Meet the Expert
With over 17 years of experience designing workplaces across the nation, Becky Pippenger is a passionate designer, leader, and mentor. As MOI’s Director of Design, she manages over 25 designers across all four MOI locations. Becky’s passion for creating beautiful spaces that also meet our clients’ functional needs can be seen throughout each project.
As we all continue to adapt to this new style of hybrid work, we thought Becky would be the perfect person to share insights on creating your home office. Take a look at some of her top suggestions for making your hybrid workstyle work for you!
What are your thoughts on having a height-adjustable desk at home?
Not everyone needs to stand while they work, so while a height-adjustable desk is nice to have (and recommended for healthy work options), it’s not a necessity. It’s more critical that your desk is at a proper working height (28”-29”) and your chair is an ergonomic task chair. If you do purchase a height-adjustable desk, please do yourself a favor and purchase a decent cushioned floor mat to stand on. It makes all the difference in the world!
Do you have any tips on choosing an ergonomic chair?
A comfortable and ergonomic chair is different to everyone because everyone is different. Tall people need different options than short people – there is no one size fits all chair. Make sure you can “test drive” a chair before purchasing. If not, make sure the chair you purchase is returnable. Look for a chair that is adjustable in multiple ways (arms, seat depth, recline, height, etc.). Just because your friend loves their gaming chair does not mean that you will find it comfortable too.
What items do people often forget when setting up their work-from-home space?
People often forget about the number of outlets they’ll need for the various items on their desk. Make sure you purchase a decent power strip with a long cord so you can plug in your laptop, monitor, lamp, and phone charger. We tend to run out of outlets very quickly in a home desking situation.
What items are worth splurging on?
If it’s in your budget, a height-adjustable desk is a great addition to your home office. I would also suggest splurging on a mobile pedestal for added storage and to reduce any unnecessary clutter on your desk.
What small items make the biggest impact?
An external webcam can really improve the quality of your video calls and are often very affordable. Lighting can also make a big difference, so I would suggest having a task light on your desk to ensure your face is illuminated during virtual meetings.
For people with a hybrid workstyle, what items would you recommend for easy storage when not in use?
Now that more companies are embracing a hybrid workstyle, people are carrying items to and from the office (or even a coffee shop) more frequently. I would highly suggest getting a zipper or drawstring bag to carry all of your cables and devices that go with your laptop. This ensures you never forget your charger or accessories when you’re changing locations. With that, I would also ensure you have a dedicated backpack or bin to hold your laptop, accessories, and supplies that can be easily relocated as you move from place to place.
