Expert Talk: 11 Desk Designs That Really Work It
Boring or inadequate desks don't cut it for productivity in a home office. File these desk designs and expert insight under "To Do"
Lawrence Karol
June 19, 2012
Houzz Contributor. After graduating from UC Berkeley, I found myself utterly unprepared for the real world and at a loss as to what I should do next. Luckily, one day I stumbled through the doors of Architectural Digest and was taken under the wing of legendary editor Paige Rense. She had the vision to look past my uninspiring sociology degree and my general lack of experience—an unlikely journalism career was born. After AD, with my magazine karma still intact, I was hired by yet another publishing legend, the food critic and writer Ruth Reichl. I currently ply my trade as a freelance writer and editor and live in stylish Mid-Century-Modern comfort with my dog, Mike.
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"Utilitarian" may be the first word that comes to mind when you think of desks. And while they do need to serve a practical purpose, there's no reason desks can't also be sleek, beautiful or even pretty in pink. These ideas can help you get the best of both worlds.
Go sleek, yet practical. "I had this desk custom built for me and my specific needs," says Amanda Gates of AB Home Interiors. "Traditional desks are often made of low-grade materials, and they tend to be fussy in design. I wanted something that was sleek, easy to clean and easy on the eyes."
Office design should represent the type of work and tasks you do, she adds. "I handle a lot of blueprints and needed a desk that would accommodate multiple tasks, like reading blueprints, handling paperwork, samples, paint chips, fabric samples, etc. but still have plenty of space for a computer and keyboard," she says.
This desk of steel, high-quality wood and laminate is one of the most asked-about design elements in her office, Gates notes.
Office design should represent the type of work and tasks you do, she adds. "I handle a lot of blueprints and needed a desk that would accommodate multiple tasks, like reading blueprints, handling paperwork, samples, paint chips, fabric samples, etc. but still have plenty of space for a computer and keyboard," she says.
This desk of steel, high-quality wood and laminate is one of the most asked-about design elements in her office, Gates notes.
Bring in nature. "The desk is from Restoration Hardware, and the branches are from a tree that had to be cut down in the backyard to accomodate a deck," says Tineke Triggs of Artistic Designs for Living. "We never like to cut trees down, so we thought keeping a portion of it in the office was a good reminder of the circle of life, nature and things worth living."
Roger Hirsch Architect
Play hide and seek. “This desk was custom designed by our office to specifically fit the needs of the client and the needs of the space,” says architect Roger Hirsch. “This home office area is open to the living room, so we wanted something that could be functional and messy at times, but could then simply fold away and look clean and minimal.”
He says, “Our custom design for a ‘floating’ teak slab, with a flip-top desk and slender drawers, solved the functional need by allowing for a very efficient desk area with a laptop and pin board, but it also enables our client to simply close up his home office when not in use and have a beautiful, clean surface as part of his living room.”
He says, “Our custom design for a ‘floating’ teak slab, with a flip-top desk and slender drawers, solved the functional need by allowing for a very efficient desk area with a laptop and pin board, but it also enables our client to simply close up his home office when not in use and have a beautiful, clean surface as part of his living room.”
Color it pretty in pink. "This desk was originally intended for the living room, until the homeowners bought a baby grand piano," says Shirley Meisels of MHouse. "It needed a new home and fit perfectly in their daughter's bedroom."
She adds, "Since it was meant for the living room it was pretty sophisticated, a Barbara Barry design. To have it blend with the rest of the bedroom and make it feel more age appropriate, I sprayed it a bubble gum pink."
She adds, "Since it was meant for the living room it was pretty sophisticated, a Barbara Barry design. To have it blend with the rest of the bedroom and make it feel more age appropriate, I sprayed it a bubble gum pink."
Create an information hub. "This small office is what we call the information center in the house," says architect David Neiman. "As computers have become an indispensable part of our lives, incorporating an info center into the main floor of the house has become standard."
