Home Office and Desk Tour 2022

In 2015, I was using a simple Ikea desk that was barely strong enough to hold my iMac and monitor. A lot has changed since then, but before we jump right in, thank you for dropping by and welcome to my little corner of the internet. My name is Matt, and I enjoy sharing product photography on Instagram, and occasionally, creating videos on my free time. Well anyways, let's take a look at what my office looked like throughout the years. Every few months, I'd made minor changes here and there, from a corner desk to a dual standing desk. The biggest change came when my wife and I decided to paint the entire interior of our home white. We originally had beige walls, so the fresh coat of white brightened up our home significantly. As for my office, I was still moving things around, still testing out different arrangements. I also kept upgrading my monitor, going bigger and bigger each time. And after years of living with this beige tile flooring, I disliked the way it looked in my office. To cover up the tiles, I added a large gray rug that was a budget-friendly temporary fix. And then, in October of last year, I decided it was time to upgrade the flooring. After a couple of months of researching, I settled on the life-proof flooring from Home Depot. These luxury vinyl planks are 100% waterproof, and they can be installed directly over the tiles. Once the flooring was completed, I had another project that I've been putting off, to convert my current uplift desk to an L-shaped configuration. I received the kit a few months ago, but haven't had time to install it. But since everything was already out of the office, this was the perfect opportunity. After working on the desk for a couple of nights, and another week or so reorganizing my things, my office was finally completed, and this is what I ended up with. Okay, so my office doesn't look exactly what I just showed you, because the first half of the video was shot weeks ago. Since then, I've gotten a few new accessories. We will revisit the desk area a little later, for now, I like to start with this Ikea shelf. I really like this shelf for its steel construction, and you can add additional drawers if needed. The drawers can also be installed just about anywhere, from top to bottom. By having the lenses out in the open, I can quickly switch between them when needed. And since a majority of my photography focuses on products or my desk space, this makes it really convenient. To add a bit of cushion underneath the lenses, I am using a spare desk mat that I had from DeltaHub. On the remaining shelves, I keep a motorized slider, couple of spare cameras, and other miscellaneous stuff. I also have two Edifier MS50A Wi-Fi speakers, one on this shelf and another across from this one, which we will get to in a moment. Not only are the speakers wireless, but they are connected to Wi-Fi, supports Airplay 2, and are wirelessly paired up for a stereo setup. They sound really good for streaming music. In the far left corner sits a Divoom Picsu Max, a 9.6 inch smart pixel LED display that you can customize to showcase a variety of art. By using the app, there are thousands of artwork you can download from a community of creators, or even create your own. I change it up probably once a month. You can also use it to display a clock or even the weather. In the top drawer is my tripod stash. Over the years, I accumulated quite a few, and surprisingly, I still use each one from time to time depending on what I'm shooting. When I'm traveling, I usually carry the Peak Design tripod. It's ultra compact, weighs less than 3.5 pounds, and can deploy up to 60 inches in height. The ergonomic adjustable ring on the compact ball head allows you to quickly adjust the camera's position. This tripod is also available in carbon fiber, and it costs nearly twice as much as this one, but you do get to shave off a little over half a pound in weight. Now, over to the bottom drawer. It may look a bit messy, but this is where I store all of the random camera accessories. You never know when you may need some random parts, so I try to hold on to everything just in case. Below the drawers, I have an inkjet and laser printer, and the SteelSeries Nimbus gaming controller. This controller was designed for gaming on the iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV, and the limited edition white was only available at the Apple Store. I rarely play games, but when I want to relax or take a break from work, an hour of asphalt never hurts. It still surprises me how great the graphics look, especially on the M1 iPad Pro. And if you were wondering why I have a pair of shoes sitting here, they're nothing special. I scored a deal on them during the holidays and just haven't had a chance to wear them yet. I almost forgot to mention that behind the IKEA shelf, I install the KASA Smart LED Light Strip by TP-Link. The light strip is 16.4 feet, and they fit perfectly to illuminate the sides and the top. The lights offer a full range of RGB colors, but I just prefer a simple white, although they may look a little bluish on camera. I have a second one here that I will soon be installing for the other shelf. It shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to get everything set up. All of the lights are controllable by voice, as well as with this, the brilliant all-in-one smart home control. My favorite feature about this controller is that it's connected to my Ring Video Doorbell Pro, so I'm able to see when a visitor is at my front door as well as communicate with them. If you would like to know more about which smart home devices I use, please check out the smart home tour video that I uploaded sometime last year. In the other corner, I have an identical IKEA shelf, and the first thing you'll notice are the three backpacks. The top backpack is the Provoke from Wondered, and the lower one is the Peak Design Everyday