Standing desk in living room

9 years ago

I just moved into a new 1 bedroom apartment and I'm planning where to set up my home office. I would like to get a "treadmill desk" -- a workstation where I walk on a slow moving treadmill while working at my computer. Here is the model I want to get (more info here).

(It may look strange but I tried one before and really enjoyed it. It is said to be good for people who get back pain when they sit too long.)

It has 2 separate pieces -- a treadmill base and an adjustable height standing desk. I would put my laptop on it as well as a large LCD monitor.

My problem is one of space. My small bedroom is already too crowded with my bed, so the best place I see to put the treadmill desk is in my living room. However, I frequently have guests over for dinner parties so I don't want my home office to mar the ambiance. Here is my living room; I plan to put the desk on the middle of the tile wall so that when I stand at the desk I am facing the tile wall:

When guests are over, the treadmill itself can be easily rolled and stowed away in another room. The question is what to do with the desk. In my opinion it looks too utilitarian/functional. One idea is to put a drape/cloth over it when guests are over. The LCD monitor would serve as a small TV (I don't need a big one), and I could adjust the height downward so the TV is at the right height.

Another alternative is to buy a different desk, since the treadmill can be bought separately. As you can see from this Google Images page, there are lots of different looks for standing desks, and some of them look more homey.

Any thoughts/suggestions?

This post was edited by dave_williams on Sun, Jun 22, 14 at 8:50

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

User
9 years ago
I'd put the treadmill right alongside the window with the front of it facing the tiled wall.

Then I'd lower the desk to its lowest position, and I'd install a rod holder on each wall, then make a curtain which can be put on a rod, which then sits in the rod holders, drawing the curtain across the area, hiding the treadmill behind it but leaving enough window there for viewing and the lights, etc. This would also give you extra wall space, i.e.: the curtain, for when you have guests, for extra seating or a table. Rather than move a treadmill ever time you have guests, just take the rod with the curtain on it out of a closet and put it up.

You also, with this arrangement, have to know how the light streams into that area since you don't want glare hitting the computer screen while you're on the treadmill.
Annie Deighnaugh
9 years ago
As I recall, you have a wall near your kitchen that would be great for a bar-height table. Can you work with that as your high desk surface and then use a small separate treadmill underneath? Maybe it could be rolled away for when company comes.
Related Discussions
Are Stand Up Desks The New Trend?
Q
Comments (24)
Yes, this is a major trend for office workers. Several employees at my office have received setups that allow them to raise and lower computer monitor and keyboard to accommodate either standing or sitting. Another co-worker works from home and walks on a treadmill while working. There are indeed some recent studies that have shown that too much sitting has negative health effects. While I have not yet converted to a standing desk, I have instead converted from a standard office chair to a stability ball. I was experiencing serious neck pain and have found sitting on a stability ball to be much more comfortable. I suspect it is also improving my posture and I noticed muscle soreness initially that suggests some improved usage of leg and posterior muscles. So yes, this is a new thing and I think it would be great to set your daughter up with a system that allows easy conversion between standing and sitting for an optimal office setup.
...See More
The desk is back in the living room?
Q
Comments (13)
Hi MurraysMom... It's a good thing Sam is a cutie; he would not have survived this long otherwise! He has several tennis balls in every room of the house, and in the closets, seldom worn boots, and often - in the apple crisper of the fridge. I have not yet figure out he manages that. Harry use to sneak an apple out and replace it with a tennis ball. Sam drops the tennis balls in, but I've not caught him red-jawed with an apple! Your suggestion is exactly what I want to do, eventually; but until the back sun porch is converted I have no where else to keep my favorite, used-daily, well-loved, custom built for me little desk. I'm trying to arrange an interim acceptable TV room until that mythical room is finished. The desk was supposed to go to the right of the window. A stubborn DH, and a cantankerous carpenter nixed the smaller window, which leaves only this corner for the desk. Do you think it would look odd to have only one tall cabinet/bookcase to the left of the TV? I had a chuckle, the "pear" (and my, what an over-ripe one it would be!) is actually a limited print of two Purple Martins on their natural gourd nest site. It's by Ray Harm, a wildlife artists from the 1960s. It delights me year round, since my Purple Martin colony is here from only late April to early August. Here's a photo of the print before I framed it. The male has a twig in his mouth. Their nests are about 90% of these dry twigs, with lots of mud and green leaves added on top. Ray Harm, wildlife artist
...See More
Computer desk in a living room
Q
Comments (5)
I solved a similar problem by putting a TV in the bedroom. Hubs could watch his movies in there when I wanted to listen to music or read in the LR, or vice versa. With that small of an apt. you're really going to have a conflict if you're both using media at the same time. I'd bite the bullet and live with a small TV in the bedroom. And I say small by today's standards . . . We used to watch TV together in the bedroom, so I suggest that's where the TV go. I'd get a couch and two swivel chairs facing it for the LR and put the desk against either the E or W wall. That way your partner could use the chairs for his gaming or they could be used to create a conversation area in the LR if you two wanted to chat or have friends over. Also if I'm not mistaken, you can watch TV and movies on gaming screens right? So that's where I'd have a big screen, for guest media watching. Small TV for someone who wants privacy in the bedroom. Works for us.
...See More
Desk in Living Room Layout
Q
Comments (2)
Under the window, it appears it will be in the traffic area. You could turn your desk ninety degrees from where it is so it faces the same direction as the couch and is in line with the coffee table (and the chair between the desk and the 18' wall). You are not against but are still looking out the window. If you can center it between the wall and your sofa / seating area and comfortably walk all the way around your desk, all the better. If not, put it closer to one side or the other ... whichever works best. Then measure your space behind the desk and see how much, if any, you may have for adding a bookcase against the wall behind the desk and/or a corner cabinet or shelving unit.
...See More
gsciencechick
9 years ago
I have been trying to convince DH we need one of these! I work too much on the computer and do too much sitting. The space of the desk is 47" wide by 74" long, so it's not unobtrusive. Even though we renovated the home office and put in Ikea shelving, it is still a small room.

