This video is brought to you by UGREEN Every year around this time, I try to create
a budget desk setup of some sort.
The goal is to present a great selection of affordable devices and accessories which you
can use for inspiration to improve or build your own productivity corner.
This time, things went a little different.
Instead of creating a single budget desk setup, I embarked on a journey to create 16!
That’s right.
Since my studio shares a wall with a boutique marketing agency, working literally in the
next room, I often have the pleasure of spending time with great young talents who happened
to share with me their current working layout problem.
The biggest concern and the main goal of the objective were to introduce 4 new desk spots
for people.
The oval shape of the room was comfortably accommodating 12 people, but as the team is
expanding, they wanted to have available desks for 16.
The caveat is that the new desks shouldn’t be at the expense of the current layout - meaning
I can’t spread out more in terms of space - and I’ll explain why towards the end of
the video.
The second tricky part was the budget.
As with everything in life, things had to be as affordable as possible.
So, I first evaluated
the place.
Next, I sat down to devise a plan.
We have 4 working areas that accommodate 3 people each for a total of 12.
The logical thing to do was to keep the 4 areas as is but optimize them to accommodate
4 people each for a total of 16.
Initially, I was thinking of getting the cheapest IKEA desks, which are the BEKANT series.
They are sturdy and robust and a smaller version is a shy over $300.
If we had to replace all desks and get 16 new BEKANT desks ($310 each), we would be
talking about $4960.
If we kept the current Alex drawers, which most of them have seen a better day, each
sitting area of 4 would take way too much space, and the overall concept wouldn’t
be possible - plus it would look hideous.
So, I figured that I should use the existing Alex drawers in a way that I can disguise
the wear and tear.
BTW, if you end up enjoying this video, subscribe, because WHY NOT?
Keeping the existing ALEX drawers led me to the idea of IKEA kitchen countertops in the
longest version of 98” - two of them for each area.
If we used KARLBY countertops, for example, with two Alex drawers in the middle and 2
MITTBACK trestles on each side, each person will have a bit more desk width than a small
BEKANT desk, whereas, for each countertop, we’ll be able to accommodate 2 people which
multiplied by two meant 4 desk setups.
The floor footprint will be way smaller also since we don’t have to deal with legs in
the middle and we are shaving some depth space (which we’ll compensate for, and I’ll
explain how a bit later) giving us a perfect alternative to each current working area.
If we draw the line, for 16 desks, we will need 8 KARLBY countertops and 16 MITTBACK
trestles totaling $3352 - savings of over $1600, and we get to keep, disguise and use
the current Alex drawers perfectly.
So
as it turned out, each SÄLJAN kitchen counter costs $99, which, compared to the KARLBY one,
is $200 less.
If we run the calculations with the MITTBACK trestles, we are talking about not $3352 but
a total of $1752 for 16 desks - that’s amazing.
With such a great bang for the buck, we have plenty of room to upgrade all chairs and add
some spices here and there.
Disassembling everything was really simple, and assembling the new desks was straightforward.
Since we are prototyping and building only this area, we had to assemble 4 trestles and
4 chairs only.
Since many of the people working in this office are using MacBook Airs, plenty will require
additional ports, especially the occasional access to USB-A, while others who are using
dual-monitor setups will definitely need a good solution, so for those reasons, we are
hooking up each desk with a UGREEN 9-in-1 Docking Station.
The laptop USB-C port on this docking station supports media display to dual monitors up
to 4K@60Hz where one can choose to mirror or extend the content.
Also, with its single usb-c, people will be able to connect their monitors and most devices
thanks to the included ports.
[2x HDMIs, 2x Display Ports, power delivery, 2x USB A 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB C 3.2 Gen 2, and
even 1x gigabit ethernet port].
With the USB 3.2 Gen 2 Ports a 20GB transfer takes mid 20 seconds, which is more than enough
for everyone around the office.
The great thing about the dock is that it supports up to 100W charging to the connected
laptop, so if you have a similar office or home desks setup, be sure to check out the
first link in the description below to grab the UGREEN 9-in-1 Docking Station yourself.
