This little desk is a great idea for people who want to break the sedentary routine and try different positions while working on a laptop or tablet. Acute by Yorkshire based studio Bee9 is designed to make working and relaxing sat on the floor ergonomically more comfortable to do, with the option to use it as a standing desk, on top of a worktop. The desk leans over at 15° to create an ideal surface to work on and is designed to be used with books, notepads, laptops and tablets. The removable rest is made up of two parts, it keeps everything where it should be and allows you to adapt the surface to different tasks. The horizontal shelf serves as storage for books and papers. And if you’re not using Acute as a desk, stand it on its side, to use as a compact table or stool with a minimal footprint.
This exciting Kickstarter project made me look. New Zealand based studio Refold took the most understated material, cardboard, and turned it into something cool, useful and ergonomically advanced. Their cardboard standing desk is foldable, portable, affordable and 100% recyclable. “Weighing only 6.5kg’s our design adds a new dimension to hot desking and fluid workspaces, – designers say, – The portability facilitates a modern workflow, allowing flexibility and aiding collaboration.” Even at home, it makes a lot of sense. You can move it from room to room, fold it when extra space is needed or adjust its height and share it with another person. You can check out the campaign and make a pledge here.
I quite like this slim and minimal desk by Nathan Yong. Inspired by mid-century design, the piece looks modern and vintage at the same time, a difficult fit to pull. The desk is compact, the work surface is big enough for a laptop and a writing area. The two sets of drawers, one under the desktop and one above, provide storage for papers, writing paraphernalia and other essentials. The upper drawers also serve as an additional surface for your lamp, books, or other whatnots that would otherwise take out desktop space. The frame and the drawer fronts are made from solid American walnut, the rest – from veneer and MDF. Available for purchase here.
Neat freaks – rejoice. This modular furniture system by Ying Chang is made with you in mind. Aptly called Grid, this concept is inspired by the two-dimensional grid used by graphic designers. Here the grid principle translates into a series of transparent mesh components of various sizes that attach to each other, creating unique customizable storage. The same piece can be used as a desk, dining area, kitchen storage and more. The designer explains: “As living spaces get smaller and merge with working spaces, the use of tables, desks and shelving are evolving, yet their basic forms remain largely unchanged.” The main storage components are supplemented by various add-ons – shelves, pockets, boards, even coasters and place mats. Another great customizable idea. Check out the video and more photos after the break.
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.
Designed by David Manning of Not Just Chairs, Your Position is a bright idea for a home office, and here is why. It is adjustable and allows you to alternate between sitting and standing (points for your back health), it comes with various storage components that can be arranged in many different ways (points for modularity), finally – the system can be disassembled and stored flat (points for space-saving). And, if you need to shift gears completely, say, to entertain a group of guests, you can remove the desk and turn the station into a room divider. With storage. Yay.
Hong Kong-based designer Hao Ruan of LYCS Architecture has created CATable, an unusual desk featuring a series of tunnels for your cat. These openings and tunnels are handmade and follow the ergonomics of a cat. The intention was to allow pet owners to share their workspace with their feline friends. “It is a table for us, and a paradise for cats,” – says the designer. Who knows maybe your cat will be so touched by this thoughtful design that she even stops sitting on your keyboard.
MeetMyDesk is an attractive minimalist piece created by Danish designer Frederic Alexander Werner. I like how ample storage is in this small workspace. The desk features a drawer, paper compartment and a transportable box. The frame is made of solid Danish ash, the surface is covered by durable laminate, and the legs are made of powder coated steel. A beautiful piece for a small home office.
Every design project that reduces cordage clutter makes me feel grateful. The OneLess desk from Heckler Design does that while maintaining compact size, which makes it perfect for small apartments. The piece is made of 12-gauge powder coated steel (except for the feet, those are polypropylene so they won’t scratch the floor). It features a rare facing shelf underneath the tabletop that can contain all your cables and cords, freeing the main surface for more elegant objects. The desk comes in a variety of colors.
Taula is a perforated multifunctional table, created by Spanish studio Adretcient. The bottom layer of the tabletop has holes for planters. And the top layer consists of removable panels, so you can control the planter-work surface ratio. You can also add various elements to the tabletop in order to adapt it to different situations. Taula is made of birch and can serve as a desk or a dining table.
Photography by Guifré de Peray
