Man cave modernization
Upgrading the Digital Command Center
One of the perks of our home is that it has a downstairs office. It is used heavily for working from home, personal computing and occasional studio macro photography.
As we were doing lots of home improvements during the last 6 months and this room was to be cleared out for full repainting, I had the opportunity to dream up several improvements. This article explains the end result of that project. I don’t expect it to be terribly interesting for a lot of people, but you never know if a particular idea or product is useful to somebody else.
1. Old Man Cave Bad
Dark as this photo of the old office setup is, it’s useful enough to explain the before situation:
- The front left desk section is my fixed spot for personal computing, containing a large ultra-wide monitor and a big desktop machine on the desk itself.
- The corner section holds my extreme macro photography setup, with lots of additional gear on the two shelves behind it.
- The rear right desk section is a flexible work place where either Henriette or me can plug in to work from home.
Problems with this setup:
- Three desks should feel as a luxury but both the PC desk and the work desk feel quite claustrophobic, not spacious at all.
- The corner section is much deeper than the other desks but this extra depth is useless. I can’t even reach the end of it.
- My indoors extreme macro photography hobby is kind of seasonal, so the setup is not that frequently used. Yet it dominates the scene in taking up lots of space and giving the room a permanently cluttered appearance.
2. New Man Cave Good
Without further delay:
A single photo does not do the room much justice, it’s truly feature-packed. I’ll break down every change in the chapters to follow. A teaser:
- Smarter layout choices and space savings
- A spectacular and infinitely flexible lighting system
- A very cool macro photography desk
3. Paint, layout & space optimizations
3.1 Paint
We’ve repainted the entire ground floor of our home. Before, ceilings, walls and doors would all be a neutral white. Great to maximize daylight but also somewhat unimaginative.
We’ve experimented a bit on the second floor with deep saturated colors but ultimately concluded that we prefer calmer colors instead. We repainted the ceilings and doors in the original white and applied an accent color to the walls. The choice of color is zinc, which is described as “silvery-white with a blue tinge”. We love the combination, it feels very calm and luxurious. The digital equivalent of this color:
3.2 Desk reshuffle
The corner desk is gone (donated) and the two straight desks are now next to each other. It’s funny how the human mind works. This small change gives the feeling of having an endless desk where before each desk felt tiny. In this new setup I do not actually spill over into the next desk, but having the feeling that I totally could feels incredibly liberating.
3.3 PC placement
What isn’t just an illusion of having more space is the placement of my PC next to the desk, on a drawer unit. Which is also where all the wiring and plugs of both desks come together, neatly out of sight at the far end of the room. To guide all the cables behind the desks I made use of a cable organizer kit similar to this:
They’re typically very cheap, at 10–15€.
3.4 Monitor stands
To gain even more desk space, we invested in monitor stands, which we should have done way earlier. Both desk monitors are using the same stand:
At 89€ I consider these a steal, considering that some heavy duty stands may cost as much as 400€. They are built like a tank and effortlessly hold up my heavy ultra-wide monitor, which can now also be moved in any direction. Before, just the foot of the monitor would take up about 40% of the depth of the desk.
3.5 Sacrificing a shelf
I’ve removed one of the shelves on the wall. I figured to keep one to place some decorative items like plants. In my opinion, the before situation where I was using shelves as open storage sucks. The items constantly get dusty and it looks messy.
These last few paragraphs might have been boring, but these little layout tweaks have made a profound change to how I experience the room. Like day and night. Do experiment with layout, they are the cheapest upgrades.
4. Main office lighting
4.1 Old situation
The old office lighting sucked. It consisted of 4 spot lights mounted to a singular small square plate in the middle of the room. As this is a narrow but deep room, significant parts of the room were not properly lit. The lights themselves were of an ugly too-yellow color and not dimmable.
4.2 In with the new
To say that new lighting setup is different would be quite the understatement:
Hopefully this rather intense demo got you interested. I’m fairly obsessed with lighting and consider it my mission to enlighten you too, so get ready for some verbosity.
4.3 Ceiling rail
This is a Jeana rail system. I’m unsure if it is sold worldwide but would expect similar systems to be available everywhere.
