Last updated: October 16th, 2026
You’ve finally convinced your boss to let you WFH. Now you can spend your Fridays and Mondays pretending to work.
And if you’re like most people, you’re about to convert your spare (read: small) room into a home office. If you’re smart, you’ll get the best standing desk you can afford – and a top-notch ergonomic chair.
But then you have the next problem – how to arrange them in your room?
Broadly, you have two choices – in front of a window or perpendicular to a wall. Each has its own pros and cons.
Above: Never sit with your back to the window. The screen glare will be impossible to deal with. Teleconference calls will also be challenging because the backlighting will make your face hard to see.
I’ve worked from home (and from various Digital Nomad-esque locations around the world) for the past 15 years, so I know a thing or two about getting this right.
(Related: How To Remove Gas Cylinder From Office Chair).
1. One Person In Front Of A Window.
Above: Boring desk setup with poor feng shui. Avoid.
The standard setup. One most people default to.
It only works if you have a bright, large monitor that can offset the abundance of light coming from the window. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a contrast problem, unable to see your monitor.
However, this setup can lead to poor feng shui – if the entry door is opposite the window. According to practitioners, you should never sit with your back towards the door – because it will make you feel vulnerable.
To make the most of this setup, you need to have a room with a window on the wall nearest to the entrance.
Above: Ideal setup if you want your desk in front of a window.
A layout like this has excellent feng shui, and leaves you with plenty of usable space behind the desk.
Expert Tip.
I recommend you use it to create a breakout area with a comfy couch, a coffee table, a plant and an armchair. A rug under all of these items will create visual separation of the area, further elevating the room.
Unfortunately, rooms with a window along the short entrance wall aren’t common. If you find one, consider yourself lucky.
Above: Ideal furniture layout for a home office with the desk facing the window.
Benefit: You look great on videoconferencing calls, and your nervous system appreciates the abundance of light.
Trade-Off: Doesn’t work well when your window faces directly east or west (you’ll get smashed by morning or evening sun). Creates a visually unexciting and unadventurous office. Poor feng shui.
2. One Person Perpendicular To The Window.
Above: Classic perpendicular-to-the-window setup.
I don’t love this setup because I don’t like staring at a wall all day. It makes me feel like a jailbird.
Moreover, I do a lot of video recording, and the cross-lighting unavoidable in this setup creates a harsh perpendicular shadow across my face. The light comes from the side and slightly from the rear, making the shadow particularly nasty.
But if your window faces directly east or west, this may be your only option.
Above: As with the layout above, you can spice this one up by creating a breakout area opposite the desk.
Benefit: You avoid direct sun. You could also become more productive – if you tend to daydream or stare out the window. If your window is on the broad (long) side of the room, you’ll have more usable space behind your chair (e.g., for a couch).
Trade-Off: Cross-lighting can make you look nasty on camera. The empty white wall in front of you can make you feel claustrophobic.
3. One Person In Boss Mode.
One of my favourite home office setups.
Fantastic feng shui, doesn’t make you stare into a white wall, and lends itself well to creating a visually strong layout.
Yes, the cross-light issue remains, but because the window is more likely to be directly to your side and to the front, the shadows across your face are softer.
Expert Tip.
I recommend you place a bookshelf behind your office chair for an even stronger composition, a skinny, long console opposite the window, and an armchair in the corner in front of the desk.
Above: I had this exact layout in one of my homes for years. Feel free to copy it – you won’t regret it.
Benefit: Your home office doesn’t look boring. You also get to show off the front angle of your office chair – which is usually its best.
Trade-Off: None.
4. Two People In Front Of A Window.
Sharing your home office with your wife or husband? You’re most likely to default to this setup. It has the same pros and cons as the one-person setup in front of the window.
Unfortunately you won’t be able to place the desk along the shorter wall – because you won’t have enough space to sit side-by-side.
So, you’ll have to accept poor feng shui and sit with your back to the door. Good news? You can stick an L-shaped couch in the opposite corner to make the room cosier.
Benefit: Plenty of sun, room for a break-out area.
Trade-Off: Sub-par feng shui.
5. Two People In Boss Mode.
The best setup for a couple sharing a home office. I recommend you place two standing desks next to each other to create an island in the middle of the room.
“But my office is too small!”, I hear you say.
There is a workaround. I discovered it while living with my wife in a 95-square-meter Bondi flat.
The key is to cut down the desks’ depth (or to order a custom-made one. Most standing desks come with a 150x75cm desktop. If you cut it down to 150x60cm, you’ll end up with a 300x120cm island that will work well in small home offices.
Above: The best home office setup for two people.
Benefit: Excellent aesthetic, optimal productivity.
Trade-Off: Not much space left in the room for anything else.
Steven
