16 Budget Desk Setups: from Artsy Nooks to Practical Workstations

Not everyone has the budget for a fancy, high-end workspace. And that’s not a big deal.

You don’t need to break the bank to create a functional and stylish space. In this roundup of 16 budget desk setups, makers from different corners of the world are showing us how it’s done.

From cosy attic nooks to sleek, practical workstations, we’ve scoured for some of the most affordable yet creative setups out there.

1. Artistic attic workspace with second-hand furniture. Cost: almost free

“My workspace is on the sixth floor in the attic of a large apartment building from 1885, where we also live on the first floor. I was lucky enough to have an old, forgotten room handed over from a previous resident. The rooms behind the dark corridors are neither insulated nor have electricity. The room was completely bare, with walls of rough wooden planks and holes directly out into the open. But it was love at first sight,” says Zwitzh, a street artist from Denmark.

“Since it is illegal to use the attic for anything other than light storage, the first thing I did was to make it invisible. [...] After that, I connected electricity for light and heat from the power grid and started to set up my little secret hideaway. Most things are something I’ve either bought second-hand, found in bulky waste, or given as a gift.”

2. Budget study setup. Cost: $640

“I wanted to have a nice workspace so badly that I started saving money,” shares Christian Realin, a student from the Philippines.

“After I had saved enough, I purchased a monitor, speakers, and other items one by one. Rather than buying other things I wanted, I decided to create them myself.”

3. Small nook workspace at home. Cost: $910

“When decorating the home office, my main goal was to design a tranquil and organised environment where I could fully concentrate while also making it a space where I’d enjoy spending eight hours a day,” shares Rochelle McNally from Georgia, US.

“I’m a huge Anglophile and have been to England many times, so one of the ways I personalised my office was by putting up all of the little trinkets I have gotten from England while visiting. From start to finish, it took me about two weeks to redecorate my office. I bought everything from Amazon. I wanted quick delivery and was ready for my office to be more than just the one sad work desk I had been using for the year prior.”

4. Home office with pre-loved items. Cost: $1K

Ashley Sainato, a constraction service coordinator and a working mom from North Carolina, US, loves all things mid-century and retro. She sourced lots of her workspace items from Facebook Marketplace and local vintage resellers.

“Although the space feels finished, I’m always on the hunt for new things to put on the shelves, so they just will be ever-changing.”

5. Affordable desk setup for a student. Cost: $1,2K

“Do not let your budget constraints limit you. Be imaginative,” says Aliza Ceralde from Manila, Philippines.

“There are many things that you can actually DIY. The bonus part is you can tailor it to your liking!”

6. Low-budget RGB gaming setup. Cost: $1,5K

“While I’m a huge fan of neon lights and RGB, I didn’t just splash them all over the place. What I did was smarter,” says Gerwyn Manuel, a student, drummer and artist from the Philippines.

“I carefully planned where I’d put them and how they would affect the lighting of my setup. I’m quite proud to say my lights have a distinct style and uniqueness to them.”

“The main purpose of my setup is to show the world that you don’t need a huge budget to build one. What’s more important is creativity, personality, and imagination.”

7. Budget studygram setup. Cost: $1,5K

“Two main things I was aiming for while creating my setup:

1) it should be comfy enough for me to stay for long hours;

2) it should not be too cosy that I won’t be able to do my work.

I tend to go overboard with the first one, so I had to add the second goal,” says Isabel, a law student from Quezon City, the Philippines.

“I had a lot of trial and error before I figured out what my preferences were and which items I needed. I was heavily inspired by other content creators and what usually happened was the following: what worked for them didn’t really work for me.

Some desk setups looked good in photos but weren’t too useful.

I had to re-evaluate whether the item/setup was working for me or it was just an additional clutter to my desk because, aside from avoiding making it too cosy, it had to be tidy.”

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Maker StationsEditorial Team

8. Creative and relaxed home office. Cost: $1,5K

“When creating spaces, I always start with function. First, I figure out what are all of the things a space or object needs to do. Then I start understanding how form can help serve that function,” shares Hazel Jennings from San Francisco, US.

Hazel’s desktop is from a desk she got second hand for $100, attached to sit/stand legs.

“This also isn’t a workspace that was set up all at once. I’ve had a desk in all eleven apartments I lived in between moving out of my mother’s house after high school and moving in with my (now) husband. And then my husband and I combined the desk setups we each had at our own spots and used one shared desk in all four apartments we’ve lived in together. So, nothing came together overnight. And, really beautiful, functional spaces never do.”

9. Custom PC desk setup. Cost: ~$1,8K

“My room doesn’t have enough space to accommodate my desk setup, so I had to build it in a little corner of my living room. Since I work at night, I’ve designed my workspace to be comfortable and look peaceful while maintaining the gaming aesthetic,” shares Jovie Brett Bardoles.

