A Better Adjustment

I mentioned trying to cope with various adjustments recently, but I’ve got one new thing that I love to adjust: my new desk!

One of our household projects this fall was to update J’s room. She wanted a double bed for her birthday and some more “grown-up” furniture than the princess-style, white-and-sparkly bureau and vanity that matched her old bed. So you’ll remember that I passed an old bureau on to her, and then when we were looking around for desks, it occurred to me that I could offer her my desk, a lovely classic that’s approximately the same color wood as the bureau. Part of me didn’t want to give it up, but another part of me had been pondering a standing desk. I spend a ton of time at my desk, and sitting that much just isn’t great for anyone. If J wanted my desk, I had an excuse to treat myself to a new one.

The new doesn’t have the sort of classic beauty that my old (J’s new) desk has, but it’s functional. Super-functional, in fact. Because it’s adjustable! Here it is in regular-desk mode:

And here it is in standing mode!

This desk is not as deep as my previous one, and since it goes up and down, it leaves a lot more exposed. I ended up adding a bunch more stuff to my walls because ugly walls that used to be hidden are hidden no longer. I know that the walls are just insanely, insanely busy, but it’s all stuff I like very much. Also, there are so, so, so many wires for the computer and phone and router below the surface of the desk that it was a terrible eyesore, so I just threw that pink scarf over the crossbar so I wouldn’t have to look at them. I also lost my drawer, which has been a little sad but I bought those chicken wire stackable baskets, which are cute and functional, sot that’s helped. And of course the big deal is that now I can sit or stand while I work!

Here is the close-up of the crank on the right side that I use to make it go up or down. It’s easy, and it can pause anywhere, so you can make it a little taller or shorter depending on what’s comfortable. As I tinkered with the height I ended up handing a small canvas picture that serves as a guide: when I bring the desk up, I keep cranking until the desk top touches the bottom of the picture.

So, I really like it. At first, I’d start the day at the standing desk, but then I’d just get tired of standing, and usually by early afternoon I’d have to switch back to sitting. But these days I’ll sometimes just leave it up all day. It is a little bit annoying because sometimes I like to eat my lunch while I’m working, and it just doesn’t feel right to eat a whole meal standing up, so I either have to adjust it or get up and move over to the dining table. But honestly, that is probably a good thing, because it forces me to take a pause.

And meanwhile, J is thrilled with her new desk. Between school track and club volleyball, that poor girl needs to sit down sometimes!