Remote work is here to stay — and so are the makeshift desks
The kitchen table did the job for a few months. Then your neck started complaining, and video calls with the coffee machine in the background lost their charm.
A well-planned home office changes two things: your physical comfort over the long haul, and your ability to switch off in the evening. When your workspace has a clear identity, your brain knows when the day is done.
The desk: get the size right before the looks
Depth matters more than width. Allow at least 60 cm of depth so your screen sits at a sensible distance from your eyes — any less and you'll strain them without noticing. As for width, 120 cm is plenty for a single setup, 140 to 160 cm if you work with two screens or paper documents.
Cable routing is the detail everyone forgets and later regrets. A desk with built-in cable management, or simply a top that leaves room behind it, saves you from the permanent tangle around your feet.
The chair: the one place not to cut corners
You'll be sitting in it six to eight hours a day. A dining chair will do for a week, not for a quarter.
What genuinely matters: lumbar support that follows the curve of your lower back, an adjustable height so your forearms sit parallel to the floor, and a seat that's neither too soft nor too firm. Armrests are a bonus if they slide under the desktop — otherwise they push you away from the desk.
Lighting: two sources, never just one
Daylight is best, but it won't carry you through a Swiss winter. Position your desk at a right angle to the window — never with your back to it (glare on the screen) or facing it (glare in your eyes).
Then add an adjustable desk lamp for paperwork, plus some ambient light in the room. A lone screen in a dark room tires your eyes far faster than you'd expect.
When you don't have a room to spare
Most Swiss flats don't come with a spare study. A few approaches that genuinely work:
- A defined corner of the living room: a compact desk against a wall, with a bookcase or console marking the visual boundary. The eye understands it has crossed into another zone.
- A bedroom divided by furniture: an open shelving unit acts as a partition without blocking the light.
- A desk that closes up: a bureau or a console with storage lets the whole workstation disappear come evening. Drastic, and highly effective.
Why rent office furniture rather than buy it?
A decent workstation — desk, ergonomic chair, lamp, storage — quickly adds up to CHF 1,500 to CHF 3,000 to buy outright. That's a serious sum for a working setup that may well change.
Renting answers three very practical situations:
- You're trialling a remote-working setup before committing to equipment for good.
- You're on a temporary posting or an expat assignment, and you'd rather not buy furniture you'll only leave behind.
- Your company is equipping its people: renting sits on the books as a monthly cost, with no cash tied up and no inventory to manage.
At Swaap, a design desk rents from just a few francs a month, delivered and assembled in your home. If a piece wins you over for the long term, you can buy it at the end of the rental.
Three common mistakes
Choosing a desk that's too small to save space. A 100 cm top will have you stacking things up, and the visual clutter costs you more in concentration than the 20 cm you saved.
Leaving the screen too low. The top of the screen should sit level with your eyes. A stand — or simply two books — fixes it for nothing.
Ignoring acoustics. A rug and a few textiles soak up the echo, and the people on your video calls will hear you noticeably better.
Kit out your desk with Swaap
Browse our selection of design desks to rent, then add chairs, a lamp and somewhere to put things away. We deliver and install anywhere in Switzerland.
Need advice on the layout, or looking to equip several team members? Drop us a line — our team in Gland will get back to you within 24 hours.