Can you make the smallest of standing desks work? I think YES!

I am very happy and proud of the results. A lot of research and planning and measuring went into this setup. I did cheat a little in that my speakers are not sitting on the desk itself but on the dresser and the radiator on either side (don't worry, it is insulated from the heat/cold). But I think that's fine given my constraints. I live in a cramped apartment and can only accommodate a 42 inch by 24 inch desk in the corner by the window. I'm pinned in by the bed and the dresser. Sure I would have liked a 30-inch depth desk but then there would be no clearance around the bed. And I would love to have a wider desk, even 48 inches would feel luxurious. I'm jealous of all those home office setup videos where they have 70 inch monster desks. Sure, if I won the lottery and could afford a separate room for a home office, I'd definitely go bigger. But alas, reality is what it is.

I'm lucky in that I have a fully remote job. And since I am spending so much time at my desk, I definitely wanted to make sure my time at my desk is as comfortable and pleasant as can be, hence the choices below.

STANDING DESK

UPLIFT 42" by 24" Solid Walnut Butcher Block Standing Desk (https://www.upliftdesk.com/)

This is the smallest size they offer. I opted for the butch block solid walnut because the rest of the bedroom furniture is solid walnut. It looks and feels great. This configuration unfortunately only comes with grommets but turns out that's not really that bad as I use one for my key light mount and the other isn't all that noticeable.

UPLIFT Advanced RGB Keypad

It is the smallest option with programmable buttons. I ended up not mounting to the edge as my chair would bump into it. I used heavy-duty double-side mounting tape (https://amzn.to/4nyXizn) and taped to the leg. It is out of the way but still easily accessible.

UPLIFT 8-Outlet Surge Protector

This is a tiny desk and this thing takes up quite a bit of space. This plus the included wire cable management thing is pretty much all that will fit under the desk. Yes, I am using all 8 outlets (monitor, powered speakers x2, key light, monitor light bar, bias lighting, EQ for sound system, extra USB-C charger for my phone, keyboard tray light - see details below).

UPLIFT Magnetic Cable Channel

Not all that expensive and it keeps the power cable from the mounted surge protector out of the way.

Cable Management Clips (https://amzn.to/4oL3Trd)

Pretty handy to keep things out of the way and tidy.

HARDWARE

Dell 34 Inch Ultrawide Thunderbolt Hub Monitor (https://amzn.to/4374Y4r or https://amzn.to/3WsPyns)

This is about the biggest monitor to fit on this desk. Dual monitors were not going to fit so I went with the 34-inch ultrawide. Also opted for the Thunderbolt Hub version to help with cable management. There is just the single Thunderbolt cable that goes to my laptop. The rest is tucked away in the monitor arm. It's a great setup. And I don't need to find a place for some kind of Thunderbolt hub on my desk or under my desk (which doesn't have any more room anyway).

Keychron Q11 Split Mechanical Keyboard (https://amzn.to/3JySmwh)

I like mechanical. I like split. This one is a solid performer.

Akko V3 Penguin Tactile Silent Switches (https://amzn.to/3LAH1MQ)

I type notes like a crazy stenographer when I am on calls and I didn't want folks to hear my typing. These are great. Just enough tactile to be enjoyable while being barely audible.

Logitech Ergo M575S Wireless Trackball Mouse (https://amzn.to/438lHEB)

You can't go wrong with this one.

Shure SM7dB Microphone (https://amzn.to/4oJp5xV)

I like it. It works. Sounds great.

Shure MVX2U XLR-to-USB Interface (https://amzn.to/47VDbpp)

This works perfectly fine. And it doesn't take too much space.

RODE DS2 Desktop Studio Arm (https://amzn.to/47zlQCe)

Perfect little stand for the microphone. Slides out of the way when not in use. It has a heavy base that make it very stable and not prone to tipping. I like that the base and pretty much the entire thing is all metal.

ERGONOMICS

Ergotron LX Pro Monitor Arm (https://amzn.to/47hsVbJ)

Every square inch matters on the desk so a monitor arm is crucial. This one is solid and a recommended buy for the 34-inch ultrawide monitor. I have this angled to the side so there is no need to push the desk out from the wall. It sits flush to the wall. That is important to maximize space in my cramped room.

Rain Design Laptop Stand (https://amzn.to/47id2C3)

These are fine and they are everywhere. Good to raise up the laptop to use as a secondary monitor. I also like to have this on the left as I use my left hand on the trackpad for swiping actions while my right hand is on my mouse.

Apple Thunderbolt 4 Pro Cable - 3 meters (https://amzn.to/4oJz8my)

Okay so I said I love using the monitor as a Thunderbolt Hub. The one thing to keep in mind is that with the monitor arm, the cables have to run through the zig zag arms of the monitor arm to the computer. That is quite a bit of distance. The more approachably-priced and more standard Thunderbolt cables at 2 meters (like the Anker: https://amzn.to/49urGaB) can work but I just wanted a bit more slack on the cable to really have everything tucked away so I sprung for the Apple cable. Is it overkill? Yes. Did I really absolutely need it? No. The 2 meter just reached but I like being able shift things for calls and I didn't want any undue tension on the cable connection.

