My 2023 Dark Aesthetic Home Office | Part 1: Desk Setup Tour

Summary

In this video, Matt showcases his workspace setup, highlighting the importance of a focused and inspiring environment. He features a CARBY Walnut countertop desk from Ikea, supported by Alex drawers, and adorned with a Groove map desk pad. Matt's tech setup includes a 2023 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Max, a Huawei MateView monitor, and an LG DualUp monitor. He also discusses various accessories like the Groove stand, Marshall Acton 3 speaker, and Apple peripherals. The video offers a detailed tour of his desk, providing links to all products for viewers interested in his setup.

Takeaways

• 🎬 The video is a walkthrough of Matt's workspace setup, showcasing various products and their uses.
• 🪵 Matt's desk is a CARBY Walnut countertop from IKEA, measuring 246 centimeters, supported by two black ALEX drawers and secured with adhesive captions.
• 🖥️ He uses a large desk mat to protect the desk surface and an additional fat mouse pad for smooth and quiet mouse movement.
• 💻 Matt's primary computer is a 2023 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Max, 12-core CPU, 38-core GPU, 32GB RAM, and 1TB storage, used mainly for photo and video editing.
• 🖥️ The main monitor is a Huawei MateView with a 4K IPS display and a 3:2 aspect ratio, which Matt finds ideal for his photography and video editing work.
• 🖥️ A second monitor, the LG DualUp, is used but not preferred due to its tall design causing neck strain.
• 🎵 For audio, Matt has a Marshall Acton 3 speaker known for its vintage look and good sound quality.
• 🔌 A Thunderbolt 4 dock from Hyper connects the MacBook to various peripherals and an audio interface for the Shure SM7B microphone.
• 📱 Matt charges his iPhone with a Groovemade MagSafe stand and uses leather accessories from Nomad and Spigen for his iPad and iPhone.
• 🖋️ Groovemade's Solid Walnut Notask Shelf elevates peripherals, and Matt also appreciates their trays, pen, and task knife for organizational purposes.
• ⌨️ The workspace includes an Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and a Logitech MX Master 3s mouse for a quiet and efficient input experience.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video?

The main focus of the video is to provide a tour of Matt's workspace setup, discussing the various products and their features.

What type of desk does Matt have in his workspace?

Matt has a Carby Walnut countertop desk from Ikea, which is 246 centimeters long.

Why did Matt choose the larger version of the desk?

Matt chose the larger version of the desk for more freedom of movement and space to work.

What is the downside of the desk Matt uses?

The downside of the desk is that it scratches easily, which is why Matt uses a large desk mat to protect it.

What is the purpose of the Alex drawer and how is it secured to the desk?

The Alex drawer from Ikea is used to support the desk and is secured using adhesive transparent captions to prevent sliding.

What is special about the Groove made desk pad Matt uses?

The Groove made desk pad has a surface made of a resistant material called linoleum and a bottom made of cork, and it is larger than the depth of the desk.

What is the configuration of the MacBook Pro Matt uses in his setup?

Matt uses a 2023 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 Max chip, 12-core CPU, 38-core GPU, 32 gigabytes of RAM, and 1 terabyte of storage.

Why did Matt upgrade his MacBook Pro?

Matt upgraded to ensure the MacBook Pro can handle more than his current needs for future-proofing, mainly for photo and video editing.

What are the key features of the Huawei MateView monitor Matt mentions?

The Huawei MateView monitor features a 4K IPS display with a 3x2 aspect ratio, which Matt finds great for productivity and his work.

Why does Matt not use the LG Dual UP monitor often?

Matt doesn't use the LG Dual UP monitor often because it causes neck pain due to its height and is not ideal for his work.

What is the main issue Matt has with the Hyper Thunderbolt 4 dock?

The main issue Matt has with the Hyper Thunderbolt 4 dock is that the port connecting the Mac sits in front, causing the cable to stick out awkwardly.

How does Matt use his iPad Pro in conjunction with his workspace?

Matt uses his iPad Pro as a separate monitor with Sidecar, allowing him to access apps and work wirelessly from anywhere in his workspace.

Outlines

00:00

🖥️ Desk Setup Overview

Matt introduces his workspace, emphasizing the importance of a focused and inspiring environment. He showcases his Ikea CARBY Walnut countertop desk, which he has had for a year and loves for its look and texture. The desk is large, measuring 246 centimeters, and is supported by two black ALEX drawers from Ikea. To prevent the desk from bending, a leg is placed in the middle, and adhesive transparent captions are used to prevent sliding. Matt also mentions the desk's susceptibility to scratches, which is why he uses a large desk mat. The desk mat is from Groove, with a linoleum surface and a cork bottom, and is slightly larger than the desk's depth. Matt uses an additional fat mouse pad on top for smoother and quieter mouse movement. The desk setup is powered by a 2023 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 Max chip, featuring a 12-core CPU, 38-core GPU, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. Matt uses the MacBook primarily for photo and video editing and chose it for its future-proof performance. The desk also includes a Walden stand from Groove, a Huawei Mate View 28.2-inch 4K IPS monitor with a 3:2 aspect ratio, and a second monitor, the LG Dual UP, which Matt doesn't use as often due to its height causing neck pain.

