Buy the Right Desk for a Home Office: Furnish the Work Area for Style, Comfort and Maximum Efficiency

An investment in the right furniture keeps a home office organized and can actually improve productivity.

Desks are available to suit every decorating style from sleek and modern powder-coated welded steel and woven wire to cozy pine cupboard lookalikes and banker- traditional cherry. While it’s important to choose a style that fits the rest of the home, don’t select based primarily on looks. Shop critically. And don’t forget to measure the available space before heading out.

Build in Function

Purchase the desk from a furniture or office supply store, catalog or antique shop. Or fabricate one from ready-made laminate countertop blanks, a flush door supported by file cabinets, or a kitchen cabinet drawer base or open shelves.

Another possibility: Cut a new or an antique table down to your own personal ideal desk height. Just be sure the surface is at least 24 inches deep to accommodate a computer. A desk deeper than 36-38 inches requires the user to stand to reach the items at the back and may prove to be inconvenient.

A circular, L- or U-shaped desk is often ideal because it provides work surface and space to spread out more than one project.

Choose a desk with a minimum of two drawers. More would be even better. If the desk has no drawers, slide a small file cabinet underneath it.

Unless the office is in an odd-shaped alcove or tucked under the attic eaves, stay away from built-in desks. They don’t offer the same flexibility as moveable pieces.

Height Counts Too

The correct height for the desk depends on the kind of work done and equipment you use. To find the best height, sit in the office chair in a working position with feet on the floor. Bend the elbows. The desk surface should be just an inch or two below the elbows and the computer keyboard 2-3 inches lower.

If work demands writing by hand and using the computer only occasionally, the standard desk high of 28 inches to-30 inches high is fine. But if the day is spent concentrated on the computer, choose a desk with a lower, adjustable keyboard shelf, preferably one deep enough to support your wrists.

Finally, be sure the desk has a finish on all sides to make it possible to change the office layout at a later date. And choose a desk with casters which are a great convenience feature when moving to a different location.

Don’t Stop at a Desk

Choose versatile, modular storage components and aim to furnish the office with additional multifunction pieces, such as a lateral file cabinet that serves as an extra work surface or spot for the fax machine or printer.

Think about work style and home style before shopping, Always measure the available space. Choose a desk with sufficient work space for maximum productivity.