10 beautiful workspaces and office setups

A visual inspiration post collecting attractive desk, studio, and coding workspace setups.

What the good ones have in common

Collect enough desk photographs and the pattern is not a particular product but a particular restraint. The setups that hold up have one clear working surface, light coming from the side rather than behind the screen, and cables that have been dealt with rather than hidden in the frame.

Light, height and the screen

A monitor at eye height and a light source that is not directly behind it solve more comfort problems than any accessory. Most of the rest is personal: a second screen helps some people and distracts others.

Personality without clutter

The desks that look like somebody works at them usually have one or two personal objects rather than a shelf of them. A plant, a print, a good lamp. The visual interest comes from contrast between a plain surface and a small number of deliberate things.

Copying the principle, not the picture

It is easy to look at a studio photograph and conclude you need different furniture. Usually the transferable part is cheaper than that: clear the surface, fix the light, raise the screen, and put the cables somewhere.