Backpack version 2. Both of these were designed for camera gear, and are made from premium materials. The Provoke bag is brand new. I never got a chance to use it, because when I got it, the pandemic happened, and since then, I haven't traveled anywhere. I also had quite a few people ask me what I'm using to hang the backpacks on the wall. I got these minimal hooks from no other place than IKEA, and they come in a pack of two for only $2. Available in black or white, these are powder coated galvanized steel, and they are super easy to install. The third backpack hanging is the 2Me Davis, my everyday work bag. This is the one I carry on a daily basis when I commute to the office. This backpack has shown no signs of aging, even after using it every day for over 3 years. It has a slim profile with plenty of storage, and a dedicated compartment that can hold up to a 15-inch laptop. Since I didn't have any more wall space to add another hook, I purchased this nifty little desk clamp from Amazon. You can use it to hang just about anything, like your coat or even a pair of headphones. In my case, it was perfect to attach to the shelf and hang my backpack. One of the most useful accessories that I have come across is this clock, the Sandman Doppler. It is a smart clock with a handful of features, including built-in speakers, Alexa, auto-dimming display, and 6 rear USB charging ports. The cables from the back of the clock are routed right underneath and into the top drawer. I utilize the charging ports to keep a variety of batteries charged, such as for my cameras, studio lights, and other accessories. To the left, I have a few bins of just about any cables you can think of. You can never have too many cables, because I would always catch myself looking for something specific, and sure enough, it was here. I eventually do want to tidy up this area and find a way to make it more organized. The same goes for this drawer. If you follow me on Instagram, then you know that I feature a lot of different iPhone cases, and whenever I want to switch to a different one, this is where I keep them. Above the drawers, I have a few random items. The one that gets the most attention is this little mug with the Apple logo. I have a few friends that work at Apple, and they would always randomly bring me little gifts when they visit. I am not much of a hot coffee drinker. I personally prefer iced coffee, so I use the mug to display and store a few older Apple devices. Aside from having LED strips behind the shelf, the smart bulb from TP-Link helps with keeping this area well lit. It also helps with highlighting the lava ball from Zenlit. This thing is very unique. The upper half is made from real volcanic rock attached to an aerospace grade aluminum bottom. It has a magnetic stand that allows you to spin or rock it back and forth like a pendulum. You are supposed to mount the stand using the included adhesive, but since I'm always moving things around, I decided not to do that. And this little thing is the Revolve tray box. The tray swivels open to reveal my little collection of Apple watch bands. The bottom half of this box is made out of aluminum, and it's got some weight to it. The Apple Link bracelets are hands down my favorite bands. They are surprisingly very comfortable for everyday wear. But lately, I've been wearing the Midnight Leather Link. Since this room did not have a closet, I added this IKEA wardrobe to use for storage. I didn't like the original knobs that came with it, so I ordered these from Amazon and they look so much better. So what is it exactly that I keep in here? All kinds of things. For starters, lots of boxes because I tend to hold on to all of them. I get new accessories often, so by having the original boxes, it makes it a little easier to resell products I no longer use if needed. There's also a bunch of extra items like spare keyboards, mouse, microphones, and a few bins full of power banks, charging docks, power adapters, etc. When it comes to little accessories, I am definitely a hoarder. The other side is also full of boxes, a few camera accessories, and other miscellaneous items. I won't spend too much time, but here's a sneak peek. In this corner, I have the Govee Lyra floor lamp. I really like the modern minimal design, and instead of facing the light towards the wall, I decided to face it outwards. The lamp is controllable via the remote or with the Govee app. When using the app, there are countless lighting effects to choose from, and you can even create your own patterns. Here's a quick example of one of the effects that you can select from. The lamp also works great during the day when I'm at my desk. This is the Uplift V2 commercial standing desk with an L-shaped configuration. Before I converted my desk to an L-shape, the original dimensions of the desk measures 72 inches wide by 30 inches in depth. After installing the Uplift 3-legged conversion kit, I added a return side that measures 48 inches by 30 inches. The edge closest to the window now has a combined length of 78 inches, and the area where I sit has now been reduced to only 42 inches wide. So keep in mind that if you are planning to use an L-shaped desk, you gain extra surface space, but you lose space at the seating area depending on your desk dimensions. The desk is equipped with three motors and has a lifting capacity of 535 pounds. You can preset up to four different positions, which is useful if more than one person is using the desk. With a tap of a button, I'm able to adjust the height from about 25 inches up to 50 inches. And if you are curious about how sturdy it is, I can assure you that it is pretty solid. It does help that the tabletop is solid wood, and the stability crossbar that is attached to the frame definitely adds extra support. I also customize it to have soft rolling casters, and I can't tell you how many times I put them to work. Without these, it would