The home office that still looks like a home

Pick a desk with a wood or soft lacquer top and give the chair a material you would accept in the living room. Mesh is fine. A racing seat is a different story.

Put the monitor on a riser, run the power into a lidded cable box, and keep one tray for paper. Three objects on the desktop is usually the right number.

A pinboard in linen, a single plant, and a lamp with a real shade will make video calls look considered. The background is part of the room.