ask HN: Looking to furnish our new office in NYC. Any suggestions, inspirations? - kvs

We are looking to furnish our new office for 7 in NYC. I am looking for budget furnishing ideas. Office has lot of windows and sun light. What are must haves? What are must avoids?<p>Seating and desk suggestions at budget (think IKEA budget not Joel Spolsky budget :-)) price. And in general, how did you furnish your office? Any recommendations to buy good used/refurbished office furniture in NYC etc.<p>Thanks in advance!
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dc2k08
I like what these guys did with cardboard:
[http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2009/march/step-
into...](http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2009/march/step-into-my-
cardboard-office)

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pasbesoin
I just recently began setting up an inexpensive (cheap) workspace. Here are a
couple of items and comments.

I'm fussy about desk height particularly with regard to typing/mousing
comfort. I wanted a desk having an adjustable height.

At IKEA, I found this tabletop. It's large, has a nice writing surface, and
has a rounded edge which adds greatly to working comfort. It was the largest,
cheapest top they had. It is pressboard, not solid wood. For me, it has a
pleasing if a bit "workroom" appearance. Note that, being pressboard, it will
not support heavy loads. I simply cannot e.g. sit on it, stand on it, etc. It
also might have difficulty with a monster CRT. Check the specified weight
limit.

Table top: VIKA PERSBO

<http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50071207>

For legs, I got lucky. The following trestle legs, normally $30 each (I seem
to remember $20, but the former's what the website says, now) were on sale for
$10. Note that they have adjustable height, and that the front and back
heights can be adjusted independently to place the surface on a slant, similar
to a draftsman's table (though more primitive).

The height is adjustable; however, I found that the minimum height is still
too high for my typing comfort (I like a lower surface). But, since the
trestle is wood, it's quite easy to simple remove an inch or two from the
bottom of the legs. If someone else subsequently wants to use the unit at a
more standard height, they can simply adjust the surface upwards.

Legs: VIKA ARTUR

<http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20070662>

To attach the top to the trestle legs, the trick I learned from an IKEA
employee is to use adhesive backed Velcro strips. That is how they construct
all their in-store set ups, and it is much more stable than the little "peg
fits into hole" method built into the construction and provided hardware.

For example:

<http://www.velcro.com/index.php?page=industrial-strength>

Product 90593:

[http://www.velcro.com/products.php?sortBy=category&catId...](http://www.velcro.com/products.php?sortBy=category&catId=51)

Refining their approach, mine was to figure out the position the legs would
occupy under the top. Figure out where the Velcro strips on the trestle top
will be; I left the screw heads visible for possible future disassembly. Make
them long enough to allow for some adjustment, e.g. 4 - 5 inches each.

Locate where the center of those strips will meet the underside of the top.
Apply the complementary Velcro material in strips running perpendicular to
this; again, make the strips long enough for some ad hoc adjustment.

Position the trestles. Match the top up with one trestle -- it helps to have
two people for this. Then adjust the other trestle as you lower the other
side.

The Velcro holds things together quite well.

As an alternative to the trestle legs, IKEA offers a variety of metal legs
that screw into the bottom of the tabletop -- the top is even predrilled in a
pattern that accommodates many of them. The cheapest of those legs are simple
metal tubes, at a fairly standard height, for $5 apiece. It appears they would
make an ok table, although not as stable as the trestle legs (which make a
quite stable unit). They can be lowered with a hack saw, if needed. IKEA also
has adjustable, individual metal post legs, but they feel too wobbly to me.
They have higher end leg pairs, including adjustable ones, that may be more
stable, but I was doing this on the (extreme) cheap.

So, to wrap up this overlong description, I have two of the Persbo tops, with
trestles, that I will use in an "L" shaped configuration. The each top is
large enough to easily accommodate a multi-monitor set up -- again, though,
check weight. Maybe buy and set up one unit, first, to make sure you are happy
with the results. If not, you still have a good, cheap work table -- maybe
drop the printer and other stuff on it.

I feel I went way over the top in my description, but I've been pleased with
the results so far, felt it was a good "hack" of my workspace, and enjoy
sharing knowledge I've won, of whatever sort. If you do give it a go and it
works out for you, let me know.

Oh, finally, re IKEA, prices, and "disposable" furniture. IKEA advertises that
many of their wood products are from sustainable lumber. But I just saw an
article recently that says this isn't necessarily true. They have only
something like 8 inspectors checking lumber sources, and this just doesn't cut
it. Probably, they are still ending up with a lot of black and gray market
lumber, including apparently stuff coming out of Eastern Russia. So... If you
buy / use their stuff, treat it like other, more expensive furniture: Maintain
it, and if/when you get rid of it, pass it on for further use and do not
simply junk it.

~~~
kvs
Thanks for the info. This seems like a good option. Any ideas on chairs?

~~~
pasbesoin
Keep your eyes open -- basic office chairs seem to often be on sale at one
place or another. And sale prices often seem to knock a significant percentage
off the normal price. People can be rather particular about their chairs,
though. Make sure whatever you get is comfortable. Some may want to pick or
bring in their own.

You'll also want to make sure they roll ok on whatever you have as a floor. It
gets tiring quickly if every tuck in to and every pushing back and standing up
is an effort. Chair wheels are one factor. But if the flooring is just
uncooperative, there are plastic chair mats that can help. They can also
protect less durable flooring, if that is a concern.

With the Persbo table/desk, if you try that route, I would suggest getting
just one at first and seeing what you think of it. Tastes and performance
needs vary, and I'd hate to steer you wrong if yours don't match mine. You
might also look at some of the other table tops, e.g. if you decide you need a
harder (laminate) surface or something capable of a higher load. Pay attention
to the edges, though. I find that sharp angles on the edges are significantly
less comfortable. I tend to lean on the table/desk edge at times, and they
really dig in, then.

Good luck!

P.S. Try typing on the Persbo top, as well, if you can. I realize now that
since it's lighter weight, it resonates a bit more with the typing and so
makes the typing sound somewhat louder. Especially in a shared workspace, this
might bother some people (I know others' typing noise bothers me; however, the
workspace I described is my own, private one, so this is not a factor for me
in using the Persbo top).