05:01

🎵 Audio and Peripheral Setup

Matt's desk is equipped with a Marshall Acton 3 speaker for its compact size, vintage look, and excellent sound quality. To elevate his peripherals, he uses a Groove Made Solid While Not Task Shelf, which includes a tray for stationery items and a Nest from Orbitkey for cable and dongle storage. For connecting his MacBook to monitors and other peripherals, Matt uses a Thunderbolt 4 dock from Hyper, which also connects a Focusrite audio interface for his Shure SM7B microphone. He charges his iPhone with a Groove Made heavy Mac safe stand. Matt appreciates the quality and design of Groove Made's Apple product trays, leather notebook, small notepad, refillable pen, and task knife. He also mentions metal organizers from Agamonk. For monitor control, he uses an Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and a Logitech MX Master 3s mouse. Matt also utilizes an iPad Pro M2 12.9 inches with Sidecar functionality, allowing it to act as a separate monitor. He praises the Nomad leather folio for the iPad and the Ansel case from Spigen for his iPhone, both for their quality and protective features. The video concludes with Matt promising a second part to explore more aspects of his setup, such as wall color, chair, lighting, and the charging station behind his desk.

Keywords

💡Workspace

A workspace refers to an area designated for work, often including a desk, chair, and various tools or equipment necessary for the tasks performed there. In the context of the video, the workspace is the central theme, as the creator, Matt, discusses his personal desk setup, which is designed to keep him focused and inspired. The workspace includes a desk, monitors, a laptop, and various peripherals that contribute to an efficient and aesthetically pleasing environment for productivity.

💡Desk Setup

A desk setup encompasses the arrangement of furniture and equipment on a desk, typically aimed at optimizing comfort, efficiency, and ergonomics. In the video, Matt provides a tour of his desk setup, highlighting the choice of desk, monitors, and other peripherals. His setup is carefully curated to support his work in photo and video editing, with attention to detail in terms of both functionality and aesthetics.

💡Ikea Carby Walnut Countertop

The Ikea Carby Walnut Countertop is a specific product mentioned in the video, which serves as the desk surface in Matt's workspace. It is described as having a beautiful look and texture, and Matt chose the larger version to accommodate his needs for a spacious and flexible workspace. Despite its susceptibility to scratches, he appreciates its aesthetic and functional qualities, which are central to his desk setup.

💡Monitor Arm

A monitor arm is a device that allows a monitor to be mounted on a desk or wall, offering flexibility in positioning the display for better ergonomics and workspace utilization. Matt mentions the possibility of mounting a monitor arm on his desk, indicating a desire for a customizable and adaptable workspace that can cater to various work styles and preferences.

💡MacBook Pro

The MacBook Pro is a line of high-performance laptops by Apple, often used for professional tasks such as photo and video editing. In the video, Matt discusses his 2023 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 Max chip, emphasizing its significant performance upgrade over his previous model. This laptop is central to his workspace, serving as the primary tool for his creative work.

💡Huawei MateView

The Huawei MateView is a 4K IPS display monitor mentioned in the video, appreciated by Matt for its sharpness and 3:2 aspect ratio, which he finds conducive to productivity. It is a key component of his desk setup, contributing to an efficient and high-quality visual workspace for his photo and video editing tasks.

💡LG Dual UP850-W

The LG Dual UP850-W is a monitor mentioned in the video, which Matt received from LG. Although he finds it to be a great monitor with many adjustments, it is not ideal for his work due to its height causing neck pain. This example illustrates the importance of personal comfort and ergonomics in a workspace setup.

💡Groove Made

Groove Made is a brand that produces desk accessories and peripherals, several of which are featured in Matt's workspace. Products like the desk pad, stand, and various organizers from Groove Made are highlighted for their quality and contribution to the overall aesthetic and functionality of his desk setup.

💡Thunderbolt 4 Dock

A Thunderbolt 4 Dock is a device that allows for multiple peripherals to be connected to a computer via a single Thunderbolt 4 cable. Matt uses one to connect his MacBook to various devices, streamlining his workspace and reducing cable clutter. This is an example of how modern connectivity solutions can enhance the efficiency and organization of a desk setup.

