Jason England is senior computing editor at Tom’s Guide, covering everything from laptops and peripherals to gaming hardware and VR and everything in between.
So we know he’s a techie, plus the site’s sim racing nerd and a bit of a coffee snob. How does all of this fit into a place that suits him? Well, I’m going to stop talking about myself in the third person now (that’s always a weird feeling as a writer, but for Google reasons, it has to be done) and show you my desk setup, living room, and a few other essentials that turn this little apartment into a home.
The biography
- Who are you? I’m a thirty-something computer geek from the UK who managed to land my dream job – I’m someone who can write (and talk) about tech.
- What vision do you have for your home? I want my place to be a celebration of everything I love – technology, sim racing and good food – and to remember the moments that got me to this point.
- How long did it take you to get it Only Right? Honestly, I don’t think perfection is possible when it comes to creating a home a home. But I think over the course of a few years and moving between several places, I’ve gotten as close to perfection (for me) as I can get.
- How would you describe your place in three words? Productive, relaxing and messy (but I’m a self-confessed gadget hoarder).
Shortlist for desk furnishing
Tell us about your desk setup
I wanted it to be versatile, ergonomic and productive. I have already wrote a little about my own Megadesk (By the way, many of the offers I mention there are still valid), but let’s go into a little more detail here.
The workload is very varied: writing, photography, videography, graphic design, team management (incl. a lot meetings), strategizing, and more. And when I’m not working at my day job, I also do my own little tasks, like composing music and doing digital marketing for a few restaurants in the area.
Of course, I put a lot of emphasis on being able to effectively implement all elements of the main career – starting with the combination of the Sihoo Doro S300 chair and the Flexispot EG8 Comhar standing desk.
Additionally, I recently switched to a dual monitor layout with one vertical (thanks for the tip, Anthony). The vertical orientation is great not only for typing long stories, but also for browsing files, viewing an ever-growing list of unread emails, and even editing song titles.
The desk space and wireless functionality of the Kiiboom Phantom 81 V2 and Logitech MX Master 3S allow me to move things around depending on what I’m doing – whether that’s putting my MIDI keyboard on the deck or moving everything out of the way in favor of a controller for PC gaming.
Oh, and given the amount of things I do, I can stay at my desk late into the night, making the Quintis Monitor Light Bar one of the most important parts of this desk. I’ve always shied away from eye care, but after several migraine attacks, I realize it’s no fun. From changing the brightness and color temperature to positioning it high so it lights up my entire desk, this is a must-have for all night owls.
As for the frames, they’re part of a routine I do to celebrate the big press events of my career. I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s definitely a little ritual I like to do. Fun fact: I’m marrying one of the people in the pictures you see in these frames. Can you guess who?
Shortlist for entertainment facilities
Tell us about your entertainment setup
Separated by an Ikea Kallax 4×4 shelving unit, we move into the living room area of this room. I want this to be a space where I can literally do anything, with the best possible experience when binge-watching or gaming, but also a place where I can just turn it all off and chill out.
So I got myself an L-shaped sofa from Ikea Pärup opposite the entertainment center – consisting of a 55-inch HiSense mini LED TV and speakers from Ruark Audio for the best possible sound and picture from my PS5 and Xbox Series S. I also grabbed the Govee TV backlight system, which makes everything extra snazzy.
Sim racing is almost therapeutic for me – a discipline that teaches you to focus on self-improvement and is also an incredibly entertaining video game experience.
My actual rig is more on the budget side, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t at least a little jealous of the massive setups I see on YouTube, but for what I need now as an advanced racer, this cThe combination of Logitech G923 and Playseat Challenge X is just the thing.
Being able to fold it flat in a jiffy makes it essential for the limited space I have to store it away to free up space in my living room. And for an unstoppably addictive experience, using my PSVR 2 with it in Gran Turismo 7 is simply an overwhelming immersion that I can’t get enough of.
And that backdrop you see in many of my test photos? That’s a combination of Nanoleaf hexagon lights, Grid Studio frames, and two plant wall mounts. I like the aesthetic contradiction between the technical and natural worlds here for a set design that brings both sides of the living room together.
Shortlist of other important technologies
What else do you rely on in your life?
I used to think of food and drink as a pure source of energy – probably the reason why I became so overweight in the past. But I’ve increasingly learned how important it is to enjoy food in order to lose body fat and build muscle.
Of course, there is more to it than that, which Luiz Silva points out in his Reasons why you may not be building muscle in the gym. But what has helped me the most in losing weight and building strength is planning what I’m going to eat during the week and sticking to it.
And the appliance at the centre of it all is my trusty air fryer, which has expanded my creativity in the kitchen exponentially (seriously, my Korean BBQ chicken thighs with egg fried rice are killer). Granted, this is a different make and model to the Ninja AF101, but it’s the same size and power – just a mid-aisle spot at Aldi (ask your UK friends).
Finally, a special thanks to my Smeg EC-F01 espresso machine. I know the retro aesthetic doesn’t fit with the overall utilitarian feel of the kitchen, but once I learned that there’s a whole world of coffee outside of the instant coffee I normally use, the routine of making myself a good cup has been invaluable to my morning routine.