“It was the first PC I built and it took me a year and a half to fill my desk with work-from-home essentials. [...] Whenever I had the extra money from work, I’d buy the next part for my PC.”

10. Small and savvy bedroom desk setup. Cost: ~$2K

“Since I still live with my parents, I have a workstation in my bedroom. This room is the smallest in the house,” shares Bram van Duijvenvoorde from Netherlands.

“The small size of my bedroom was definitely a challenge. Yet, I managed to make it work by measuring pretty much everything I got before buying anything.”

11. Cut-price and cable-free home workstation. Cost: $2K

“I’m the type of person who doesn’t want too many things in my surroundings. Finding the best and most affordable items takes a lot of time, so do your research. That’s my main piece of advice,” says Michael Medina, an IT support specialist based in Dubai, UAE.

“You should determine your workspace budget first, then start with the larger items (desk, chair, monitor, CPU, mouse, keyboard) and work your way down to the smaller ones (accessories).”

12. Custom-made moody desk setup. Cost: $2K

“The main problem was the cost. A desk like this would normally cost me around 20,000 Philippine Pesos, or $400,” says Jason Dela Cueva.

“I was lucky to have a friend of mine who had been upgrading his setup at that time. He knew I was struggling to find a nice and affordable table desk. So he offered to have one made for me by the same guy who built a custom workstation for him.”

So Jason found a reference for the desk he wanted on Pinterest and asked the carpenter to make his desktop look like it was a dark walnut one.

“It is not the actual walnut. My desk is made from marine plywood on a laminate dark walnut texture. But the lamination he did was superb. The price was also too good to miss the offer. The carpenter only charged me 6300 pesos ($130) for my desk! He also built a beautiful shelf for me for only 1300 pesos ($27). I like this desk a lot.”

13. IKEA desk setup. Cost: $2,5K

“My setup is about what is important to me. I love music and that explains why I have a bigger speaker. I do a lot of multitasking, hence why I have a big monitor. When you know what’s important to you, it makes it easier to decide on what to buy,” says Nilson Gaspar, a freelance photographer, videographer and graphic designer based in Birmingham, UK.

Most of Nilson’s home office furniture is from IKEA. “The worktop is SÄLJAN and the drawers are ALEX. The shelving unit is VITTSJÖ. The chair is the IKEA MILLBERGET, and I would say it is a decent chair. It is not a chair that you would sit and say “wow, this feels so comfortable!” but it is good enough for the price.”

“It took me almost a year to make the setup look the way it is right now. So, don’t be discouraged if your setup is not looking the way you want. Keep making small improvements over time until you’re happy with the way it looks.”

14. Practical Scandinavian workspace. Cost: $2,5K

“Having a functional, aesthetic space without distractions, but where I feel at home, is important to me. Just like my practical approach to my blog and job, I really aim to get the most bang for my buck,” says Lars, a data scientist from Copenhagen, Denmark.

“This means not going for those super pricey Instagram and YouTube setups. Honestly, most are sponsored and out of reach for most of us. IKEA or second-hand will do just fine.”

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Maker StationsEditorial Team

“I got my chair second-hand from an outlet. I bought the legs for my standing desk from a company that was moving and selling off their furniture. I then added a tabletop that I liked. Most of my posters are DIY in A4 size, so I can change them out whenever I want. I made the desk shelf myself. You can see how I did it in my post called How to Build an Easy DIY Desk Shelf and Monitor Stand in 5 Minutes.”

15. Vintage L-shaped desk setup. Cost: ~$2,7K

“My ambitious goal was to create a budget-friendly yet sophisticated space that incorporated my individual style with mid-century class, showcased in an exhibition-like manner,” says Ty Faulkner.

“Look for deals on second-hand items from places like Mercari, eBay or a local thrift store. I’m a huge advocate for reselling & refurbishing and the used market as a whole.

More expensive doesn’t always mean better.

As a seller, you’re able to declutter your space by getting rid of unwanted items, and you get to make some cash while you’re doing it. Plus, you’re essentially upcycling and saving an item from making its way to a landfill. As the buyer, you’re getting to buy an item at a heavily discounted rate. It’s a win-win for all parties.”

16. Budget-friendly WFH desk setup. Cost: $3K

“I think there is no ‘one-size fits all’ solution when it comes to setting up a workspace,” shares Sigit Adinugroho from Singapore.

“At first, you might look for inspiration on social media, but you might quickly realise that the desk setups you see are unrealistic because… maybe you don’t have the budget or the space. I think it’s best to start with the space and budget you have and work up from there.”

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Maker StationsEditorial Team

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