It is a so-called 1 phase system, which means it’s a single circuit where all lights are powered on or off as a group as you flip your traditional light switch. This opposed to a 3 phase system that would allow for individual power control. This difference doesn’t matter in this case as the bulbs are smart bulbs. The bulbs will all be under power and can then individually be controlled.
The structure connects to a single power connection on the ceiling that you’d typically already have, and from there you extend it in any direction and can even make corners. In my case, it’s a straight track at about 3.5m long.
Installing a spot is child’s play. You just click it in anywhere along the rail. There’s no cables. Each spot can be rotated and tilted as you please. The rail came with 5 spots, combined with an extension section I paid about 130€.
Later on I added 2 more spots. You can add as many as you like as long as total power usage does not exceed 50W. The 7 bulbs I installed have a peak power consumption of 5.7W each, which is well within the safety margin. Actual power consumption is far lower as 5.7W is only consumed when putting the bulbs in bright white mode at 100% brightness. Realistic usage would be closer to 20W for the entire system on average, which I find pretty efficient given what it can do.
4.4 Philips Hue bulbs
The lights used in the spots are the Philips Hue GU10 white and color bulbs.
Disclaimer: I currently work for Philips. Philips Hue lights are produced by Signify, an independent company that is licensing the Philips brand. I have no stake in promoting this product, am not tasked to do so, get no benefit out of it. I simply bought them as a consumer and judge them as a consumer.
With that out of the way, the obvious advantage of these bulbs is that they are dimmable an can take on any color. You need to have a Hue Bridge to control them, a one-time investment. It’s possible to go without a bridge and control them via Bluetooth but we all know that Bluetooth is consistently the least reliable technology ever invented with the exception of printers.
Tip: Philips Hue bulbs, especially the color ones, are not cheap. However, there are a lot of opportunities to buy them cheaper. They are always at a discount somewhere, there’s savings in buying them as a bundle, discount codes, discounts for signing up to a newsletter, etc. You should be able to save 30–50% on the catalog price.
4.5 Controlling the lights
With a rail system allowing for flexible positioning of lights and each bulb enabling variable color and brightness, lighting becomes infinitely flexible. Here’s some ways to control it.
4.5.1 Traditional switch
The traditional switch in the room still works, which is great. When I call it a day, I pass by the switch anyway and this way can shut off all lights without needing to dig into some app.
Similarly, I can power on all lights to a default scene (configurable in the Hue app) using the ordinary switch. Hence, the lighting system can be used in conventional ways. Having a traditional switch is also great for other family members or possible guests in the home.
It’s possible to enable/disable lights on a timer or even using a motion sensor (separate accessory) but I consider that a case of bullshit automation. No time is saved whilst more standby power is used.
4.5.2 Hue app(s)
The default software way to control the lights would be the official Philips Hue mobile app, which is excellent.
The initial setup consists of naming lights and grouping them into a room, after which you can apply scenes to it. Some scenes are dynamic, for example natural daylight changes over time, whilst others are static. I’ve spent days digging into the scene gallery to find the ones I like best, as well as created a few custom ones of my own.
Besides the official app, there’s a huge amount of friends of Hue apps in the app store as its a very open system. Furthermore, it’s possible to control the lights via Apple Homekit or the Android equivalent, although I have no need for that myself.
4.5.3 Hue desktop app
I only discovered the desktop app a few weeks in, by accident. I’m glad I did, because it’s awesome.
The app enables scene selection just like the mobile app, but the true added value is in the sync mode for games, video and music. Video sync mode is what my demo video was showing.
Sync mode works using entertainment zones instead of rooms. You set these up in the mobile app. Where a room is a simple grouping of lights, an entertainment zone is a more advanced configuration where you configure a light’s position and height in relation to the screen you’re syncing with:
After this one-time setup, you’re good to go. Whereas I already showed video sync in action, gaming mode is also noteworthy. I was playing a game of Battlefield and it’s shockingly more engaging. You move your character from an open field into a dark room and your physical room reflects this. You’re in game and the sun is to your left and your lighting system mimics this positional lighting as well as color. You fire your gun and white light flashes.
