It was in the early 1900s when the first office space design was put in place. The early office designs were steered by efficiency, and often- employees were crammed together in an open space with each working on their own individual workstations. Meanwhile, the bosses used separate and private offices, with their offices situated in places where they could supervise their employees. At present, this setup is commonly used in factories. For several decades after that, the staple office space design was dominated by the blueprint introduced in the 20th century. Fast forward to the 1960s, and the new office landscape began sweeping into the scene- with added socialist values to the work office design concept. The 1960s brought the idea of arranging workstations according to function, to make project coordination convenient. The first working desk refinements happened through the 19th century, towards the end of the first phase of the Industrial Revolution. Finally, the modern workplaces of today’s environment have embraced ergonomic practices, and with it- different types of desks.
Every year, furniture companies introduce different types, designs, and sizes of desks to meet the modern workforce and technology demands. As office desks are typically the main piece of furniture, they are often the room’s primary focus. Thus, office desks deserve special attention and consideration when you go about choosing one. The right office desk helps in productivity and improved organization. In fact, the everyday official operations and other functions cannot be carried out without desks’ help.
Office desks are consistently used at all times of the working day for various purposes, including placement of files and folders and important papers, writing, accessing computers, etc. Documents, computers, and other possessions are placed on desks, even when employees are not in the office during holidays.
There are many types of office desks available in the market, but the question is what desk is ideal for your activities? Desk construction encompasses a wide variety of categories, interweaving across a spectrum that ranges from the more traditional, sprawling wood models to high tech, minimalist steel, and glass designs. Each desk category focuses on a specific range of applications, including writing, computer, secretary jobs, credenza, and executive purpose among others. Each desk style, material, and finish contributes a unique touch to the room it is placed in. So choosing the right model involves assessing the looks and function equally.
Choosing a Home Office Desk
The initial thing to consider when choosing a desk is its purpose. You need to know if it’s for writing, using a laptop, using a computer monitor, organizing files, or for some other purpose. What about working from home full-time? Or will the desk only be used occasionally? Thus, your desk’s size and storage needs depend on the space it is put in and its utilization.
Likewise, you also need to decide where your desk will be located. Do you have a dedicated home office? Do you plan to have a workstation in your bedroom? What about in the kitchen, perhaps? You can set down an office desk in several different places to estimate the space available before purchasing your desk. This way, you know what you’ll be working with.
Classification of Desks According to Purpose
Desks are classified in a wildly varying array of categories. From slim and minimalist pieces to area-occupying sprawls, the category of desk you choose will define the room it stands in.
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Writing Desk
Usually leaning on the smaller side, writing desks are meant for light use, hence the name “writing.” They are usually made of thin rectangular writing surfaces and stand on four legs, with open space beneath. Sometimes, you can even find a small drawer beneath the writing surface. These are minimalist, open desks that usually provide minimal storage and a large desktop to write with ease. Writing desks are also perfect for placing alongside walls or in the middle of a home office floor.
The design of writing desks is also better suited for a laptop than a desktop computer. The direct, conservative styling of writing desks works beautifully in nearly any space.
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Computer Desk
These office desks are distinctly used for computing purposes. Computer desks feature adjustable parts, such as adjustable keyboard holders and adjustable legs and height—so that the table can be customized. It is a perfect choice for someone whose primary work includes consistently using computers. In a modern home office environment, computer desks are the most feasible and practical home office desks. These also provide plenty of space for a computer monitor and storage for any computer accessories, such as cables or peripherals.
You can find various designs of computer desks in the market to suit your computer and working style. Some computer desk designs feature just a single surface where you keep the monitor, keyboard, and CPU system. Others feature various compartments for mounting the monitor, the system unit, and the keyboard. Like writing desks, computer desks are also constructed for productivity and simplicity, with extra space available for hardware components. Key attributes of a computer desk include a keyboard coaster and a large storage unit for the CPU.
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Reception Desks
Used in the reception area, the reception desks are typically constructed from wood, metal, or glass. It is available in a variety of impressive shapes, designs, and colours. The reception desks are put into service to create a good first impression for the office since the reception is the first part of the office people come in contact with. The public often sees them, and the reception desks’ designs are constructed with this fact in mind.
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Executive Desk
The executive desk is the most conventional desk available with adequate storage options. It is just the right amount of size for working on complicated office tasks. Executive desks often have a large rectangular working surface with room to sit underneath. You will also usually find several drawers and cabinets for hidden storage with these types of desks. With loads of drawer storage and surface area, executive desks are often massive and take up a lot of space. As such, these specimens tend to impart a sense of grandeur and timeless appeal.
There are many different styles of executive desks that come in various shapes and sizes, such as,
Rectangle Desk
L-shape Desk
U-shape Desk
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Credenza Desk
As the name implies, Credenza desks combine a desk with a cupboard-packed credenza. This piece of furniture is usually reserved for dining or living rooms, appraised for its fashion and convenience. However, credenza desks are also modern enough to be used in offices as an extra desk usually placed next to a wall. They are also used as a secondary work surface next to a regular desk in a typical executive office. When used as an active work surface, the credenza desk is often placed close enough to the main desk so that the user can reach it from the seated main desk position by simply swiveling and wheeling their office chair over. Thus, credenza desks are typically used for extra storage and open work surfaces for paperwork, filing, or other tasks.
