Spec Me A Office Setup

Liquid_Entity · 12 Oct 2020 at 21:55

The room is 2.26m x 1.83m

I have about £400 - £500 to spend on everything and I need the following:

Carpet (and underlay) + fitting
Desk (for wfh on a laptop plus a mff pc with dj setup (controller, usb audio device)
Decent cable management system
Computer/DJ speakers
Dual Monitor Arm

Can it be done for my budget?

Quartz · 12 Oct 2020 at 22:07

Liquid_Entity said:
Computer/DJ speakers

Headphones. The rest of the household and your neighbours will thank you. Otherwise go to your local charity shop.

Liquid_Entity said:
Desk (for wfh on a laptop plus a mff pc with dj setup (controller, usb audio device)

Go to your local charity shop.

Liquid_Entity said:
Decent cable management system

Get a slotted angle bracket, screw it to the underside of the desk, and tie all the cables to it.

Liquid_Entity said:
Dual Monitor Arm

You may find two separate arms better.

As for the carpet, are you prepared to move that cupboard out temporarily? Likewise whatever it is to the left? If not, grab some carpet tiles and add rugs if you have them.

Liquid_Entity · 12 Oct 2020 at 22:10

It will be empty as this is the Rightmove advert picture (can't you tell from the stupid lens making it look bigger than it is). We're moving in Friday

Nikumba · 13 Oct 2020 at 11:09

Ikea Linnmon desk either the 1.5m or 2m depending on where your door is etc, Ikea cable management trays, couple of alex draws maybe for storage or some legs, the the rest on carpet and monitor arms, the amazon basic monitor arms are pretty good unless your trying to mount a monster of a screen

Psycho Sonny · 13 Oct 2020 at 13:52

IKEA desks are buttons if you buy the basic top and four legs.

Carpet will be the main issue so it's probably best getting the carpet first and then seeing what is left over for the rest.

Desk is easy the other stuff depends on quality.

phil-k · 13 Oct 2020 at 14:03

Doesn't look as though you will have room for an office

Liquid_Entity · 13 Oct 2020 at 14:14

Carpet & underlay I think I need about 4.5m2 to cover that area right? Roughly £20 a sq. metre for carpet and £20 for 5 sq.m of Tredaire Dreamwalk 11m underlay + the other carpety bits. I estimate around £150 - £200 for all that. I am thinking of the IKEA Karlby worktop in a dark colour and then 1 x IKEA Alex Drawer Unit Black/Brown and 1 x IKEA Alex Storage Unit on either side. £120 for the worktop, £55 drawers/£45 storage. Then cable management and the monitor arms are going to be under £50 so then have a little left over.

I think that may well do it for now but as you say, the carpet is the priority for now.

Deleted member 77746 · 13 Oct 2020 at 14:18

phil-k said:
Doesn't look as though you will have room for an office

Plenty room! just needs a re-design.

Liquid_Entity · 13 Oct 2020 at 14:19

phil-k said:
Doesn't look as though you will have room for an office

It will be empty as this is the Rightmove advert picture (can't you tell from the stupid lens making it look bigger than it is). We're moving in Friday

Quartz · 13 Oct 2020 at 16:24

Psycho Sonny said:
IKEA desks are buttons if you buy the basic top and four legs.

Be careful. At least one of their desks, the Idasen, is little more than cardboard, and the rest are chipboard or similar.

See this thread.

Kill_Phil · 14 Oct 2020 at 05:49

Go here for your carpet. Can order a couple of samples for free and half the price of your high street stores but be sure to invest in a good quality underlay. Pay for a fitter and jobs a good un. Can vouch for the topaz white 910

https://onlinecarpets.co.uk/

Liquid_Entity · 14 Oct 2020 at 07:12

Kill_Phil said:
Go here for your carpet. Can order a couple of samples for free and half the price of your high street stores but be sure to invest in a good quality underlay. Pay for a fitter and jobs a good un. Can vouch for the topaz white 910

https://onlinecarpets.co.uk/

Thanks mate. You're right these are half the price of tapi/carpetright.

