More Desk Styles Than You Ever Knew Existed

When it comes right down to it, it may prove difficult to find a piece of furniture, either for the home or for the office that is more versatile than the desk.

More Desk Styles Than You Ever Knew Existed

When it comes right down to it, it may prove difficult to find a piece of furniture, either for the home or for the office that is more versatile than the desk. While traditionally considered to be utilitarian in nature, the amount of contemporary desk designs currently available seem to place an equal amount of emphasis on style as they do on function.

And while many a reader may look at their desk and say, "Yeah, this is where I do my work, so what?" it behooves me to suggest that given the fact that so much of our lives are spent sitting at these furnishings, we should all take special care to ensure that we are purchasing a unit that is right for us. From sleek and minimalist, to wooden and ornate, there is a desk that is perfectly suited to any task – be it work, play, or both.

The Writing Desk

From student to freelance writer, the writing desk's minimalist design and negligible storage space speaks to its use as a bastion of creativity where distractions cannot abide. Because of its generally diminutive size, writing desks are perfect for work areas that don't have the luxury of ample space. Because these desks favor thin lines rather than ornate details, they can most easily be incorporated into a room's décor and, with the addition of the right leather office chair, can look surprisingly sophisticated in its own right.

The Computer Desk

Where the writing desk offered sufficient space for a laptop and little else, a computer desk provides the user with ample room to include all of their peripherals like a scanner/printer and sound system. The often-large desktop also provides enough space for multiple monitors that can also be useful to the household gamer. Many modern computer desks are designed to have a generous amount of room below deck to allow for the storage of hardware components, like a computer tower.

The Executive Desk

Synonymous with power, the executive desk is heavy, ornate, and exudes character and old world charm. Designed to be a focal point of an office as much as it is to be a working area, executive desks often dictate the style of the room in which it is located and can serve as a conversation piece in a way no other desk can.

The Credenza Desk

The fact that a credenza desk is an amalgamation of a desk, a bookshelf, and a cupboard means that it has a ton of room for storage and plenty of surface area for décor elements. The fact that it is designed to be positioned against a wall means that it provides more storage space relative to the amount of floor space it uses when compared to any other desk design.

The Secretary Desk

Reminiscent of a time when correspondence was written with quill and ink, the secretary desk features a hinged desktop and is more often than not constructed using a dark, rich, and heavy wood. Ornately carved, the secretary desk was originally designed for those who wished to possess a beautiful wooden desk but lacked the space to accommodate something closer to the executive desk.

Evidently, there are many different options when it comes to desks – in fact, there are many more styles that simply could not be captured in this article. It's also worth stating that design alone does not a useful and beautiful desk make.

In addition to the design of a desk, the materials from which it is built can also drastically alter its style and its use.

It goes without saying that the traditional desk was made out of wood. Though it may not be the most practical material in this day and age, it is still one of the most sought after materials because of its warm and rustic features.

For their part, glass desks not only scream modern style, the fact that they're transparent means that they don't make a small space feel smaller the way a desk made from an opaque material does. Glass desks are also much easier to keep clean when compared to a more porous material like wood.

In terms of strength, nothing beats metal. While an entirely metal desk is quite rare to see, a metal desktop pairs well with a wooden base, culminating in a contemporary design that pulls together the best of the old with the new.