💡iPad Pro with Sidecar

The iPad Pro with Sidecar is a feature that allows an iPad to act as a secondary display for a Mac, providing additional screen real estate. Matt utilizes this feature to extend his workspace, which is particularly useful for multitasking and accessing apps like Safari and Notion simultaneously. This integration of devices exemplifies the video's theme of creating a versatile and connected workspace.

Highlights

Introduction to an ongoing series about desk setup.

Tour of the workspace featuring a Walnut countertop from Ikea.

Use of a large desk mat to protect the desk's surface.

Supporting the desk with two black Alex drawers from Ikea.

Use of adhesive transparent captions to prevent desk movement.

Mention of the iconic combination of desk and drawers from Ikea.

Use of Destroyer organizers and velcro for cable management.

Introduction of a map desk pad from Groove made for monitor placement.

Use of an additional fat mouse pad for smooth and quiet mouse usage.

Powering the setup with a 2023 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Max.

Comparison of the new MacBook Pro to a 2019 model for performance.

Use of the Walden stand from Groove made for the MacBook.

Setup of the main monitor, a Huawei mate view with 4K IPS display.

Discussion on the 3x2 aspect ratio for productivity and photo editing.

Second monitor setup with an LG dual app for additional workspace.

Use of a blank Q screen bar for late-night lighting control.

Inclusion of a Marshall Acton 3 speaker for desk audio.

Elevation of peripherals with a Groove made Solid while not task shelf.

Organization of cables and dongles with a Nest from orbit key.

Connection of MacBook to monitors with a Thunderbolt 4 dock from hyper.

Use of a focusrite audio interface for microphone signal conversion.

Charging iPhone with a heavy Mac safe stand from Groove made.

Introduction of Groove made accessories like trays and a leather notebook.

Use of a refillable pen and task knife for desk organization.

Control of the monitor with an Apple magic keyboard with Touch ID.

Use of a Logitech MX Master 3s for quiet and efficient mouse operation.

Utilization of an iPad Pro M2 for a separate monitor with Sidecar.

Protection of the iPad with a Nomad leather folio for a professional look.

Protection of the iPhone with a Spigen Ansel leather cover.

Promise of a second part of the video covering more aspects of the setup.

Transcripts

[Music]

foreign

[Music]