He adds, "The info center is a place where you leave the computers on, set up a plug-in station for your phones, put your printer in the pedestal. It's where your kids do their homework, where the parents do their bills, where you hop over to look up a recipe or answer a question that comes up over dinner. And the room has sliding doors so you can close it off when you need some privacy, or you don't want your guests to look at the stack of mail on the desktop."
He adds, "The info center is a place where you leave the computers on, set up a plug-in station for your phones, put your printer in the pedestal. It's where your kids do their homework, where the parents do their bills, where you hop over to look up a recipe or answer a question that comes up over dinner. And the room has sliding doors so you can close it off when you need some privacy, or you don't want your guests to look at the stack of mail on the desktop."
Design for your family's needs. "The owners of this home have three children ranging in age from 7 to 12, and they wanted a space that would allow the kids a calm environment to study and do their homework," says Alexis Lane of Lane Design Studio.
"By placing these two desks back to back, I was able to create an area large enough for all of them to sit together and help each other out," he says. "The bleached wood of the desks tied in well with the rug and soft gray of the room, helping to create a light, beachy feel that reminded the owners of Hawaii."
"By placing these two desks back to back, I was able to create an area large enough for all of them to sit together and help each other out," he says. "The bleached wood of the desks tied in well with the rug and soft gray of the room, helping to create a light, beachy feel that reminded the owners of Hawaii."
Mix modern with traditional. "Working with our client, we chose this desk because of its unusual shape and organic design," says architect John Lum. "Originally, the triangular table was designed for the executive offices of Esprit and was part of a matching conference table set."
He adds, "The organic shape contrasts nicely with the rather formal Edwardian features of the bay window and allows the owner to sit and enjoy the view at a diagonal, transforming a staid interior into a dynamic composition."
He adds, "The organic shape contrasts nicely with the rather formal Edwardian features of the bay window and allows the owner to sit and enjoy the view at a diagonal, transforming a staid interior into a dynamic composition."
Keep it simple. "This desk was chosen after much deliberation as to whether to go with an L-shape built-in or a floating model," says Jodie Rosen of Jodie Rosen Design. "The end result is that all the filing and ‘guts’ of the office, including the printer, are behind the closet doors, and the desk is simply a touch-down for the clients’ computer and light paperwork."
The desk’s glass top and white lacquer base "reference the A/V unit on the opposite side of the room," she adds. "It provides the functionality the clients needed without weighing down the room."
The desk’s glass top and white lacquer base "reference the A/V unit on the opposite side of the room," she adds. "It provides the functionality the clients needed without weighing down the room."
Mix woods. "We incorporated two different wood species for this desk and office area to add interest and stay within budget," says Michael Fullen of Michael Fullen Design Group. "Exotic zebra wood was used in limited amounts for impact, while the rest of the cabinetry was made in alder and stained a contrasting, complementary color."
Make it legal. "This desk was featured in a model home that I designed about 10 years ago," says Laura Bendik of DesignStudioB. The concept was a lawyer's home office in a solarium off a formal living room.
"I wanted to make a partner's-style desk where multiple people could work on a project at once, while still keeping it formal enough for client meetings," she says. "The front side of the desk is used for storage of law books and the custom-shaped Absolute Black granite top was fabricated to complete the look."
"I wanted to make a partner's-style desk where multiple people could work on a project at once, while still keeping it formal enough for client meetings," she says. "The front side of the desk is used for storage of law books and the custom-shaped Absolute Black granite top was fabricated to complete the look."
Leave 'em hanging. "We wanted to hang the desk and shelving off of the walls to keep the room feeling light and airy while at the same time providing a generous work surface and shelving," says Jonathan Feldman of Feldman Architecture. "This is a converted garage, and we left the garage door on the front and put a new wall with a translucent polycarbonate panel in front of the existing garage window to let in the light."
More:
A Desk for Every Home Office
More:
A Desk for Every Home Office
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'd like a bow front desk that would work for a sewing machine cabinet