It’s important to make your workspace comfortable. You’ll likely be spending 8 hours a day there—and staring at a drab, lifeless setup isn’t conducive to productive work, especially if the space isn’t even designed to make working easier.
The problem is even worse if you work from home and have the same space for work, gaming, and everything else you want to do on your computer. Our Senior Author Ismar Hrnjicevic worked hard to create a space for every facet of his life.
On The Inside is our series where we ask our editors what they use on a day-to-day basis that they love.
“I’ve been building this setup for the past year or so,” Ismar says. “Like someone might notice the […] 55-inch OLED TV that’s above my PC. Most people put their TV in their living room, or maybe in their bedroom, but I wanted everything to be in one place so I can seamlessly switch to my TV if I want to do some couch gaming.”
Ismar’s quest for the perfect setup even goes beyond national borders. “IKEA isn’t available in my country. So it took me a while to finally find the SKADIS pegboard for mounting peripherals. I have three keyboards, [as well as] two controllers and two headsets that are used for very different purposes.”
With everything in one place, it’s that much easier for Ismar to switch tasks when needed. Plus, the pegboard provides a clean, cool aesthetic to the area while being functional.
- Material
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Fiberboard, Acrylic paint
- Size
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14.5×22 inches; 22×22 inches; 30×22 inches
IKEA’s popular SKADIS pegboard comes in three colors and allows you to easily mount tools, PC accessories, and whatever else you need with ease.
Of course, the accessories themselves matter too: Ismar uses the Ajazz AJ179 Pro mouse for gaming and the Logitech G502 mouse for work, and the four keyboards are easily available for different purposes.
Not even the desk chair was ignored in fitting out this office space. “[People] often opt for those racing-style game chairs. And I think that’s a huge mistake. Some of them are decent, with decent build quality, and maybe people find them comfortable, but I personally don’t.” Instead, Ismar opted for the Steelcase Leap V2, which is a bit more on the expensive side, but also far more comfortable.
I think it’s important to create the nicest, coziest ambiance you can in your work and gaming space.
But the star of the show in this setup isn’t the TV or clever decorations—it’s the micro ATX desktop he’s built, which uses the Lian Lee A3 case. “It’s one of the most unique cases,” he explains. “I think only the Fractal Design North does wooden panels, but that case isn’t [available as a] M-ATX, and I am a huge fan of small builds.”
There are challenges to the small size, however. “[The case] wasn’t easy to set up, especially because it doesn’t allow you to route cables behind the motherboard. But I think I still did a pretty decent job of cramming the 9070 XT, three fans at the bottom, three fans at the top, and one fan in the back into it.”
- Material
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Alloy Steel
- Motherboard Size (Max.)
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M-ATX, ITX
The A3 PC case offers a unique wooden front panel and a dark tempered glass side panel, making it look sleek and professional while staying small enough to sit on your desk with ease.
Ismar continues, “The only prominently visible cable in my whole build is the three eight-pin cables that go into the graphics card. To make them pretty, I used cable combs for the first time. And it’s one of those little PC-building accessories that nobody ever talks about.”
The trials and tribulations are worth it, as Ismar now has a beautiful, small, and functional build that sits right on his desk with his monitors. There’s no need to try to work around a bulky PC tower or put it on the floor. Instead of being hidden or in the way, the PC becomes part of the room’s aesthetic. The case also doesn’t stand out, with minimal RGB lighting and a dark-shaded glass panel keeping everything understated.
All of this is to create the best possible space. “I do work from home and also game on this PC, so I spend a lot of time seated at my desk. I did everything I could to make it the nicest possible place in the world.” It’s more than what you need with your workstation—it’s also about what makes you want to be there, to sit down and get some work done or play a game for a few hours.
With all of these helpful upgrades Ismar has made, from little tweaks to big upgrades, you’ll be sure to find something to make your setup more cozy.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
