New office feels liberating – outside is still better

It’s been kind of a slow week for me in programming, but I made up for it in renovating my office and learning new stuff! I managed to get hold of some really nice office furniture so decided it’s time to repaint and throw out the old crap I’ve been sitting at for years.

Sadly I don’t have a before-shot of what my setup used to look like, but it was basically a combination of two tiny desks (one actually being a very old dressing table), one holding my screen and the other hosting keyboard and mouse. While it worked for many years, especially when working with paper it was very uncomfortable since there was hardly any space left besides keyboard and mouse. Also, I have to admit it always felt very cramped since the desk was hardly bigger than the chair I’m sitting in.

So, this is how awesome it looks now:

The old furniture was dark wood and the walls needed new paint pretty badly, so by repainting and putting in bright furniture the whole room has lit up. Everything feels bigger and less depressing :).

The new setup allows me to easily switch between my PC and the little workspace on the right (where I plan to have my laptop sitting mostly) and also makes room for a second screen I’ve been planning on buying for quite some time now.

Now, the only problem that remains is cooling. Without air conditioning I frequently get temperature to rise above 30°, making work during the day almost unbearable. 3 computers generate a lot of heat in a small room, and the big screen doesn’t really help either. Unfortunately having AC setup is nearly impossible without breaking the wall’s insulation so I’ll have to abandon base during the hot hours:

This picture is taken from a very nice little cafe at Wörthersee called Schamandra. They have good ice cream and really nice coffee and view. Unfortunately there is no free wifi, but 3G reception is very good. Another place I love to go to when in need of piece and quiet is Unterkreuth. A very nice bar on the top of a mountain usually frequented by paragliding enthusiasts, since they started serving coffee there is really no better place to be.

Both places are easily reachable from Klagenfurt in 10-15 minutes by car and provide exactly the piece and quiet I require when I need to watch a screencast or read a book.

Ps: I’d like to thank Robert for lending me his superhuman strength for two days and making the new office happen.