My Home Office and Studio Tour: A Creator’s Haven

As a Creator and Storyteller who tells stories online through video production on YouTube, creating content on Instagram, and writing on this blog, it's only proper that I talk about and show what my home office looks like. 

Let's start this way: I enjoy working in my home office. It's like how some people enjoy working on their cars. I also enjoy tweaking my setup to satisfy my needs and reflect my current interests.

My setup means more to me than just a place with a computer, a chair, and a desk. For me, it's like a creative spot, designed to reflect my personality and unique needs. 

Let’s dive into the details!

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Evolution of My Workspace 

As someone passionate about tech, I knew I'd work in tech, and I'd need a carefully curated workspace to enhance my productivity. 

I used to work at the dining table until 2019 when I decided it was time to create my work-from-home setup and move all my stuff away from the dining table. 

I started to consume a lot of content around home offices and desk setups, and I had ideas for how I wanted my ideal home office to look and feel. 

My current workspace was born when I moved into an apartment with a spare bedroom. I converted it into a home office and studio space. 

Over time, my setup has evolved to match my changing needs and preferences. Some items have been part of my workspace for years, while others are recent upgrades that have significantly improved my workflow. Here’s what I’m currently using and why I love it.

Office Size

3.3m x 3.9m

Different Corners for Different Purposes

My home office doubles as a filming studio for YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, so I aimed to divide the room into different sections, ensuring that each corner serves a specific purpose and offers potential filming angles.

Coffee Station

Mornings begin at my coffee station. It’s a simple setup featuring an espresso machine and an AeroPress, depending on the time available. This station occupies a small section of a custom-designed shelf built by a local carpenter. The open-top area displays design books, Funko Pop figures for a touch of personality, lenses, and other tech products. The lower section serves as storage for smaller tech and filming equipment. Because the shelf was constructed with metal, it’s easy to attach lights using magnets.

Productivity and Editing Station

This is the heart of my workspace, where I spend the majority of my time. As a digital product designer and content creator, I needed a setup that caters to both design and video editing. Some items in this station:

Monitor

Central to this station is a 38-inch ultrawide monitor, one of the oldest yet most reliable pieces in my setup. Purchased in 2020, this ultra-wide display with a 21:9 aspect ratio and 144Hz refresh rate has been a game-changer for both productivity and gaming. The factory-calibrated color accuracy makes video editing a breeze, allowing me to view an extended timeline for more efficient editing. Its 450-nit peak brightness ensures clear visibility, and the gentle curve is subtle enough not to distort visuals. It also provides ample space in creative software like Figma, Photoshop, and Lightroom. 

Since this monitor is quite heavy, I have it mounted on the Ergotron HX Monitor Arm, which supports up to 42 lbs. While a bit pricey, this arm has outperformed all others I’ve tested. However, if you're working with a smaller desk, be mindful that its base is chunkier than most.

For secondary screen needs, I either use my 12.9-inch iPad or the LG Gram 16-inch portable monitor, which I primarily use for testing live streams.

Links:

• 38-inch Ultrawide Monitor
• Ergotron HX Monitor Arm

Work Desk

My workstation sits on a 70x30-inch standing desk from Autonomous, an older model of their Smart Desk lineup. I initially got it in 2019 to create a proper work-from-home setup. Recently, I swapped out the original tabletop for a white wooden one due to wear and tear on the original surface. 

At the center of my setup is the Ugmonk Gather desk shelf, which replaced my previous walnut shelf from Grovemade. The Gather system is modular, allowing for custom organization with accessories like a MagSafe holder, storage containers for memory cards, and a pen holder. One standout feature is its magnetic surface, which keeps everything neatly in place. 

The Gather system is modular, allowing for custom organization with accessories like a MagSafe holder, storage containers for memory cards, and a pen holder. One standout feature is its magnetic surface, which keeps everything neatly in place.

Links:

• Standing Desk
• Ugmonk Gather Desk Shelf

Chair

My chair is the Haworth Fern. It offers excellent lumbar support, a breathable mesh backrest, and a seating pad that makes long working hours much more comfortable.

Cable management is handled with an under-desk cable tray, making upgrades seamless without dealing with messy tape or zip ties.

Links:

• Haworth Fern
• Cable Management tray

Tinkering Station

Even though I recently added this versatile corner, it’s becoming a favorite. It's where I assemble PC builds and keyboards, and it doubles as a setup for filming talking head videos. The desk is mobile, allowing me to reposition it as needed, and can be folded away to create more space when not in use. Above the desk are pegboards on the wall that provide a stylish way to organize and display tech items, including my keyboard collection.

Gaming Corner

This section is dedicated to relaxing and testing new technology. I went with an all-black theme to contrast with the main setup. It houses my latest PC build and serves as a secondary area for evaluating gaming accessories and PCs. To facilitate easy swapping and reviewing of monitors, I installed a quick-release latch on the monitor arm.

Audio & Recording Setup

I use the Rodecaster Duo audio interface for great audio in my videos and connect to my mic and camera easily. The Rodecaster Duo is a compact and powerful audio interface designed for content creators, podcasters, and streamers. It’s like an all-in-one audio control centre that makes recording and mixing super easy. 

It pairs perfectly with my Electro-Voice RE20 mic, giving me broadcast-quality sound without needing a bunch of extra equipment. Plus, it saves me time—since the audio is already crisp and clear, I don’t have to fix it in post-production. I chose the Electro-Voice RE20 microphone above because I loved the tone of my voice on it. Plus, it was perfect for shutting out background noises since it only focuses on sounds in front of it. 

My speakers are the Yamaha Hs5 studio monitors in white. They’re compact but powerful enough for music production. 

Links:

• Rodecaster Duo audio interface
• Yamaha Hs5 studio monitors
• Electro-Voice RE20 microphone

Lighting Setup

Lighting plays a crucial role in both my work and filming processes. I've integrated a combination of film lights and light bars from Amaran, along with bulbs and LED strips from LIFX and Philips Hue.

Amaran is my go-to because they produce budget-friendly lights of impressive quality for content creators. It’s owned by a company called Aputure. From Amaran, I have gotten the Amaran 300C, Amaran 100X, Amaran 150C, Amaran P60X, Amaran T2C, and Amaran PT4C. They’re all connected perfectly in the Sidus Link app, also produced by Aputure. 

Amaran 300C, for example, produces high-quality light output at a colour temperature range of 2,500k - 7,500k and I use the 100X to enhance the colour quality of my videos.

All of my lights are connected to my Google Nest Mini, so I can adjust them with voice control to create different moods for work or filming.

Links:

• Amaran 300C
• Amaran 100X
• Amaran 150C
• Amaran P60X
• Amaran T2C
• Amaran PT4C
• Phillips Hue Lights
• LIFX
• Google Nest Mini

Acoustic Treatment and Decor

To improve acoustics, I installed slat panels to enhance sound quality and add a visual connection between the walls. While my initial installation was imperfect, it was a learning experience in handling and installing wooden panels. I also replaced my living plants with artificial ones because the living ones didn’t survive having to be moved around so much for film aesthetics. 

Final Thoughts

At the start, I wish I'd known that not everything I saw on IG or YouTube was built in one day. This would've allowed me to build something I truly liked patiently.  Also, it would've saved me a lot of money to know that my needs and tastes could change over time. 

This way, I would've made room for those changes instead of just buying a bunch of things I didn't need because I'd seen them elsewhere. Now, I only buy things that work for me and my particular use case. While there are still some upgrades planned, this setup has proven to be the perfect balance of function and aesthetics.