who works for normal day I know

firsthand how important it is to have a

workspace that keeps you focused and

inspired hi my name is Matt this is the

first video of an ongoing series about

my desk setup and in this one I walk you

through my workspace and give you a tour

of my space if you're interested in any

of the products in my setup there's a

link to everything in the video

description below let's talk about my

desk this is the widely known car by

Walnut countertop from Ikea I've had it

for a year now and I love how it looks

and its texture I opted for the larger

version of 246 centimeters due to its

length I place a leg in the middle to

prevent it from bending over time I

highly suggest getting this if you have

enough space in your room you will feel

more free to move and have more space to

work one downside is that it scratches

pretty easily which is why I use this

large desk mat but we will talk about it

later

to support the desk I placed two black

Alex drawer from Ikea the desk is

unscrewed to them I use some adhesive

transparent captions to prevent it from

sliding considering it weighs 40

kilograms it won't move at all and it's

easier if you need to move it around

prices are much higher now due to

inflation but I still buy them because

it's such an iconic combination and you

will be covered for 25 years by the Ikea

guarantee something that nobody talks

about are Destroyer organizers I used a

little piece of velcro to keep them in

place

to protect the top of the desk I place

this beautiful map desk pad from Groove

made its surface is made of a resistant

material called linoleum meanwhile the

bottom is made of cork this size is

actually larger than the depth of the

desk it would be awesome if Groove mate

can make a custom size for the car by

desk that way you can mount monitor arm

wherever you want instead of mounting it

on the external sides even though the

surface of the desk mat is hard the

material can be scratched but if you

don't move a lot of boxes like I do

you'll be safe I use an additional fat

mouse pad from groommate on top of it I

like using this because I can easily

move stuff around when I'm eating or

cleaning also the feeling of using the

mouse with this is much smoother and

quieter powering everything is the 2023

16-inch MacBook Pro I bought the M2 Max

with 12 core CPU 38 core GPU 32

gigabytes of RAM and 1 terabyte of space

this is the most recent and expensive

acquisition of the whole setup I

previously had the 16 inch base model

from 2019 which I bought second-handed

and the difference in performance is

massive considering they're only 4 years

apart I mostly use it for photo and

video editing but I wanted it to be

capable to handle more than I actually

need it for just to be future proof the

MacBook sits on top of this beautiful

Walden stand from Groove made which in

my opinion has the best design of all

the stands I've seen the main monitor of

my setup is the Huawei mate view 28.2

inches I bought it just over a year ago

and has been a dream to work with it has

a 4K IPS display which is surprisingly

sharp I found the 3x2 aspect ratio a

great success for productivity and work

all the photos I take are 3x2 so it

makes a lot of sense for me it's also

quite appealing for video editing for

many people having a wide timeline might

be a deal breaker but I often use many

layers stack on each other particularly

for sound and it could get very deep but

with the extra space on the bottom if we

consider a normal 16x9 ratio this is

much better I'm not upset about the

absence of the base amount and I don't

need to use the monitor in vertical mode

for that I have my second monitor the LG

dual app

this was kindly sent to me by LG but in

all honesty I don't use it very often

don't get me wrong this is a great

monitor with lots of adjustments however

it's not ideal for my work I often have

neck pain and the fact that it's so tall

it makes it hard for me to use it for

long periods of time you can obviously

move it around and lower it but it will

get in the way of the other stuff I have

on my desk and I can use it like this I

haven't removed it yet because many

people may find it useful and I really

like having it on the side

this remote controller is for the blank

Q screen bar on top of the Huawei mate

view I like to use it late night it

gives me quick access to brighten up the

space I prefer using the light on the

back since my keyboard reflects the

front light straight to my eyes and

instead of relieving eye fatigue it

makes it worse next to the monitor I

have the Marshall Acton 3 speaker I was

looking for a compact and good looking

speaker to place on my desk and this one

surpassed all of my expectations I love

the size of it and the Vintage look

combined with the Dexter and the elegant

sign on the front adds A Touch of Class

to the desk the sound quality is

incredibly good for my taste the best is

pretty powerful for its size and overall

I think this is a perfect solution for a

great desk speaker that doesn't take up

too much space to elevate all these

peripherals from the desk we found the

groove made Solid while not task shelf

which is easily my favorite desk

accessory in it we find this tray that I

use to quickly access stationary items

such as spans SD cards and hard drivers

and is Nest from orbit key that I use to

store cables and dongles on the other

hand connecting the MacBook with the

monitors I use this Thunderbolt for dock

from hyper this has been one of the best

addition to my setup it connects the Mac

to all the other peripherals via one

Thunderbolt 4 cable I also have this

focusrite audio interface connected to

it which converts the analog signals

from the Shure sm7b microphone to

digital via an XLR cable the only thing

that I don't like about it is that the

port that connect the Mac sits in front

making the cable awkwardly sticking out

to charge my iPhone I have this heavy

Mac safe stand from Groove made I don't

know why but mine is loose and it

shouldn't be for such an expensive item

other accessories I have from them are

these trays for Apple products and their

corresponding with stress the refillable

leather notebook and the small notepad

additionally I also have two extra

pieces which are worth mentioning I'm

talking about the refillable pen and the

task knife I'm not exaggerating when I

say the driving with this pen feels

extremely small the ink rides flawlessly

on the paper and it makes you want to do

more on the other hand the task knife is

just a win it's something that you

probably don't need but you desperately

want it because it's so cool by the way

these metal organizers are from agamonk

[Music]

to control my monitor I use the Apple

magic keyboard This is the latest

version with Touch ID and is so

convenient to unlock my Mac with just my

finger now if you're planning on buying

one be aware that the unlocking function

only works with M1 and above devices on

the right of the keyboard we find the

Logitech MX Master 3s you can find the

full unboxing video on my channel and

the comparison with the normal MX3 I

love how quiet it is I was so tired of

the clicky sound on the previous model

but I actually enjoy working with this

one another fundamental device I use

while working is the iPad Pro M2 12.9

inches the most incredible feature it

has for me is the possibility to use it

as a separate monitor with side car for

this you will need to be logged in with

the same Apple ID and have a stable

internet connection now you have a

wireless display that you can place

wherever you want I absolutely love this

feature it allows me to access apps like

Safari where I can use my notion account

while I'm working on a video and don't

lose track of my work or I'm able to

control the iPad with the same mouse and

keyboard if you're wondering what cover

I'm using for the iPad this is The Nomad

leather folio it's quite expensive but

the iPad feels absolutely amazing in it

and it looks so professional if you

carry it around I've been using it for

the past four months now and I love how

the leather is aging another great

leather cover I use all the time is this

for my iPhone it's called Ansel and it's

from Spigen this is the highest quality

cover I've ever owned and it protects

the iPhone extremely well it has strong

rubber all around and the bottoms on the

sides are amazing

this is it for today's video I will post

the second part to keep exploring my

setup very soon I will cover more about

my wall color my chair the lighting the

charging station behind my desk and so

on please leave a like And subscribe to

the channel if you enjoyed this episode

I read all the comments so if I miss

something that you would like to see in

the next one comment it down below and

I'll make sure to include it if you're

interested in any of the items in my

setup check the link in the video

description below you'll find every

single item in my studio in there and

also in Cuban codes as well I'll see you

in the next one