Going to get Tredaire Dreamwalk Carpet Underlay from Trade Priced website. Saw someone mention them on another site and should be able to find someone to do it for me.

We're planning to do the whole house so finding these cheaper outlets is going to save us loads.

PurplePhoenix · 14 Oct 2020 at 07:34

Quartz said:
Be careful. At least one of their desks, the Idasen, is little more than cardboard, and the rest are chipboard or similar.

See this thread.

From someone who swapped ikea tops a few times don't bother with the cheap tops. If you want duel monitors it will cause the desk to bend and you end up with holes in it.

I recommend a need computer desk. Metal frame with a solid wood top for about £70. Depending on your monitor mount you might have to add a longer screw to get round the desk frame.

rhysduck · 14 Oct 2020 at 08:13

Get on worktop-express.co.uk

I did this just before the initial lockdown in March and WFH started so a bit lucky in that respect.

With carpet though you may be slightly out of budget if you go this route (might be ok if you can pick up some bargains elsewhere).

Liquid_Entity · 14 Oct 2020 at 11:16

rhysduck said:
Get on worktop-express.co.uk

I did this just before the initial lockdown in March and WFH started so a bit lucky in that respect.

With carpet though you may be slightly out of budget if you go this route (might be ok if you can pick up some bargains elsewhere).

Looks awesome but the worktop-express worktops are 2m long. I don't think mine would fit too much. Also more expensive than the IKEA Karlby that I have my eye on.

Psycho Sonny · 14 Oct 2020 at 11:43

Liquid_Entity said:
Looks awesome but the worktop-express worktops are 2m long. I don't think mine would fit too much. Also more expensive than the IKEA Karlby that I have my eye on.

I have the £35 linnamon from IKEA.

I have no idea what people are doing with them but I've housed duel 27" screens on mine along with multiple headphones, dac/amp, keyboard, mouse and a mic arm, etc.

It's currently rocking a 32" screen with a CCTV NVR and all my of gear.

Certainly not made of cardboard.

I wouldn't sit on it but I'd wager it can take 40kg of weight no issues.

I have 2 of them and the other has a sewing machine, 2 X 24" monitors on it.

Had them both 4 years now in this home and unknown number of years in previous.

Quartz · 14 Oct 2020 at 11:58

Liquid_Entity said:
Looks awesome but the worktop-express worktops are 2m long.

Mine is awesome. But if 2m is too long you can cut it down to size. Just get out the saw and sandpaper.

user_name · 14 Oct 2020 at 13:59

Worktop express will cut it down to size for about a tenner (and round the edges cut holes etc

I've got a 2m ish one (oak 40mm) bit overkill but it's a monster - that thing ain't Goin anywhere

rhysduck · 14 Oct 2020 at 14:22

Liquid_Entity said:
Looks awesome but the worktop-express worktops are 2m long. I don't think mine would fit too much. Also more expensive than the IKEA Karlby that I have my eye on.

Thanks.

Mine was 3.2m long when it arrived. Chopped it down to about 1.9m for the desk in the pictures and the rest I used as a utility worktop in the garage for the tumble dryer etc.. no waste here! I used a jigsaw to cut mine and it's more or less perfectly straight! It will also come with edging strips too so if you have a bare edge you can easily cover it up with the edging strip. Their prices are quite good from what I've seen but all depends on your budget i suppose

user_name said:
Worktop express will cut it down to size for about a tenner (and round the edges cut holes etc
I've got a 2m ish one (oak 40mm) bit overkill but it's a monster - that thing ain't Goin anywhere

The price will rise quite quickly when you add in bespoke services like cutting, did it myself in the end.

fobose · 14 Oct 2020 at 21:33

rhysduck said:

That setup looks so good there, you've even got network cables coming through your grill to get in on the action!