I had not even planned for any sync mode when building this lighting system so it feels like discovering a bonus treasure.
4.5.4 Hardware switches
The Philips Hue ecosystem comes with a few optional switches that you can attach to any surface as well as use like a free roaming remote. I’ll discuss one of such switches in the chapter about my macro photography desk.
4.5.6 Build your own
Should all of these ways to control lights still not be enough for you, know that your Hue bridge is basically a web server running on your local network, hosting an API. If you have the skill, you can build your own (web) app on top of it. After a one-time discovery of the authentication token, it’s a matter of sending REST calls.
4.6 Examples
This is a custom created scene that I use when I editing photos. I need lighting but it should not interfere with my perception of color. Hence a colorless setup at a color temperature around 5000–5600K which equates to flash light. Note how none of the spots directly shine at my screen, which is a best practise.
Besides photo editing, a neutral to cold color is preferable in an office in general. Yellow is for relaxing.
Aurora, an animated standard scene, love it.
Hall, another standard scene. I think you get the idea by now. Both for productivity and entertainment, the sky is the limit. Whilst the photos should do a reasonable job in documenting the effect, it doesn’t come close to sitting in this room and actually experiencing it.
So that wraps up the main lighting system. It’s a daily source of joy and because I spend a lot of time in this room, a game-changer. I’m an evangelist now. Lighting matters. Anything you invest in it will be paid back ten-fold.
5. Macro photography desk
In the old office layout, my infrequently used macro photography setup was a source of shame. In particular because it got in the way and is unsightly and messy. In this chapter I’ll discuss how I turned it into a source of pride.
5.1 Placement
I still wanted a dedicated, inviting place to use the setup. Which was challenging due to space limitations. Ultimately I settled on a shallow desk behind me, separated by a tall narrow cabinet (discussed later).
It works wonderfully well. When entering the room (from the kitchen) you don’t see it as the cabinet blocks it. You just see two clean desks. And as you use any of these desks, you don’t see it either as it’s behind you. And in case you do see it, it looks pretty cool. From my main position (PC desk) I can turn around and suddenly find myself in a separate world. This world:
5.2 Choice of desk
Above is the desk as it just arrived, the lights obviously not included.
As we awaited its arrival, we nicknamed it my kiddy desk. It actually is a kid’s desk or at least was listed as such. Probably because of its small/narrow size. I don’t take it as an insult as at age 44 I’m still to discover the appeal of adulthood.
The desk is made from pallet wood. It’s a recent trend to consider it for home furniture. I love it. It’s very firm, looks and feels great. I’m very much into industrial design and raw materials. It’s a desk that invites usage and customization rather than it being some precious synthetic object that just looks good. There’s a surprising amount of bonus storage in the gap between the panels.
The bigger feature though is the steel halo. I can attach all kinds of stuff to it (lights, flash units, reflectors), which is useful for photography. The bars being thick, I can use them to tuck away cables behind them. And the bars are magnetic, offering even more ways to utilize them. Anything on the bar does not go on the desk, that’s the idea.
5.3 Desk lighting — Ikea
Note the lack of cables! Anyway, the two lights at the far end of the steel halo are Ikea HEKTAR clamp lights:
They suck, I regret buying them. Both tightening mechanisms (to mount, to rotate) are flimsy. The lamp allows both sideways and up/down movement but this often moves the mount point itself. Moreover, light output is disappointing. I used a light with twice the amount of lumen compared to my ceiling spotlights but output feels more like half of that. I’m keeping them as atmospheric lights but for the purpose of lighting up a desk properly they’re not suitable.
5.4 Desk lighting — Jieldé
To wash away the bad lighting choice, let’s talk about a flagship item instead, the Jieldé.
The man’s grumpy. Because he could not find a proper heavy duty light for his workshop. Thus he created his own in 1950. They continue to be produced today using the original methods and material, iconic design, and fantastic utility. In particular innovative at the time (and still is) is the internal wiring that doesn’t suffer from cable stress as you move the arm segments.
