Designing Your Perfect Workstation

Truth be told, I live in a tiny little apartment in downtown Toronto which is not much more than 300 sq ft. As an entrepreneur I spend the majority of my time at home,  which I affectionately call my “18th floor shoebox with a one inch lake view.” I spend endless hours in this small space so have made a point of ensuring that the interior inspires and is both functional and fabulous. As a food and travel writer I’ve had the opportunity to travel to over 60 countries which has allowed me to collect wild and wonderful personal artifacts which I hang with great enthusiasm throughout the space. Postcards from Denver to Dubai hang in the hallway on laundry pegs, while an ever growing  mask collection quickly reminds me of adventures to Fiji, Bali, Namibia and Korea. I think it’s important that the workspace is not just eye catching but also functional. So how does one create the perfect workstation in a small bachelor apartment where work must also meet play?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First and foremost my apartment is a home, often blending into my professional world I have taken a few steps to making the space ideal for entertaining guests while at the same time being a perfect spot to chain myself to my computer chair for a 12 hour writing binge. I live in a bachelor apartment so my bed and workstation sit in the same intimate space. My computer desk overlooks Lake Ontario, a southerly facing view which allows me to be greeted each morning by an enthusiastic sunrise. The kitchen is a stones throw to the left of my work desk, perfect for brewing a quick kettle of tea or grabbing a snack throughout the work day. To my right sits a slender bookshelf, whose top shelves house my entire food, beverage and travel book collection which I often use when researching and writing restaurant profiles and travel stories. At a quick glance you’ll find a selection of Lonely Planets and Rough Guides intermingled with The Spice and Herb Bible and Larousse Gastronomique. The bottom shelves are home to my always growing collection of beer, wine and spirits.

Thanks to HP this Fall I’ve had the opportunity to maximize my work space and make my desk a little less cluttered and a lot more user friendly. I’ve added two new tech appliances to the table, both part of the HP luxury line ENVY.

ENVY 27 IPS Monitor

• A 27 inch monitor means I can open and actively view more applications while I work. A great help when writing a story and researching online in tandem. I typically now write stories via wordpress on my laptop’s screen and then use the monitor to research separate webpages and keep track of my Tweeps on Tweetdeck.
• Offers stunning HD video and graphics with an impressive 10M:1 dynamic contrast ratio. The monitor effectively acts as my own home theatre system. A quick twist and turn on the table and I can watch the “big screen” from the comfort of my bed which sits a few feet away.
• Boasts the world’s first Beats Audio integrated display for the best-sounding richest audio available with built-in speakers that are angled upward. A welcome addition to my workstation as I always listen to music as I write my day away.

ENVY 5530 e-All-in-One Printer

• This would be my first wireless printer and a huge help in removing clutter around my workstation. Printing documents from my laptop or smartphone have made my past “cord crazy” space less chaotic.
• The printers built in scanner makes signing contracts and scanning travel documents a breeze.
• I now have the flexibility of keeping the printer on my desk or freeing up space by plugging it in across the room on a side table.