be a pain to move the desk. The monitor of choice is the LG 49WL95C-WE. It is a 49 inch ultrawide with a resolution of 5120x1440. I love having the massive screen real estate, and with a single monitor setup, there are less cables to manage. To keep the desk space even more clutter-free, I removed the original stand and attached the monitor to an Ergotron HX arm. If you have a large or heavy monitor, this is one of the best monitor arms you can buy. This arm isn't cheap though, but it can support monitors that are up to 42 pounds, and unlike my previous arm, this one can keep any tilt angle firmly. Behind the monitor, there are two smart RGB light bars that project towards the back wall to create a nice working ambience. They are very similar to the Philips Hue Play light bars, but cost only a fraction of the price and does not require a hub. And if I feel like adding some colors, I could easily do that with these along with all the other lighting in my office. I know that not everyone is a fan of RGB lighting, and I usually just prefer all white, but hey it's nice to have options. The Nanoleaf elements is also something I really enjoyed having. It is not their traditional RGB panels, but instead, it offers warming colors on a wood-like hexagon. Not only do the panels react to touch, they are compatible with a variety of smart home controllers. You can customize and adjust the colors between warm and cool whites. And can you believe that it took me over 2 hours to come up with this design? The combination were endless, and I wanted to make sure I installed them correctly the first time. Above the monitor sits the Anker B600 all-in-one video bar webcam. This thing has so many features I didn't even know you can have on a webcam. It has built-in speakers, an adjustable light, AI noise cancellation, multiple mics, and a 1440p resolution camera. And you may have noticed a few interesting frames displayed on the back wall. At a glance, they may look like printed photographs, but they are actual parts that were disassembled and meticulously restored and arranged into a collage frame. These collectible frames are available from Grid Studio, so if you want to check them out and see what else they have, I'll leave a link in the description below, along with everything else mentioned in this video. And no desk is complete without a desktop organizer. This one is from The Artifox. The top is solid hardwood and a walnut finish with a powder-coated black steel surface. Artifox offers a variety of magnetic accessories that can be attached to the surface. I also added their paper tray and used them to store miscellaneous accessories. There is also a steel shelf in the middle that I used to keep my 14-inch MacBook Pro, a Satoshi Thunderbolt 4 dock, and a CFexpress Type-B card reader. After upgrading to the Canon R5, I needed a new card reader, so I purchased this one from Ritz Gear off of Amazon. It was around $40 and it's been working perfectly. And thanks to the Satoshi Thunderbolt 4 dock, I only need a single cable to power everything. This dock offers up to 96W power delivery, as well as multiple ports, in which I use pretty much all of them. The only thing I dislike about this dock is that the host port is on the front, but other than that, it's a must-have accessory. The brain behind my setup is the 14-inch base model MacBook Pro with the M1 Pro chip. The 14-inch MacBook Pro is one of the best purchases I've made to date. Having owned a 13 and 15-inch in the past, the 14-inch hits the sweet spot for me. I use it to edit all of my video content for YouTube and Instagram, and so far, it performed without a hiccup. Another great tool for editing is this controller, the Loupedeck Live. By using the Loupedeck application, you can fully customize the buttons and knobs to improve your workflow. Although I'm still a novice at using it, I really enjoy the controls that are offered with Final Cut Pro, the main program I use it with. Instead of clicking around on the mouse, the knobs allow you to dial in your settings for a more precise control. Whether you are a professional photographer or filmmaker, or even a wannabe creator like myself, the Loupedeck Live is quite simple to use after you get the hang of it. To keep my phone fully charged at all times, I use the Apple MagSafe charger with the brass Grovemade stand. The base is made of solid brass, and the whole thing weighs close to 3 pounds. If you are familiar with Grovemade, then you know that the quality on all of their products are exceptional. They really mastered how to combine different materials to create beautiful yet functional desk accessories. The hefty design helps with keeping the charger stable, so when you are grabbing your phone, it stays in place. I am also using the Grovemade Medium Size Matte Black Desk Pad. I've had it for almost a year, and it's held up quite nicely. The top layer is made from linoleum, a material that consists of all natural ingredients and is often used for flooring. It's durable, anti-static, and fingerprint resistant. And the bottom is made out of cork, and provides a decent grip compared to other desk pads I've used before. The top surface works really well as a mouse pad, and the Logitech MX Master 3 has been my all-time favorite over the years. I do not have plans on replacing it anytime soon. The Apple trackpad on the left is probably not necessary, but I use it mainly for gestures. And right now, I am loving the iQunix OG80 mechanical keyboard. There's just something about the frosted case with the RGB backlit that attracts me. I am not a keyboard enthusiast and know nothing about building a custom keyboard, but I did replace a few keycaps on this one though. I don't remember exactly what type of switches it has, but I think it's the TTC Speed Silver. Here's a sample of what they sound like. My other favorite keyboard is the Logitech MX Keys Mini. I love the slim and