Cosy Nature-Inspired Workspace in Germany

Name: Sebastian

Location: Friesland, Lower Saxony - Germany

Occupation: In training at a private school

Room size: 21 m² (226 ft²)

Cost of setup: ~€300 ($349) not including the Tower-PC

Social media: Tiktok

Website: Chem

Hello! Tell us a bit about yourself

Hej! Thank you very much for inviting me to this interview.

My name is Sebastian, and as of today, in my late twenties.

I was born near Frankfurt but moved with my family to northern Germany at an early age.

I’m glad I grew up here – even though the landscape is so flat that I sometimes forget what mountains actually look like.

For the majority of my career, I worked as a technical support agent for a well-known and award-winning German online retailer and manufacturer specialising in customisable PC systems..

Eventually, I reached a point where I wanted to reorient myself and take on a new challenge.

This led me to attend a private boarding school, where I’m currently gaining insights into public administration, commercial professions, and technical product design.

I have a strong interest in chemistry — particularly inorganic chemistry — as well as a fascination with various thermoplastic polymers, 3D printing, design, and electronics.

I enjoy tinkering with microcontrollers and repairing my own hardware and devices.

I would consider myself an aspiring maker, always eager to learn, experiment, and create in my free time.

Take us through your setup

My goal with this setup was to create an inexpensive yet clean, warm, personalised and somewhat spacious workspace.

A lot of the character comes from small, custom-made elements — I 3D-printed the USB stick organiser, the little potted plant, the Xeno figurine, and even the copper-style wall panels, which add a nice warmth to the room.

I added some greenery as well, both real and artificial — because plants are known to have a positive effect on well-being

The desk itself is a repurposed kitchen countertop, cut in half and wrapped in oak-look vinyl foil.

It’s supported on one side by adjustable metal legs, and on the other by a sturdy IKEA ALEX drawer unit for convenient storage.

It’s a simple build, but it does exactly what I need it to — and I like that it has a bit of a DIY story behind it.

I’ve chosen to use just a single monitor.

It’s an older 5:4 model, which I actually appreciate for its aesthetic and nostalgic feel.

Despite its age, the panel still delivers great contrast and vibrant colours, and I find the simplicity of one screen helps me to stay focused.

In the future, I’d love to build a new desk entirely from scratch, using real oak and maybe adding some epoxy resin for a river-table effect.

I’m also planning a few hardware upgrades, including swapping my PC case for a Thermaltake Level 20 VT.

Little by little, I’m shaping the space into something that reflects both who I am and what I enjoy creating.

What’s your favourite item on your desk?

Oddly enough, my favourite item on the desk is a small ivy plant I picked from my garden.

I’ve been caring for it over the past few months, and I’m curious to see how it continues to grow — and whether it’ll turn out to be a good long-term desk companion.

A close second would be the beaker-shaped drinking glass on my desk, which was a gift from a very good friend.

I really appreciate her creativity and thoughtful gift ideas — she’s awesome.

What apps or tools do you use to get things done?

I’ve had the pleasure of using Autodesk Inventor as an introduction to professional designing at school, and it’s quickly become one of my favourite tools.

It’s an incredibly powerful piece of software that really opened my eyes to what’s possible in 3D modeling.

At home, I rely on free and open-source software that gets the job done (remarkably well).

For everyday tasks, I use LibreOffice for documents and spreadsheets.

When it comes to image editing, I use both PhotoScape and GIMP.

For programming microcontrollers I use the Arduino IDE.

For video projects, Kdenlive has been my go-to editor — it’s very capable for a free tool — and I use HandBrake for converting video files locally.

For 3D printing, I work with MS 3D Builder for simple object designs and Ultimaker Cura to slice models for my 3D printers.

Of course, there’s proprietary software that’s more powerful and advanced out there, but I’ve found that these tools meet my needs very well — especially for someone who enjoys experimenting and learning on a budget.

What books, blogs, or podcasts recently caught your attention?

Outside of tech, I’m a big fan of Dr. Alok Kanojia (HealthyGamer on YouTube) and regularly follow his videos and podcasts, where he shares his valuable expertise on psychology-related topics with his audience.

In my eyes, taking care of your mental health is just as important these days as making progress in your career.

For those more interested in chemistry and science, I highly recommend the videos by Dr. Tom de Prins (Explosions&Fire/Extractions&Ire).

He’s a very entertaining and intelligent guy with a great way of presenting complex topics.

When it comes to reading, I mostly stick to technical literature.

I especially enjoy older chemistry books — not just for the experiments, but also for the hand drawn illustrations that many of them feature.

There’s something unique about how scientific knowledge was presented back then.

Any tips for other makers who want to improve their workspaces?

I don’t consider myself an expert, however I think a good place to start is by taking some time to reflect on where you want your setup to go — either in your mind or by writing it down.

What do I want to improve, and why? Having set a few goals can help to prevent impulse upgrades that don’t really serve you.

Also by looking at other people’s setups you can learn a lot, as well by asking them about their design choices.

Everyone has different creative solutions that could lead to a big improvement in your own space.

What does your typical day look like?

I usually wake up quite early — somewhere between 3 and 4 am — since I also go to bed early.

I know it might sound unusual to some, but it works well for me.

I never have to worry about rushing in the morning or not getting enough sleep.

The early start gives me time to ease into the day.

I can enjoy a peaceful breakfast, take a relaxed shower, sip my coffee, check my emails and social media, and plan out anything important coming up.

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Maker StationsMakers

Whatever time is left before class, I use for entertainment — whether that’s playing a game on my PC or reading something that interests me.

Once I leave my dorm room, the day shifts into a more structured routine.

I attend classes in the morning, break for lunch around noon, and then continue with lessons into the afternoon.

After class, I often go for a walk or a run, eat dinner, maybe study a bit more or unwind with a show — and then it’s off to bed to reset for the next day.

It’s a rhythm that works well for me during the week.

On weekends, holidays, or vacation, there’s a bit more flexibility, and I use that time to catch up on hobbies or just enjoy a change of pace.

Your tips for working from home?

Having worked from home in my previous job, one important lesson I learned is to treat your day as if you were physically going into the office.

That means getting dressed in the kind of clothes you’d normally wear to work — not just staying in pajamas all day.

It helps shift your mindset into “work mode” and sets a boundary between rest and productivity.

I also found it really helpful to stick to fixed, but fair, break times.

It’s easy to blur the lines when you’re at home, and without structure, you might find yourself either overworking — or getting distracted and “cheating” yourself.

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