I have been building furniture for some time, and decided it is time to build a desk for myself. You can see some of my work on http://www.allentownsendwoodworking.com. I am attracted to two designs that I see on Fine Woodworking. I want both style and functionality. I would appreciate your thoughts and suggestions for my choice.
My first choice is the “curved-front desk.” I like the lines, and curves are something that I like to incorporate in my work. I would modify the design to have a wider center drawer with a fold down front for a keyboard drawer. With a 3 1/2″ wider top, the width to height ration of the desk would be essentially the golden mean. I would add a coordinated but separate rolling file “box” to sit under one of the sides or next to the desk to hold hanging files.
My second choice is in the FWW article “build a computer desk.” I like the functionality of the additional work surface, file and media storage. I would modify this design to add a curve on the front of the top and change legs and front panels to incorporate curves. I would probably reduce the width to allow the desk to fit in a smaller space, and have the width to height be closer to the golden mean.
I have attached the pdfs with images, but you can search FWW on the title to see the desks I am referring to.
I realize that aesthetics is a personal choice, but I am always looking for a new approach. If you have a desk that you particularly like or other comments, I would appreciate hearing from you.
Thank you in advance.
Allen Townsend
Replies
Desks are highly functional objects with the decorative aspect secondary. Not to say that a good style can't be added to the purely functional parts but it'll have to suit your desk doings. So - first thing is really to consider what your desk must provide you in the way of facilities. Generic desks are usually inadequate in one way or another.
I spent far too much of my working life at a desk but it did give me a feel for some basic parameters. I found that:
The surface area always needs to be larger than you think you'll need. Desks end up covered with "stuff". A computer desk is, paradoxically, worse than the old fashioned sort of desk, as it must have a flat top for the monitor, keyboard & mouse/mat and perhaps another peripheral or two. Yet it still has to have room for all the other desk stuff that's paper-based. And the computer and software manuals. :-) No room for a desktop organiser!
I've found that having raised breadboard ends and perhaps a backboard is useful. They stop the desk-sprawling "stuff" from falling off the sides and the back. If the desk is up agin' a wall, you can perhaps do without the backboard.
There's never enough drawer space either. In the desk pictured (made some years ago in the Greene & Greene style) there's four drawers along it's 6ft length. They're not enough for the various documents, computer books, connecting cables, DVDs and all the rest.I ended up making a matching bookshelf thing to take the overflow.
Don't forget the basics - enough knee room; facilities for wires at the back of a computer desk; a finish tough enough to stand the coffee cups, sandwich crumbs and all the shuffling about of the "stuff".
But after all that, it does have to look good too. Personally I like a desk to be made of attractive timber with well-arranged grain, proportions, edges and so forth - like any other good piece of furniture. A melamine top might be "practical" but it's jes' too ugerly!
Being wary of believing "I'm a designer" I prefer to make things using the basic design styles of others far better at it than me. In this case, it was Greene & Greene. Here is the result before I cluttered it all up with the "stuff". I'm sitting at it now. I can see a few bits of wood under the "stuff". :-)
Lataxe
These are very nice pieces. Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions.
I like the curved one for its simplicity and versatility (works & looks good as just a table). I built a similar one and as we only have laptop computers now, we don't need the storage space for the big CPU. Don't be tempted to make the apron wider to get deeper drawers, as that messes up the knee room.
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