Multimodal WFH setup: flight SIM, EE lab, and music studio in 60sqft/5.5M²

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Overall reaction to the setup

  • Many find the tiny, equipment-dense room visually striking and inspiring, especially the ability to combine flight sim, music, and EE lab in ~60 sq ft.
  • Others see it as just “a closet with industrial shelving,” underwhelming once framed as a design-studio case study rather than a personal DIY post.
  • Several note they’d quickly clutter such a space or feel mentally “squeezed” by the cramped environment.

Design firm, cost, and copywriting

  • Some are puzzled or dismissive about hiring a design studio for a home office, likening it to outsourcing your dotfiles.
  • Others defend the value of deliberate design and appreciate the detailed write-up of tradeoffs.
  • The marketing language (“layering shelves vertically…”) is mocked as overwrought; more than one person calls out design-industry “word salad.”
  • This triggers a side debate: is design/beauty objective or subjective? Commenters argue both sides, using logo redesigns and art movements as examples.

Furniture, materials, and ergonomics

  • The unfinished particleboard desk surface is widely criticized as uncomfortable, fragile, and gross-prone; some suggest birch or nicer plywood.
  • The chair and legroom are viewed as ergonomically poor by several commenters, who fear for the user’s back and wrists.
  • Keyboard discourse: some think the mechanical keyboard choice is underwhelming; others like it. There’s a long subthread on tenkeyless vs full-size layouts, desk space, and macro keys.

Shelving and hardware details

  • Multiple people try to name/identify the shelving: boltless/industrial shelving, “teardrop” uprights, Gorilla/Muscle/Edsal-style racks, wire rack systems, SuperStrut, and IKEA wooden variants.
  • Practical notes include stability on uneven floors, moisture sensitivity, and tips for cutting legs, adding custom tops, and using caster wheels.

Space, psychology, and WFH

  • Some love the “multimodal WFH” idea: quickly switching between work and hobbies without reconfiguration feels psychologically grounding.
  • Others insist they must physically separate work and play spaces to stay sane, sometimes preferring a simple laptop at the kitchen table.
  • Space constraints (Brooklyn real estate) are cited to explain the tiny room; others share their own small-office builds and large-monitor or multi-desk preferences.