People are now working from home more than ever and yes, it is of course because of the current pandemic. With that being said, a lot of people were already working home from before, with one big reason being that office space is very expensive. Simply put, working from home is more or less free.
However, this is not to say that working from home does not come with its own problems. One of the biggest issues is if you have two people who have to work in the same room.
If you are a couple or parents with kids, then chances are pretty big that, for one, you are pressed for space, and two, that you both need to work from home. So, you have two people and two desks, but only one office. So how to arrange an office with two desks? Let’s find out.
How to Arrange an Office with Two Desks – The Number One Consideration
Before we talk about how to arrange those two desks in one office, what we do want to take note of is that how you arrange those desks will depend on one specific thing. This factor is how well you and the other person get along.
Of course, keep in mind that here you need to separate your personal life and your work life, something that couples and married people often have trouble with when working together. That said, you don’t necessarily have to be working with your partner or a loved one. Maybe you rent a house with four other people.
The bottom line here is that your number one consideration needs to be who that other person in the room is. Do you two work well together? Do you two even want to work together? Do you to have the same tasks and job or are you just sharing an office space, but have two completely different jobs?
Once you figure all of these things out, you can then figure out which desk arrangement will work best for you and the other person.
One Office, Two Desks, & Many Placement Options
Now that you have put some thought into things in terms of who the other person in that office is going to be, let’s take a look at the five best desk arrangements that you can go with.
1. Back to Back in the Middle of the Room
If you and the other person have two separate jobs, you don’t work together, you don’t want to face each other, and you don’t want to be distracted by each other, then going back to back is a good way to go.
Moreover, if the room is very small, then putting both desks back to back in the middle of the room will help save space and leave the perimeter of the room open for cabinets, shelves, and other such things.
2. The One Wall Method
The one wall method is another good way to go with if the room is quite small. Having both desks on one wall, whether facing towards or away from it, will leave the other three walls open for cabinets and other organizational objects.
Moreover, if the two of you need to work together, and even look at each other’s screens, then being side to side is one of the best desk arrangements possible. Engaging in collaborative work is much easier when you are side by side with the person you are collaborating with.
3. Face to Face in the Middle of the Room
If you and the person you’re working with enjoy looking at each other and seeing each other all day long is not distracting in any way, being face to face is a good way to go. Now being face to face is not exactly overly collaborative because you can’t really look at each other’s screens, but that said, it can be an enjoyable way to work.
At the very least, if you sit this way, it’s going to be easy to get the other person’s attention when you need it. Having your desks located in the middle of the room will also leave the walls open for cabinets, shelves, and anything else you need to have in your office.
4. Opposite Corners
Now, if you have a fairly large office and you would like to leave the middle of the room open, or even if you have a small office where real estate is tight, you can always try placing your desks in opposite corners. This is an especially good idea if the both of you have L-shaped corner desks.
If two people have to work in the same room, but you don’t want to face each other or be distracted by each other, then this is a really good method.
5. Opposite Walls
This option is extremely similar to the opposite corners option, but instead of in corners, you’re just facing walls. Of course, the advantage here is that if you don’t have corner desks and aren’t sitting in a corner, you can choose to face each other or not.
Conclusion
There you have it folks, five great ways to fit two desks into a single office. Of course, remember the most important thing of all here: who that other person is.