Home Office Insights from Kallie Plagge: Work and Play Spaces

LOS ANGELES, CA — Kallie Plagge, the senior copy editor at The Verge, recently shared insights into her home office setup, highlighting the balance between work and play spaces. Plagge, who has a decade of experience in media, reflects on her workspace evolution since the pandemic began.

Currently living with her parents, Plagge enjoys a dedicated office space next to her bedroom. ‘When I lived here during the COVID lockdown, I worked from the dining room table, so this setup is a big upgrade!’ she said.

Plagge’s setup features an L-shaped desk from Target, designed to create mental separation between work and gaming. ‘I realized I preferred to have separate work and gaming spaces, even if it just involves swiveling my chair 90 degrees,’ she explained. The desk also includes an Ikea Alex drawer unit on casters for additional storage.

Regarding her chair, Plagge described how her dad bought it during the lockdown to replace an uncomfortable dining chair. She added foam pads from Amazon for extra comfort while working long hours.

Plagge utilizes various tech devices for work and gaming. On the work side, she uses a mechanical keyboard with Mac compatibility and a wired mouse. For gaming, she prefers a separate keyboard with a cloud wrist rest for added comfort. ‘I only used the number pad for one shortcut, so the tenkeyless layout saves space,’ she said.

Her setup also includes a hand-me-down Dell monitor, which she appreciates despite lacking additional HDMI ports. ‘Switching cables manually isn’t ideal, but I don’t mind too much,’ she noted.

With two pairs of headphones, Plagge employs Bose QuietComfort 35 II for daily use and a gaming headset compatible with both PC and Xbox for multiplayer sessions. ‘I love having the audio balance dial for chat and game audio,’ she stated.

Sitting near her desk, Plagge has a Pokemon merchandise collection, including a businessman Pikachu. ‘No home office is complete without cute decorations,’ she added, referencing a Poliwhirl fan and her comfortable couch from Article.

The creative workspace also features a desk bike for exercise. ‘I have very bad ankles and can’t run, so it’s a nice way to get some cardio in while working,’ she said. ‘I really only use it during meetings when my camera is off.’

Plagge concluded, ‘Thank you for reading!’ as Business Pikachu adorned her desk. Her office serves as a perfect blend of work efficiency and personal enjoyment, combining professionalism with a touch of personality.