I really like this sleek compact desk by New York based designer Piet Houtenbos. It features a clever storage compartment, that, in my opinion, is an excellent alternative to drawers. Here is what the designer says about it: “Wynd is a new way to think about desk storage – it’s designed to be as thin as possible while maintaining useful storage. Thinness poses a unique problem for old fashioned storage (aka drawers): to access anything larger than a pencil you are forced to move your chair back to pull the drawer all the way open and retrieve the item. Instead, with no visible hardware (even underneath!), Wynd splits in two to reveal its contents.” To open the compartment, simply press the felted area in the center. Thanks to the innovative mechanism, the compartment stays open or closed without any additional manipulations.