To ensure everything is tied up and looks as clean as possible, we installed 4 IKEA
cable organizers underneath each desk.
People who use the USB-C generation of MacBook Airs will have no problem drawing power directly
from each dock, while those who use the older Airs will need to run a second charger from
the organizer on the bottom so that everything is MagSafe plug-and-play on top.
The monitors that the team was hooked up with based on my recommendation are the LG 27UL550s,
which are still the Amazon’s choice with thousands of 5-star ratings.
The 27UL550 is a 4K 27” IPS panel that uses the same display technology from the more
expensive relatives but in a much more affordable package.
Part of the savings come from the fact that the monitors don’t provide power, which
at a price of only $300 is expected.
The reason I recommended them this monitor was because of the mix of older and newer
MacBooks.
If you have a desktop machine, this is also the logical choice of a display since it makes
no sense to pay extra for 60W power delivery on a tower.
With this monitor and the UGREEN hub, the team is covered and future-proofed.
As I mentioned earlier, to compensate for the 9” shallower tabletop, we are elevating
all monitors on monitor arms.
This way, there will be plenty of space for all sorts of creative needs where people can
choose to use only the laptops, the laptops, and monitors as dual setups or clamshell mode
when preferred.
The arms that we picked up locally are very basic and are similarly priced as the Amazon
basic arm, which I’ll link below alongside all the other bits and pieces that we’ll
use.
Although they are great, I’d always go for something a bit taller, but unfortunately,
that was not something that we could acquire on time.
For a chair, my personal experience is that nothing can beat the IKEA MARKUS.
We’ve been using them for years, and although they’ve been through a lot, there have been
0 complaints - no rattle, no squeak, and plenty of comfort.
The chair is wide and deep enough to accommodate comfortably more compact and substantial fellas.
The cushion is soft and becomes even more comfortable as time goes by.
The back and neck support is fantastic, and the ability to lock it inclined in different
positions is one of my favorite features.
What would make this chair the ultimate recommendation on my side would be an upgrade in adjustable
armrests if IKEA decides to do so in the future.
The fixed ones here are not the best, but still…very, very good office chairs.
For $290 each, this is the largest investment in the 16 desk setups, but to me, those chairs
make perfect sense and are worth the comfort and back support.
Of course, we had to spice things up in terms of extra features and decoration.
We grabbed four of IKEA’s LÅNESPELARE cup holders and ordered another 12 alongside all
the other items to complete the rest of the 12 desks.
These cupholders fit perfectly on the outside corner of each desk and can be used to hold
water bottles and even large cups, thanks to the clever cup handle cutout.
When there’s nothing to place inside, one can always use the cupholder to accommodate
a small plant.
As a final touch, for those who prefer to work in clamshell mode, we ordered simple
laptop vertical stands to increase the tabletop real estate even more.
To make things cozy topside, I am hooking up each desk with one of my own products - the
ENOUGH mouse pad.
To eliminate any need for kneeling under the
desk should a cable fall down, we installed small sticky cable holders where people can
tuck their monitor and power cable in.
Since we built the first 4 desks over the weekend, the reaction of everyone the following
Monday was more than enough for me.
Everyone really enjoyed the makeover, and the rest are now waiting for the rest of the
new desks.
The get a perspective, the use case is as follows.
If I were to work there, as soon as I step into the office, I would leave my backpack
on the trestle - no more leaving it on the ground or someplace else.
As soon as I sit, I can use the monitor in clamshell mode as a dual setup or minimal
- laptop only.
The position of the desks is great as people can sit and group each other depending on
the project they work on, allowing them to separate and isolate themselves with the help
of the monitors or, when needed, gather together in the middle to brainstorm and meet.
Additionally, since not everyone is taking full advantage of the Alex Drawers, some double
desks can use a single Alex drawer per desk, leaving even greater foot space.
We plan to add some other clever makeover improvements to other sections of this room,
like creating a smart meetings corner, as well as a very inspiring chill area.
If you want me to create videos about them, let me know in the comments below.
Like and subscribe to the channel, as well as my newsletter, and as always, it’s been
an absolute pleasure, This is E
Over & Out