It is over a week now since I re-organised the office here at home, and I have to say I am really pleased with it. That may, though, be because Sands isn’t here to spread her usual mess around the place!

There wasn’t much wrong with the office before to be honest, but a few things had changed in our work patterns since we had it done so we didn’t really need as many headsets out all the time, had a few too many back up hard drives, and in general it had become a little cluttered.

Main reasons for the change though were a) my work area was directly in the sun throughout the afternoon which when you added the two screens and my feet down by the Mac Pro meant it was really hot and b) when we first set up and said we would try working in the same room we though being back to back would make sense as we were working on different projects, but now we both spending so much time on ALStrays re-homing and transport it makes more sense to be side by side so we not always talking to the others persons back and as we share so much of the same info having visibility of shared screens made sense.

Before: really not that much wrong with it!

Before: really not that much wrong with it!

Before: really not that much wrong with it!

Before: really not that much wrong with it!

No going back!

Sands work area: not a lot has changed other than to move the phone over to the right and create more desk space for her paperwork.

Audio area: this used to be my work area and the Mac Pro is still under the desk but I have set this up now as the audio section so the Mac mini is hooked up to a mixer for the daily radio segment that I do, and for any ad hoc radio stuff that I do. I have a separate Skype account that I use for this so that it gets less interference from people logging in and out, and being away from my main computer helps me focus better i.e. less distractions!

TV: have moved the TV to the wall and it is also hooked up to the MacBook Pro so that we can both look at the large screen when we need to discuss the same document etc. Much more work surface available as well so two people can sit side my side and work on documents, and the main mixer is on this side, still hooked up to the Mac Pro but linking all the audio: Mac Pro, and iMac hooked up and it feeds the speakers in the study (inc TV), bedroom and TV room as well as the B&O speakers in the lounge and hall.

My area: have put the two screen on a stand set back on the wall to provide more space, and the whole area has more space and is much cooler. Boom mike for when I need it, and the MacBook Pro is hooked up to the TV as a second display and on a very useful swivel stand.

Mickey: the little kitten we are fostering is very happy with the set up!