Oh! That is AWESOME! *I don't care if no one uses that word any more...sometimes it's appropriate.* You cracked the whip and tamed that wild beast! Congratulations. Sadly, in cleaning up the dining room with a deadline today, I brought some clutter back into my home office closet that I previously removed. At least I know I can deal with it without taking too much time in the very near future. I know exactly what you mean about deep cleaning too. I just hate to dust, but it's not so bad when the clutter is gone. My dining room has been reclaimed, for which I am grateful. Celtic, I wish you had a scanner too. Tell us about the picture. Was the wraparound desk piled high?

It will depend on the construction of the drawer itself. basically, replace the drawer box w/ a new one, but put it in upside down. Re-attach the decorative front. In some cases, the decorative front is an integral part of the drawer box, and you'll need to cut it away; in those cases, the new drawer box should be a little bit shorter, back-to-front, than the old drawer box so the front can still be flush w/ the desk. you might want to try to get a drawer box that doesn't have an inset bottom (basically, four sides, then nail a sheet of masonite across them to make the bottom), though that slight inset would sure keep the keyboard from falling off. Be sure to ask this over at the Woodworking forum! Post pics of the desk and of the drawer in question, if you can Here is a link that might be useful: our very own Woodworking forum

Wow -- Like Geokid said -- pictures make all the difference. Love the nook and it could work perfectly. I don't know that I'd even worry about closing it off ... it is like it own little room! Very cute. You said that you already have your phone line there but what about electrical ... I have about 4 plugs all utilized. LOL. I'd position the Lap Top or monitor in the window corner so you can look up and out the window. That will minimize frontal glare. A full L-Shaped surface would look nice (below the window then along back wall). I'd put shelving on the right-hand tall wall (half way up or full) but I'd make it shallow (like 12-14 inches) so it doesn't cramp your work area. On the furniture -- I hate to recommend too much because the options are all over the map. If you folks are DIYers you can order laminate countertops to mount to the wall, secure on legs or to sit on-top of equal height cabinets (file cabinets or even kitchen cabinets) that are strategically positioned. Or ... you can go the OfficeDepot/Staples route and get something more modular and "officey". Alternatively, you can go more formal and get actual wood pieces new from a Furniture Store or off Craig's list but those pieces typically limit leg room or roller chair use. Finally, my favorite recommendation is to look at Pottery Barn's collection or the Martha Stewart Living Craft Collection. These two sources have so many configurable items for surfaces and storage it is mind boggling. The only drawback is most are self-assemble and limited in color. Key is ... make the nook as functional as possible for your work day with lots of surface space. Have plenty of underneath or shelf storage to organize books/papers/bills or simply to hide/stack stuff out-of-sight. LOL. Sorry for the long suggestion -- I've had too many offices in my life! Here is a link that might be useful: Pottery Barn Modular Office System This post was edited by PinesEverywhere on Fri, Jun 14, 13 at 7:44

That height might be OK for writing, but if he or she is going to be using a keyboard, I think it is probably too high. The adjustable chair should be set so that the user can sit with his hips at the same height as his knees rather than adjusted to the height of the desk. I think the keyboard should be about 2" above your thighs, which usually means a keyboard tray. Maybe the middle draw could be converted to a keyboard tray.