OTOH, when I lived in a small 1BR condo during grad school, I had my desk and computer in my LR. I never did anything to conceal it. There really wasn't anywhere else to put it since the BR was also small. The kitchen was a galley with a small eating area, so not there either. You might just want to put some kind drape over the desk portion. It probably won't be easy to move with all the computer wires.
dave_williams
Original Author
9 years ago
Annie -- you are correct, I do have an area of my kitchen for a bar table; I edited my post to add a picture of that area.
Fun2BHere
9 years ago
I'm a firm believer that your space should function for your daily needs with options for special occasions. Rather than trying to hide this piece, I would have it parallel to the tile wall with the screen end towards the window wall.

Hang lots of interesting art on the tile wall almost floor to ceiling and let the treadmill/desk blend in. Since that would be the traditional wall for a television, the monitor could be swiveled to face the opposite long wall when watching television as that opposite wall is the logical place to put a sofa.

The only thing you'll need are some attractive boxes or baskets with lids to hold your work and office supplies. Those can be stacked along the treadmill when guests are present and against the wall or on a hanging shelf during daily use of the treadmill.
brightm
9 years ago
I love standing desks and had the wood shop teacher build me one for school.

I also work for a software company part time from home and many of our team members have some sort of treadmill desk and love it. Everyone has sort of pieced them together.

I haven't made a desk for my treadmill at home yet. I got one a few months ago. I will say that I really wish I'd bought a smaller treadmill. I thought I wanted the fancy features, but I don't use them. I'm glad I didn't buy the top of the line, but what I did buy is so big that I can't move it out of the room its in without taking it apart. I'd planned on moving it into the room next door after it got new flooringÃ¢ÂÂ¦but no-can-do.

Just a heads up.
peony4
9 years ago
Apologies to the OP for this hijack...

I've been toying with the idea of a standing desk for my treadmill (and, for that matter, one for my spinning bike), but am not sure if I'm coordinated enough to walk and type. I found this link below, and am tempted to try it out before investing in something more substantial.

If you watch the video, skip the first minute of her talking. What she's building begins at about 1:00. Then, she installs it at about 3:30.

Here is a link that might be useful: Walking Work Station
MaryAguila
9 years ago
I do a lot of work from home. I'm thinking about getting one of these walking desks as well. Thanks for inspiring me. I thought there was no way it would work in our 1-bedroom apartment. But I think we can rearrange things.

Standing desk in living room

Comments (8)

User

Annie Deighnaugh

Related Discussions

gsciencechick

dave_williams
Original Author

Fun2BHere

brightm

peony4

MaryAguila

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Standing desk in living room

Comments (8)

User

Annie Deighnaugh

Related Discussions

gsciencechick

dave_williamsOriginal Author

Fun2BHere

brightm

peony4

MaryAguila

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

dave_williams
Original Author