There’s a lot of different types of Jieldé lights (website), my particular model is the Jieldé Loft D4040I. Loft is the desk light series, the model number indicates that this is the clamp version, the I means it has a switch near the light’s head. You can chose your coating (polished, matte) where I picked matte. They are custom produced on order and each gets a unique production number that is visible on the iron plate near the head.
Alternatively, you can try to acquire a second-hand one, as these lights exists for 73 years now.
The clamp is huge, heavy and will fit even on very thick surfaces.
Compare the above “at rest” position to this:
Reach is enormous, here it is stretching halfway across the room.
The bulb I’m using is the Philips Hue E27 1100, the 2nd most powerful bulb. The most powerful one is too tall to fit, but this one is plenty powerful. And as you may have already spotted from earlier photos, they are color bulbs.
Our cat Shiva, tremendously enjoying the new office setup as from here she can strategically watch me, the feeding machine, and birds in the garden.
The intended purpose of the light, however, is to use it as a maneuverable light where I use the right section of the desk to prepare subjects, typically insect specimens.
Unsurprisingly, I’m in love with the Jieldé. Indestructible, beautiful, useful. You don’t need one but life’s too short to not have one.
5.5 Main cabinet
Up next I needed a solution for all the supplemental gear and items that used to be on the open shelf. I settled for this tall and narrow Ikea IDÅSEN cabinet:
It offers a lot of storage whilst taking little floor space. Another huge plus is that it’s steel, so magnets work.
Above is the Hue Tap Switch Mini, magnetically attached to the cabinet. I’ve organized the macro desk lights into a separate room in the Hue app, which I linked to this switch. Hence, main office lighting and this desk lighting is independently controlled. This switch has a dial to control brightness and 4 buttons which you can assign to often-used scenes, such as warm cat light demonstrated earlier.
The photo shows the beginning of a little pen holder to the side of the cabinet, also magnetically attached. Unremarkable, but I can’t emphasize enough how useful a magnetic surface is. Buy steel, not aluminum.
5.6 Drawer unit
To the left of the desk is a drawer unit in the same IDÅSEN style as the cabinet:
It’s practically invisible from most angles as it’s in the far corner of the room. It’s a fine unit, the only criticism I have is that it has no brakes. As you pull a drawer, the entire thing comes forward.
Besides offering extra storage, it’s a place where a lot of connections come together:
It’s a lot, but well organized. Every connection is labeled and related cables are clustered: desk lighting, macro lighting (Litra), camera permanent power, camera monitor, macro rail. There’s also a USB extender visible in the top, connected to a long cable. To control the macro rail from my PC as well as to get a video feed on the big monitor, I need to cross to the other side of the room. With the extender, it’s a single plug into my PC and I’m ready to go.
Considering how much is going on here in terms of connections, I think this is an extraordinarily clean setup. I’m considering adding an extender platform to the left drawer unit and then to stack a plant on top, to truly perfect it.
6. Mission completed
Time to wrap up the tour of the modernized office.
Space is strange. We had a PC desk and a work desk, both feeling crowded. Now they feel endless as well as clean. I had an extreme macro corner with lots of messy storage behind it. Now I have a dedicated desk for it that is technically larger, whilst it not getting in the way. I have a surplus of storage now. The room is highly spacious, clean, de-cluttered and functional whilst total available space didn’t change.
The lighting system, extensively discussed, is way above already high expectations. An investment that brings daily joy for years to come.
The macro studio no longer is a source of guilt, it’s out of the way when not used, whilst looking cool and being highly functional and flexible when in use.
It’s a privilege to use this room.
I hope this was of some use to you. I’ll end with a few lessons learned:
- Connect desks if you have multiple
- Get monitor stands, they’re worth it
- Don’t assume something doesn’t fit, measure it
- Closed storage is preferred over open storage
- Tall narrow storage is great to optimize floor space
- Magnetic surfaces open up a world of flexibility
- Apply cable management everywhere
- Be bold and make mistakes, experiment
- You will never regret investing in lighting
- Halo desks are awesome
- Get a signature item (Jieldé), you don’t need to justify anything
- Cats do not respect boundaries
