Minimalist Office Space And Ikea 5

This past weekend I took a trip to Ikea and saw what I thought were opposing visions.

One – mock offices with endless shelves and storage space.

And two – a 235 square foot home, complete with a kitchen, dining area, full bath, entertaining space and sleeping quarters. All that, in a space less than 24 feet by ten.

The latter was very respectful of space and only focused on what was important. The former was a bastion of waste and distraction.

In a round-a-bout way it reminded me of a person who gets a business idea and immediately starts to work on the business card rather than the product.

For this person, the idea of a business is more important than the work needed to run a business.

In the same way, a person who wants to work from home might spend a week setting up an elaborate office with books, dictionaries, tape, glue, three-whole paper punches and more. And while heshe does that a real business person is busy getting stuff done with nothing but a laptop.

I was guilty of this in my late teenage years. I’d get an idea for an Internet business and suddenly be inspired to buy pencils and notebook paper to plot out a business plan. Here I was with a seemingly infinite supply of digital paper and lead, yet I still feel the need to splurge on “playing” business.

But this time at Ikea, I had a hard time rationalizing or justifying any purchase. Seems all I really need is a chair, a computer, and maybe a desk.

A lesson learned. Keep it simple. Play business or do business. Your choice.

5 thoughts on “Minimalist Office Space And Ikea

  1. Reply Ryan Healy Feb 22, 2011 6:45 pm

    I finally got a decent office chair today. FedEx man showed up with my new SteelCase Think chair. My lower back is happy. 🙂

    I’ve actually erred on the side of delaying purchases. When I started, all I had was my laptop, card table, folding chair, phone, and a cheap metal 2-drawer filing cabinet.

    Here’s the equipment I’ve amassed in my 5+ years of freelancing:

    iMac Computer
    Phone/Ooma VOIP System
    Printer/Scanner/Fax
    WiFi Router
    Matching Desk/Filing Cabinet/Bookshelves
    Ergonomic Chair

    I agree: Do business first. Then, as you prove yourself, get those things that are necessary to doing your job better and working more efficiently.

  2. Reply Stephen Dean Feb 22, 2011 7:28 pm

    That’s a great list Ryan.

    I did sit in a couple ergo chairs. That’s a purchase I will make too. For right now I go back and forth between working in a chair and a recliner – the recliner’s much easier on the back 🙂

    I’ve gotten by without an all in one printer for some time. My usage is about 2-3 times a year. So my solution was to buy my gf one that she uses for family pictures and shutterfly, etc., and I use it as needed.

  3. Reply Jim Sansi Feb 23, 2011 4:44 pm

    How does it go, nature abhores a vaccum? Regardless of the space you have you will fill it, be it tar paper shack or a mansion.

  4. Reply Stephen Dean Feb 23, 2011 11:14 pm

    Great to hear from the Kaizen man himself. What does your office look like?

  5. Reply Faye Acklin Nov 22, 2011 2:24 pm

    The most important piece in the office is the chair. It’s where one’s productivity starts, so it must be comfortable and work-conducive. I also agree that the office must be simple so it wouldn’t look cluttered.
     

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