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Corner Desk
For home offices where space is limited, a corner desk can be the best option. Featuring less foot space, corner desks keep the main part of the room open. This is one of the biggest appeals of these types of desks. There are a wide variety of styles to choose from—from small corner set-ups to large desktops that feature shelving units for books. Corner desks also give you more legroom to work with than a typical desk, and they are convenient solutions to space problems. They can also provide more desktop space in a relatively smaller area. You can also find small corner desks shaped like triangles that are meant for small workspaces.
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Secretary Desk
Secretary desks are capped by a mounted desktop surface, which is in turn topped by a bookcase, usually occluded with drawers. The whole set is typically a single, tall, and weighed piece of ornate furniture originally aimed for people who wanted a luxurious desk yet lacked the room for a formal roll-top model.
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Floating Desk (Wall-Mounted Desks)
This type of desk is directly mounted onto a wall. Thus, it saves floor space. Floating desks are often enriched with shelving and cubbies as well. Due to their positioning, these desks are pretty useful for limited space areas, such as dorms or bedrooms.
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Roll-Top Desk
Roll-Top desks usually consist of a desk hidden behind a rolled lid. When you roll the top, you will often find all sorts of organizational details, like slots and drawers. They are pretty useful for storing and organizing things, such as mail and other office products. The best feature of this type of desk is you can simply roll down the top if you don’t want your office area on display all the time. Everything is hidden cozily away, and the only thing left on display is a beautifully ornate piece of furniture. While roll-top desks are not the most practical desk, especially for computing, they are undeniably a beautiful piece of furniture for any office, living room, or primary bedroom.
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Standing Desk (Adjustable Height Desks)
There are a lot of health discussions around the topic of how unhealthy it is to sit for extended periods. This has resulted in the popularity of stand-up desks. Seemingly, standing desks are purported to have health benefits as it allows workers to adjust the desk height so they can choose to stand and work.
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Armoire Desk
Usually elegantly crafted, Armoire Desks are ornately decorated for practical use. They offer a sense of opulence to any space. Much like a clothing armoire, this desk keeps everything inside the unit and conveniently hides them away if you want to conceal your materials. The keyboard tray can typically be rolled out, along with a drawer or two designed to hold files. Armoire desks are generally beneficial for a home office.
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U-Shaped Desks
As the name suggests, These office desks are U in shape. Since they are shaped as such, they provide a lot of space to work in and even have people move about. It also provides a feeling of a private space or corner for the people using this desk. It is ideal for multitasking people.
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Shell
Shell desks are simple, three-sided desks. Typically, they have little to no storage underneath them. They are also typically rectangular in shape, and they offer plenty of open space for computers or files.
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Foldable
Foldable desks are amazing for temporary desk needs. When you need desks that need to be moved around often, foldable desks are your go-to. They feature a surface that can easily fold down into a thin piece, and they can be stored more easily inside closets.
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Leaning/Ladder
Leaning Desks, or ladder desks, are aligned vertically. Because of their positioning, they offer multiple levels of storage. They resemble a ladder inclined against the wall, hence their name.
Office Desk Storage
Depending on your requirements, you can consider the following storage options for your desk:
- Drawers: Drawers are often found either beneath or to the sides of office desks.
- Hutch: These are spaces featured on the upper part of the desks, mainly used for storage above the desk’s main surface level.
- Slide-out Keyboard Drawer: Desks specifically made for computers usually present a lower slide-out drawer to hold a keyboard.
Classification of Office Desks According to Materials
Wood
Wood surfaces for office desks are the most traditional. Wooden surfaces often manifest on top of an all-wood desk, but can also be arranged atop metal desk frames.
Glass
Glass surfaces add an intrepidly modern feel to any desk. Paired with wood or metal, the glass complements the visual space and helps lighten the entire furniture piece. The glass top is often removable for cleaning and maintenance. They can also often be taken off while moving the furniture. Much like the rest of the desk types, glass desktops can also be found in a variety of shapes and configurations.
Metal
A metal desktop is the quintessential utilitarian design. Metal desks are great when it comes to resisting stains and scuffs, and they also remarkably remain cool to the touch. It is another modern material often paired with a modern design desk, like glass.
Laminate
Laminate is often overspread as a protective material on top of the wooden desk surface. The coating is usually composed of plastic and works as a protective layer against desk stains and warping. Laminate desktops provide practicality and versatility.
Wood Desk Finishes
As the most common material for office desks, wooden desk models are available in a wide range of finishes. The most popular wood finishes are often natural, white, black, and grey.
Natural
Weather stained light or dark, the natural wood tone is undoubtedly the most common desk finish available. With a classic look, the natural wood finish is timeless, and the classic presentation has remained popular to this day.
White
Gaining popularity in recent times, white finishes add a bright luminous tone to any room. A large swath of white can jazz up any space, don’t you think?
Black
Holding a slightly more modern tone than the traditional natural wood finish, black finishes tend to retain a more stately, serious look. Metal frame desks often feature black finishes.
Grey
Grey wood finishes generally bestow a calm, neutral tone. Featuring a modern edge, grey finishes are less traditional than natural wood, yet brighter than black models, striking a fine balance.
Conclusion
We spend a lot of time sitting behind desks, so it is important to choose the right one. You can consider the size, shape, material, and space when looking for your next desk.
About Direct Office
For the past three decades, Direct Office has been one of Australia’s most trusted office furniture suppliers. We have been making the office furniture buying process more straightforward for offices all over Australia. With the inception of directoffice.com.au, buying office furniture has never been this easy and reasonable.
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