A long while back we were enamored with a seemingly simple bi-level desk from a company called Heckler Design. After a couple emails and a lot of patience (thank you Dean), we finally have our review of the OneLessDesk. At first glance, you’d be hard pressed to understand why something this simple could command a $649 price tag. But as with most minimalist designs, it takes some creative engineering and expensive manufacturing to pull off the perfect balance between aesthetic/function. Hit the jump for my review.
When it finally arrived at my door, I found a huge box strapped with metal bands protecting an already pre-assembled desk wrapped in plastic. That took half the frustration out because I HATE assembling furniture. I couldn’t wait to free it from its thickly padded cage and when the final sheets of plastic came off, I stood in amazement. Let me say this now. THE PICTURES DO NOT DO IT JUSTICE! It’s ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. This is laser cut metal at its finest. Only a few millimeters thick but there’s no give, bend or flex. It’s completely solid and if the rigidness doesn’t convince you, lift it up, it’s HEAVY. At every curve and corner, the edges are softly beveled so there are no sharp edges. The texture is smooth but slightly tactile. I received the black version which looks like powdered steel. Again, absolutely stunning.
As I said before simplicity masks how utilitarian the OneLessDesk is. The bi-level design works multiple ways. If you have a desktop, place it on the top level with keyboard and mouse on the lower one. If you have a laptop, place it on the lower level and invest in a beautiful large widescreen display for the top one. The lower level also slides right underneath the top one bringing the total depth to a narrow 14 inches which reminds me. The OneLessDesk is quite compact even tho it’s 30 inches tall and nearly 34 inches long. The whole thing stacks up neatly against a wall.
Come around back and you’ll find a surgically laser cut shelf with precisely machined cable guides to keep all those would be messy cords neat and tidy. The shelf is also perfect to hide external hard drives and power bricks keeping the best parts of the desk clean. After all, minimalism demands surfaces.
Is it worth $649? Yes and I’ll tell you why. I visited some of the best design stores in Los Angeles looking for similar desks. Shopped online for anything remotely close and you know what – nobody else is doing this at this price point. The few that I came across were reproductions that earned $2,000 price tags by virtue of nostalgia. The OneLessDesk comes in 4 colors (5 including the special edition) and ships almost anywhere internationally. Try getting any of those furniture stores to ship you anything for under $100 bucks.
What we loved:
- Everything!
What could be improved:
- Redesign the feet so they slide better on hard and carpeted surfaces
Designer: Heckler Design [ Buy it here ]