Humanscale Keyboard Tray (https://www.humanscale.com)

Pay attention here. This is the trickiest part of the whole setup. I absolutely wanted a keyboard tray to maximize my limited desk space.

There is only 12 inches from the front of the desk and the crossbar.

You could get a keyboard spacer that allows you to mount a track the full length. Two problems. (1) It then lowers the keyboard tray further below the bottom. I would like the keyboard sitting on my lap but the desktop not too much higher than that. If there is more distance, the desktop surface would then be too high. Almost comically too high. (2) There wouldn't be space to mount the 8-outlet surge protector. As mentioned above, I am using all 8 outlets so would be put out a bit if I had to route power cables elsewhere.

Humanscale makes good keyboard trays and they do have an option for an 11-inch track. That's the one I got and it fits perfectly.

Next, because of how far the keyboard tray sticks out, you want to be careful which one you get. I got the 6FB which is a fixed height keyboard tray. Which is totally fine since I am using with an adjustable height desk. You therefore don't need an adjustable height keyboard tray. Keyboard platform I got was the 950 which is the "Standard Compact" which measures 19 inches by 8.4 inches. When pushed all the way back, it sticks out only one inch. Not noticeable with the chair pushed in. This is the shallowest of all the configurations which means if you got a different configuration, the keyboard tray would stick out further in front of the desk even if it is pushed all the way back. I wanted it tucked away when not in use as this is my bedroom after all.

I also got the lateral slider option which I'm glad I did. I'm constantly shifting depending on where I am sitting or standing.

Topo Mini Comfort Mat (https://amzn.to/4oJznhv)

Wow, I can't believe how much I love this. I stand way more I with this pad. The little nubs and raised areas and such are great as I shift positions. I work barefoot. Sometimes with socks, sometimes without. This thing is great. And this smaller size tucks away right next to the desk when not in use.

Herman Miller Aeron Chair (https://amzn.to/4qwzT4l)

I've had this chair for ages. Still going strong.

LIGHTING

BenQ ScreenBar Pro LED Monitor Light Bar (https://amzn.to/3LdX6bf)

This is an absolute must-have on any desk setup. It is just so nice and natural and casts just the right amount of light on the work surface. The auto-brightness feature works pretty well. And I see no glare or reflection on the monitor with this monitor light bar. Get it!

MediaLight Mk2 v2 Eclipse - 2 meters (https://www.biaslighting.com)

Do you absolutely need bias lighting with calibrated white light? No, not really. You could get by with a desk lamp shining on the back wall. Or just turn on the lights in the room. I will say I love this bias lighting I have here. I work a lot at night and keeping all the lights off where I am sitting is useful for my focus and concentration. Being in a cramped apartment, the only spot I have is my bedroom so having only desk lights on when I'm working sort of tricks the mind that I'm in a different place. If I had the bedroom lit up, then I am just working in my bedroom (when I'd rather be sleeping). I had considered going the colored light approach for the bias lighting but glad I went with the white. It is hard to explain but my eyes are not tired at all now that I have this bias lighting.

LED Under Cabinet Light (https://amzn.to/4qGeVQA)

Now the one drawback to going the keyboard tray route to make space on the desk is that the keyboard was hard for me to see at night. I just installed this cheap LED under cabinet light and it solved it. I chose this on because you can adjust the brightness as well as the color temperature.

Elgato Key Light (https://amzn.to/4qrNslo)

Really important to have good lighting on work calls. Especially important as I'm right by south-facing windows so behind me is brightly lit when the sun is out in the afternoon. This key light is just powerful enough to counteract so I can look professional on video calls. I have this one mounted in the grommet hole for a decent look and away from the wall.

AUDIO

Schitt Modi DAC (https://amzn.to/4oMToUx)

Yes, you absolutely need a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) if you listen to a lot of music.

Schitt Loki Mini 4-Band Tone Control (EQ) (https://amzn.to/3WxxVmn)

No, you do not absolutely need EQ control. I actually have this on bypass most of the time. I used to run my video calls through this so would turn down bass, up treble when on calls, and reverse when listening to music. Now I run my video calls just through my computer speakers.

Emotiva Airmotiv 4 Powered Studio Monitors (https://emotiva.com)

I bought these more than 10 years ago. They were the smallest powered studio monitors when I got them. They sound okay. I wonder what speakers I would get if I needed to replace them. Let me know in the comments below if you have recommendations!

Emotiva Speaker Stands (https://emotiva.com)

Useful for tipping the speakers up to face my ears. They are also proving useful when I am in standing position and speakers is pointing at least closer than if they were pointing straight ahead. The speakers are on the dresser and the radiator (it's okay - it is away from the heat/cold) and therefore don't move with the standing desk.

Schitt SYS Passive Preamp Volume Control (https://amzn.to/48QZa2I)

This is just handy to control the volume on my powered studio monitors. Otherwise, I would be changing volume on each of the two speakers each time.