compact form factor, and I actually have two of them, one in gray and another one in black. I only use the gray one, so as a thank you for watching my video, I want to give one of you guys the black one, along with a gray MX Anywhere 3 mouse. The mouse is brand new, factory sealed, and the keyboard is also new, but I did open the box to shoot a couple of photos and then put it right back. All you have to do is leave a comment below with an egg emoji, and I will randomly select one of you guys a few weeks from now. The only thing is, you must live in the US or Canada, because shipping anywhere else will probably cost more than what both of these are worth. For voiceovers and video calls, I am using the Shure MV7 podcast microphone. I've only had this mic for a few months, and the voiceover for this video was my first time using it. The sound quality is clean and clear, and there are touch controls on top to adjust mic levels, headphone volume, and mute. The MV7 also features both a USB and XLR connectivity port. The only issue I had was that the included pop filter is a bit thin, so the Ps and Bs were quite plosive. So I added an additional spare pop filter I had over the original one, and the problem was resolved. If you heard my Ps popping in this video, it's because I was switching between the two, still testing each one out. Instead of using a mic stand, I opted for the Blue Compass Boom Arm. Not only does it look sleek and minimal, it moves very smooth and quietly. The arm makes it very convenient to grab the mic when you need it, and put it away when you're not using it. There is also a hidden channel cable management to keep things tidy. On each side of the ultrawide are the Harman Kardon SoundStix 4 satellite speakers. I wanted speakers that didn't take up too much space, and the translucent design on these gives it an airy feel. I also like that it's a 2.1 setup, and the subwoofer sits perfectly in the far left vacant space of the desk. Also on this side is the Satachi 2-in-1 headphone stand with a built-in wireless charger. The wireless charger at the bottom is magnetic, and outputs up to 7.5 watts. I mainly use it to keep my AirPods charged, but it can also charge your phone. On the back, there is a 5 watt USB Type-C output, so I can keep the AirPods Max charged when I'm not using it. With other headphone stands, the AirPods Max's battery would just slowly die, since it doesn't have a power button. But now, I no longer have to worry about that. My other pair of wireless headphones are the Shure Aonic 40. They are super lightweight and not only deliver studio quality audio, you can easily fold them up and carry them with you if needed. A feature I really like about these is that the USB-C port can be used for charging the headphones as well as connect to your computer. When I'm editing a video, I prefer having the headphones hardwired to prevent any audio delay. With active noise canceling and up to 25 hours of battery life, long-term usage is not a problem. And since these actually have a power button, I can turn them off and place them on the uppercase zero headphone stand, and not have to worry about the battery dying. Underneath the headphones is a very rare and limited item that I probably shouldn't use it the way I am right now. The Designed by Apple in California book was released back in November 2016. Apple released this book in two different sizes, for $199 and $299. This is the larger of the two. It has been sold out since, and you can no longer buy it, but I did see a few on eBay that were going for over $2,000. Flipping through the pages of this book allows you to get a glimpse of Apple's history, and the evolution of their world-renowned products. After creating this video, I realized that it would be a wise idea to move this book elsewhere, because I have a candle right next to it. On a side note, check out this awesome flameless rechargeable electric lighter I got from Amazon. I think I paid around $14 for a two-pack, and it makes this electrifying sound when you fire it up. Pretty cool, right? Now watch how fast I can light up this candle. Okay, moving on. On the top drawer of this cabinet, I keep a few handy-dandy tools. These power tools are from Hotoo. They are pretty much the Apple of the tool industry. I use this one the most, the 12-volt brushless drill or screwdriver. With a built-in rechargeable 2,000mAh lithium battery, this drill can handle most jobs around the home, from assembling furniture to repairing a fence. The high-definition display allows you to adjust the desired torque from 1 to 30Nm. The powerful brushless motor provides a stable operation without sparks, even at the maximum speed of 1,400 RPM. I also designated the top drawer for my unboxing knives, starting with the Microblade 2.0, the Caligo, and my personal favorite, the Automatic Kershaw Launch 11. And below this drawer, well, there's nothing to see. But anyhow, the all-black embodied gaming chair from Herman Miller and Logitech's collaboration has always been on my radar for quite some time, so I finally decided to buy it last year. Is it comfortable? Sure. But I bought this chair for its unique yet recognizable look. I'm the type of person who finds any decent chair comfortable, no matter the price, so you can't take my word for it. Oh and by the way, I replaced the factory caster with ones I got from Enso. The Enso casters move much easier than the original ones. Most chair casters are pretty standard, so if you want to upgrade yours, definitely check these out. They look really nice and no tools are required to install them. They just snap on. Well that's it my friends. If you made it to the end of this video, I just want to say that I truly appreciate it. It took me three months to complete this office tour video because life has been busy. But anyhow, if you guys enjoyed it, please hit that subscribe button and give me a thumbs up. Okay, bye now.