Archive for the ‘Furniture’ Category

Standing and Working

Sunday, May 2nd, 2010
I have been thinking about having a standing desk for a while.

At work, I am sit on a mesh chair and change my position frequently. I don’t write much, mostly read on the computer screen and work on MS Excel.
NY times posted an article about standing while worrying. It suggests that the body secretes less Lipoprotein Lipase (http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/stand-up-while-you-read-this/) while sitting thereby reducing metabolism. I want to compensate for inactivity since I have stopped riding my bicycle to work for 8 months.
Talking with the folks at Obesity Panaecia http://www.obesitypanacea.com/, I discovered this other guy who created a standing desk for his iPad. See post here: http://dailymonthly.com/?p=386
I have converted my desk at home to a standing desk. I will be testing this out extensively over the next few weeks. In fact, I am writing this while standing. I will also be looking for more studies about standing while working over the next few weeks while standing at my new desk.
Before
After
Negatives: My feet hurt a little after 15 mins of standing but I am getting used to it real quick
Positives: I have even more room in my already minimalist bedroom and gained a chair in my sparse living room.

I have been thinking about having a standing desk for a while.

At work, I am sit on a mesh chair and change my position frequently. I don’t write much, mostly read on the computer screen and work on MS Excel.

NY times posted an article about standing while worrying. It suggests that the body secretes less Lipoprotein Lipase (http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/stand-up-while-you-read-this/) while sitting thereby reducing metabolism. I want to compensate for inactivity since I have stopped riding my bicycle to work for 8 months.

Talking with the folks at Obesity Panaecia, I discovered this other guy who created a standing desk for his iPad. See post here: http://dailymonthly.com/?p=386

I have converted my desk at home to a standing desk. I will be testing this out extensively over the next few weeks. In fact, I am writing this while standing. I will also be looking for more studies about standing while working over the next few weeks while standing at my new desk.

Before

before

After

after

Electronics have been moved from the shelf under the desk to a custom made unfinished wooden bench.

Negatives: My feet hurt a little after 15 mins of standing but I am getting used to it real quick

Positives: I have even more room in my already minimalist bedroom and gained a chair in my sparse living room. The large desk area was a collector of clutter. That is not a problem any more.

Update: links (thanks to Travis Saunders)

Posted in Furniture | 6 Comments »

The Minimalist Bed Frame

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

Now that I am packing to move, I can clearly see how I have been in collecting stuff. I haven’t been bad at all. The part that bothers me is the amount of large furniture I own.

I have a TV stand, a futon couch, a chair & ottoman, one large book shelf, two small book shelves, a dining table and a dresser. Oh, and a platform bed.

The TV stand will be given to a friend for free since my new apartment has a built-in cabinet in the living room. I had to buy some furniture (two Bekvam kitchen carts as counter tops and a Gorm basic shelving unit for the microwave) for basic cooking preparations since my new kitchen comes with nothing more than a spice cabinet.

I just finished dismantling the platform bed and started to wonder if a bed frame is needed at all. The more I thought about it the more it became apparent that It is purely a social pattern to use one. We people are conditioned to use one since we were kids. Moreover, people like to use a spring box with the mattress and I don’t.

I use a futon mattress resting on slats. The bed will be positioned in the corner of my new bedroom with walls on two adjoining sides.

Objective Reasoning on not owning a bed frame:

  • The futon mattress on the hardwood floor will be more comfortable than the mattress on slats.
  • I will have one less furniture to dust and clean.
  • My dog likes to jump up on the bed. She is a large greyhound. Her jumping will not make the headboard and sides scratch the wall.
  • I will lose under-the-bed-storage
  • I will not be able to use a night stand
Subjective Reasoning on not owning a bed frame:
  • It is a college look portraying an immature living condition (people actually told me this when I asked them)
Inferences to above reasonings:
  • I will be more comfortable
  • I will own one less furniture
  • I will not need a night stand. The floor is my night stand.
  • I wont get my walls scratched
  • If I need under-bed storage, I probably have too much stuff
  • If people judge my personality by my lack of bed-frame, they are probably not good friends
The minimalist bed frame is actually not having a bed frame at all.

Is it worth it?

Can I make it stylish like the zen masters?

Can it be executed in a mature way?

Let me know on twitter @abhishek_m

Posted in Furniture, Moving | No Comments »