I spend a substantial amount of my day on my desk, typing away to glory. Most of the time I also end up eating my meals on it as well! And I’m sure that’s the case with most of us, since work from home became the new norm, and our home offices became our new hang-out spots. But having a great desk is really important! Simply a ‘good’ desk won’t do either. A great desk helps us work comfortably and effectively. Not only should our desks be clean, but they should also sport an ergonomic and functional design! And good looks are an added bonus. Hence, we’ve curated a collection of innovative, highly functional, and aesthetically pleasing desk designs, that will end your hunt for a great desk once and for all! There’s a perfect desk in here for everyone.
CableTread, a standing desk with a built-in cable organizer was conceived with San Francisco-based e.ventures, where Tom Gielselmann recruited Nick Allen to develop a “circuit-board desk.” A clever reinterpretation of the circuit board’s purpose, it makes sense that the organizational scheme for CableTread’s underbelly mimics the electric roadways of circuit boards since both seem to make some sense out of an intimidating mess. The gut of CableTread, the underside of the standing desk, also carries an embedded Mac Mini, two defined mounts for USB accessories, a power strip with six feet worth of cord extension, cable slack management, and a flush mount heigh control assist button, all in addition to the desk’s physical wireframing.
Recognizing the multiple issues that arise with artists, specifically designers, and their desks, Long Chan constructed Lift, a desk that can adjust to meet your needs. From the right angle, Lift almost appears like a heavy-duty, oversized wooden TV tray table, but looking at it head-on, it’s rectified as the designer’s workstation. While my days spent eating chicken noodle soup on a TV tray table while watching Cartoon Network are over, Lift utilizes a sliding mechanism that echoes the same one as the iconic living room staple from yesteryear. In order to assume different shapes, Lift depends on two sliding wooden pegs on both sides. The sliding wooden pegs on Lift’s front legs lower the desk’s working space to assume the shape of a traditional writing desk, with additional storage space is made available in the process, similar to that of a traditional secretary desk.
Balance is a multi-functional desk that an creates organized, personalized, and productive work experience. It features a canvas and six types of modules (Surface, White Board, Cork, Kanban, Time, and Shelf) that are magnetically attatched to the canvas. You can pick and choose the modules that work best for your needs, work style, and aesthetics preference while also combining them to be integrated with productivity techniques like Kanban and Pomodoro. Assemble the canvas to the arm by adjusting four screws through the standard VESA monitor connection. A C-shaped clamp connects the arm to the desk. Each module has strong neodymium magnets that connect them to the canvas. Furthermore, the whiteboard comes with an adjustable stand so you can use it on the desk surface for a more natural and ergonomic position to draw/write.
Looking to the automobile marque Porsche for inspiration, Encho Enchev has recently debuted his 3D rendering where he conceptualized a desk design fit for the set of Star Trek with interwoven elements from Porsche strewn throughout. Characterized by sleek fly-lines and smooth curves, Porsche is known for embedding their automobiles with the same sense of luxury that laps their front doors and grille. Enhancing the desk’s luxe design, Enchev integrated a capacitive sensor touch screen into the desk to control the main Dell computer desktop, functioning as both a keyboard and control panel. The Dell computer spans almost a quarter of the desk, jutting from its mainframe to lengthen the desktop’s screen width. Then additional control systems punctuate this desk from the future, including a touch mouse pad and what appears as an upright landline telephone in stainless steel.
To construct a desk that accommodates this mode of working from home while sticking to this renewed wave of minimalism, João Teixeira designed Loop Desk, a simple computer desk that’s built for the organizing nut in each of us. The two-tiered desktop has plenty of working space and a slim build that easily adapts to any room, making it a solid choice for future WFH renovations. In addition to its slim build, Loop Desk reflects a minimalist aesthetic that feels more sophisticated than stylish or trendy. With rounded edges and a monitor stand that hovers above the main working space, Loop Desk was named for the various loops that comprise its full-frame. Computer monitors can be placed on Loop Desk’s tallest working tier, while a keyboard and any other working material can be organized on the desktop’s main working area.
The DropTop fold-down desk is packed with everything needed for a hard day at the home office and can be stylishly stowed away behind a photo or artwork when knock-off time arrives. We are seeking a healthy work-life balance more than ever. We are spending more time than ever working from home. We are all relearning what it means to be productive. Pith & Stem describes its DropTop workstation as fully integrated and plug-and-play ready, meaning that it comes kitted out with a pair of 24-inch full-HD monitors and USB/USB-C cables for charging and connecting to Windows and Mac laptops. Beneath these monitors are two storage areas for said laptops or other odds and ends. The workstation itself is made from thick birch plywood that can be finished in either black or white satin, with the front folding down to form a desk measuring 120 x 60 cm (47 x 24 in) that is held in place by custom hinges, which appear to be rather strong.
Called the MAGNUS Metal Desk, this handy desk helps keep those pesky cables under control…with the help of magnets! The MAGNUS Metal Desk has been paired up with magnetic cable-management accessories (you’ll have to purchase those separately) that you can attach to the desk. The accessories include magnetic cable holders that can prevent your phone charger from falling off and custom-cut magnetic cable sheaths that can be attached to the desk legs, instantly making those eyesore-like wires vanish! The desk has also been amped with a cable tray that can be used to store cables as well. Another interesting feature of the desk is the Magpad Desk Mat! Crafted from leatherette, the full coverage desk mat can be magnetically anchored onto the desk. The mat makes it easy to customize the desk according to your personal preferences, and also feels super smooth to touch.
Inspired by a visit to a library, Vetrov wanted to design a desk that embodies a modern workplace but also manages to provide privacy – a desk that invites you into your own little world, where your work is at the forefront, and you are completely focused on it. By adding a tissue partition to Ash, Vetrov was able to accomplish this. He was successful in creating “a special atmosphere of isolation”. The center of the tabletop features a cable hole, so cords and cables can be easily stored, without interfering with your work routine. There is also a little hidden compartment below the tabletop, wherein you can easily store your office accessories, documents, files, and other miscellaneous items. When it comes to aesthetics, Ash has an extremely warm and organic feel. Soft lines and dark colors allow it to seamlessly integrate with the interiors of your workspace.
The UFOU UPON Intelligent Sit-to-Stand Desk is supposed to be the world’s 1st e-desk with three-axis adjustments! What this basically means, is that it’s a lifting table that is adaptable to various height adjustments. Designed by UFOU Design Inc, the height of the desk can be freely adjusted from 650mm to 1300m, so it’s suitable for everyone, whether child or adult! It doesn’t matter how tall you are, you can easily customize the modular desk to suit your height and posture. No more straining your neck, because a desk is too short for you (I’m 5’11 and I struggle with this ALL the time). The tray can be extended up to 150mm, and the flip angle lockable from 0 to 35 degrees. All these intriguing features let you work while sitting or standing and make it suitable for a variety of activities from reading, writing, drawing to working on your laptop.
Frame CPH, a design team based in Copenhagen, recently debuted LastDesk, a modular desk that you can design yourself to unlock your ideal workspace. The aim was to create a desk that can easily adapt to today’s ever-changing technological and remote working developments. The desk itself is a classic interpretation of Scandinavian design, but it offers a more accessible approach to minimalism through the desk’s modular features. While the frame of LastDesk is as simple a frame as they come, the desktop comes equipped with changeable wooden trays and flat, slate gray slabs that can either provide extra storage for your workspace, a wireless charging station, or a means to rid your workspace of any unnecessary clutter.