• BBB 2021
  • Food
  • Family
  • Beauty & Health
  • Style
  • Great Women
  • Videos
  • Events/Win
  • Best Beauty Buys
  • entertaining
  • Back To School
  • Covid-19 Health Guide
  • Food
    • Food
    • Quick & Easy Recipes
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Asian Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Eating Out
    • Festive Food
    • Cooking Tips
  • Videos
  • Family
    • Family
    • Parenting
    • Sex & Marriage
    • Travel
  • Home Ideas
    • Home Ideas
    • Decor Tips
    • Organising
    • Appliances
    • Domestic Diva Awards
    • Entertaining
  • Beauty & Health
    • Beauty & Health
    • Skincare
    • Makeup
    • Hair
    • Awards
    • Diet & Nutrition
    • Fitness
    • Wellness
  • Fashion
  • Career
  • Money
  • Real Life
  • Great Women
  • Entertainment
  • EVENTS/WIN
Subscribe Now!
  • Also available at:
Privacy Menu
SPH Magazine

Copyright © SPH Magazines Pte Ltd. Co. Reg. No 196900476M. All Rights Reserved.

  • BBB 2021
  • Food
  • Family
  • Beauty & Health
  • Style
  • Great Women
  • Videos
  • Events/Win

Home Ideas

Revamp Your WFH Setup With These Budget DIY Tricks

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Search in posts
Search in pages
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Search in posts
Search in pages
Style

Revamp Your WFH Setup With These Budget DIY Tricks

A functional and comfortable home office is key to productivity, but you don’t need to break the bank to revamp your home office

October 19, 2020

Credit: Envato Elements

Since working from home is the new normal for a lot of Singaporeans now, comfort is key to productivity. Why the government has allowed some of us to return back to the office, many of us are still stationed at home. If you’re planning to WFH for at least ’til the end of the year, here are some useful DIY tricks that you can implement. The best part? You can use items you probably already own to improve your home office, helping you to save money.

READ NEXT

Working From Home Because Of Covid-19? Here Are 10 Ways To Be More Productive

Work From Hotel: 9 Packages For Those Who Want To Get Out Of The House

WFH: Tips From Marie Kondo On How To Make A Home Office More Efficient

https://www.womensweekly.com.sg/gallery/style/revamp-your-wfh-setup-with-these-budget-diy-tricks/
Revamp Your WFH Setup With These Budget DIY Tricks
Use books as a monitor stand
image

A monitor or laptop stand is good for propping up your monitor or laptop to the correct height, so you do not slouch or suffer neck aches when working for long periods.

But you want to save money, possibly to splurge on that dream monitor stand later, right?

The interim solution is simple: Use books or magazines instead.

Dust off books you have not read for ages and put them to a better use. Stack enough books under the monitor or laptop to raise it to the ideal height, so your eyes are level with or slightly below the top of the display.

Furthermore, your stack of books is easily height-adjustable – just add or remove a book to get the perfect height.

On the downside, you cannot slot your keyboard under your monitor or laptop like you can with a monitor stand, so as to save table-top space when you are not working.

But a monitor stand would not entice you to read a book when your working day is over.

Pexels
Use your ironing board as a computer table
image

Many WFH guides recommend setting up a space at home just for work. But many people here live in shoebox apartments where space is a premium.

So how does one eke out his or her own space to work?

One simple solution: Use your ironing board. It is probably under-used right now. There is no need to iron your work clothes now that you are in WFH mode.

With your ironing board probably height-adjustable, it will be easy to tweak it to level with whichever chair or sofa you are sitting on.

The ironing board is also lightweight and easily portable. You can place it in front of your sofa, so you can watch the news on television while typing on your work laptop.

The remaining space on the ironing board can even serve as a temporary “pantry” on which to place coffee and snacks, provided the iron rest does not have huge holes as some do. Mine doesn’t.

When your work is done, simply fold up the ironing board and stow it away to reclaim your space.

Pexels
Use your smartphone as a webcam
image

Need a webcam for video conferencing with your colleagues because your office laptop does not have a built-in one – or its poor resolution makes you look like a TV presenter from the 1980s?

If you are unable to buy one because they are sold out – last I checked, they were – or you are not willing to make the investment, you can use your smartphone as a webcam.

Also, truth be told, your smartphone likely has a better camera than most desktop webcams out there.

But it will require you to spend some money on an app, such as iCam ($6.98).

There are many similar apps – with some of them being free – but they support either exclusively iPhones or Windows computers.

I found the iCam to work well with Android smartphones, iPhones, and Mac and Windows computers.

You need to buy and download the app to your smartphone, then download the free iCamSource program to your computer.

Follow the on-screen instructions to ensure the smartphone app can connect and “talk” to the computer program.

When they are able to talk to each other, your smartphone will be used as the default webcam during your Google Meet or Zoom conference calls.

One last thing: You probably need a phone stand to prop up your smartphone during these calls.

You can make one with binder clips or a clothes hanger.

Otherwise, you can build some strong arm muscles from holding up your smartphone during conference calls.

Text: Trevor Tan/The Straits Times

Read Next

#WFHTips: 10 Ways To Speed Up Painfully Slow Wi-Fi At Home

#WFHTips: Don't Commit These 7 Faux Pas When Video Conferencing

#WFHTips: How To Look & Sound Good On Video Calls

Pexels
  • TAGS:
  • coronavirus
  • covid-19
  • DIY
  • diy home decor
  • home ideas
  • home office
  • Study/Home office
  • work from home
SHARE THIS ON

What’s Hot

Style

12 Perfect Little Gifts Below $20 For Yo...

Style

Remodelling This 44-year-old Marine Para...

Style

7 Singaporean Lingerie Brands To Get Sex...

Style

7 Exotic Home Fragrances That'll Have Yo...

Style

9 Common Showflat Tricks You Shouldn't F...

Style

9 Great Online Stores To Get Your Christ...

Style

These Stylish Sling Phone Cases Are Perf...

Style

10 Things You Should Do To Organise Your...

Style

13 Genius Ikea Hacks That'll Upgrade You...

Style

27 Stunning Celebrity Engagement Rings T...

Style

9 Best Local Jewellery Brands To Shop Fo...

Style

A Cosy Mid-Century Modern HDB Flat in Te...

Don’t Miss These
  • Beauty & Health Here’s Why You Should Add These Products To Your Skincare...
  • Skincare Why You Should Consider Swapping Your Cleanser For Bioder...
  • Beauty & Health I Tried Trichokare's Award-Winning Treatment To See If It...
  • Skincare Unlock The Secret To Skin Radiance With This Premium Skin...
  • Skincare Get A Professional-Grade Facial At Home With This Light T...
Editor’s Picks
  • Family No Car? No Problem. Here's Why GetVan Ride Is The New Private Hire Car Servic...
  • Style 10 Hidden Finds In Delfi Orchard For Your Special Occasions
  • Home Ideas How To Arrange The Perfect Cheese Platter For A Home Party
  • Style Janice Wong's New High Tea Menu Offers A Taste of Japan
  • Home Ideas How To Bring Your Dream Home To Life
  • Style As Robinsons Sets To Close Down, We Take A Trip Down Memory Lane
  • Style How To Get Rid Of Flying Insects And More Using Non-Toxic Methods
Don't Miss Out Ever Again!
Tips & tricks to stay sane + win invites to our events!
Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Statement
Footer Menu
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Conditions of Access
  • PDPA
  • Privacy Policy
?>
SPH Magazine

Copyright © SPH Magazines Pte Ltd. Co. Reg. No 196900476M. All Rights Reserved.