Design Guides
Home Office Design Guide
Updated 2 min read
The short answer
A workspace used eight hours a day has different requirements from a spare-room desk. The decisions that matter are desk height set to the person using it, monitor top edge at or just below eye level, a window to the side rather than in front of or behind the screen, and cable management designed in rather than added later.
Ergonomic dimensions
General guidance for a seated workstation. Individual proportions vary — adjust to the person who will actually use the desk rather than defaulting to a standard.
| Element | Typical range | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Seated desk height | 710–750mm | Standard office height is 730mm. |
| Standing desk height | 1000–1200mm | Depends on user height; adjustable is better. |
| Desk depth | 600–750mm | Below 600mm forces monitors too close. |
| Knee clearance width | 600mm min. | Avoid pedestals in that zone. |
| Monitor distance | 500–750mm from eyes | Roughly arm’s length. |
| Monitor top edge | At or just below eye level | Higher causes neck strain over a full day. |
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Design decisions
- Window position
- A window to the side. Behind you it puts glare on the screen and silhouettes you on video calls; in front of you it makes the screen hard to read against bright light.
- Two-person layouts
- Facing desks, an L along two walls, or a shared run. Two people on calls in one room is an acoustic problem as much as a spatial one, and it should be discussed openly at design stage.
- Cable management
- A grommet at the surface, a tray beneath, and a ventilated cabinet for the power bar and network hardware. Trivial to design in; intrusive to retrofit.
- Printer access
- A pull-out shelf on full-extension slides so the paper tray can be loaded without lifting the printer.
- The video-call background
- What sits behind you is now part of the brief — shelving with considered spacing, a wall treatment, or simply a clean surface designed deliberately.
- Layered lighting
- Especially in basement offices with only an egress window. A single ceiling fixture is not enough for a full working day.
Answers
Frequently asked questions
- What is the correct desk height?
- Around 730mm suits most adults, but the right height is the one where your elbows sit at roughly 90 degrees with shoulders relaxed. A built-in desk should be set to its primary user. If two people of very different heights share it, a separate adjustable unit is the better answer.
- Where should the window be relative to my desk?
- To the side. A window behind you puts glare on the screen and makes you a silhouette on video calls; a window in front makes the screen difficult to read against bright daylight. Side lighting avoids both.
- What works for a basement home office?
- Lighter cabinetry finishes, layered artificial lighting rather than a single overhead fixture, and keeping some wall visible rather than filling it floor to ceiling — many Calgary basements have limited ceiling height and full-height millwork can feel oppressive. Confirm there are no moisture issues before installing against a foundation wall.
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