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Dress Your Desk
I am an architectural design writer who often focuses on how environment can affect behavior. Before consulting privately, I received my MA in writing and ran a design boutique in Los Angeles.
I am an architectural design writer who often focuses on how environment... More »
Whether you run a business from home, tie up loose ends at your desk, or simply like a place to land for corresponding and doodling on weekends, a workspace in your dwelling comes with added demands. Not only must it provide the convenient work station for getting things done, it must also integrate into the rest of your home, and be pleasant to look at whether business hours are on--and not.
This doesn't have to mean creating an entire room for your desk, but thinking in terms of both function and design. While keeping in mind what setup you need to most efficiently function, thinking of it also as a place you would possibly love to sit at adds a certain life to the area.
Forget the bed in the corner. Forget the kitchen in the left background. Forget the children's toys in the corner accumulating slowly into a miniature Mount Everest. Focus on your desk. Create a space to meet your work and aesthetic needs. Dress your desk.
This doesn't have to mean creating an entire room for your desk, but thinking in terms of both function and design. While keeping in mind what setup you need to most efficiently function, thinking of it also as a place you would possibly love to sit at adds a certain life to the area.
Forget the bed in the corner. Forget the kitchen in the left background. Forget the children's toys in the corner accumulating slowly into a miniature Mount Everest. Focus on your desk. Create a space to meet your work and aesthetic needs. Dress your desk.
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| Where one lamp might add plenty of light, flanking the work space with matching lamps creates balance, symmetry, and a deliberateness without taking up much more space. The other additions here add a perfect tone. |
by Beach Vintage
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Covering the desk itself dresses and personalizes it without taking up any more space. The chair--and even that fan--tie things together well. Any version of a secretary desk like this allows for an extra ledge overhead while still offering the full work surface.
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| Thinking of how the desk looks when not in use is a huge part of dressing the desk. If you have a monitor permanently up: fine. Allow it some personality. |
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Settling a small desk that is in a large multipurpose room under a concentrated collection of wall art helps distinguish the area, and makes sitting at the desk all the more appealing.
| Classic and neutral elements dress this elegant table--with a touch of color in the flowers. |
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| This clean workspace keeps it simple yet also includes art and good lighting. |
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This desk in a high-traffic area c an easily convert to look simply like an entrance table. Not much storage at hand, but perfect for portable work.
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by Amoroso Design
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| The concentrated chalkboard backsplash grounds this area and provides a place for note scribbling and branstorming. |
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A great example of what I call contained chaos--the space clearly has perimeters (being in a corner helps), and within that, free expression and creativity visually reigns.
by Olga Adler
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Three desks in one--each divided by a filing cabinet to keep clutter at bay. A raw and cheap version of this could be an old door (under $20 used) over custom-painted filing cabinets.
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The color and unique wall art does much of the work of this unusual space. Take note on how the unusual lighting adds no extra space but plenty of individuality.
by CWB Architects
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The unique and minimalist desk surface does most of the visual work here--and the shelving above helps organize materials beautifully.
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Another example of a similar--and similarly beautiful--concept.
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Adding a small collection in a discreet corner gives individuality and daily pleasure.
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This schoolhouse minimalism is so hip and un-intrusive in this multipurpose room. The cool colors with the browns create a calm, and the wall art above contributes to the space without invading it.
by flickr.com
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When there's space, vintage additions that hint at your profession can be tongue-in-cheek chic: a typewriter for a writer, an old adder for an accountant, etc.
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| Art set against the wall instead of hung can create a casual and cool feel. |
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Don't limit dressing your desk to the surface itself--note how this unusual chair makes this space.
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Of all of the workspace photos on houzz, I can confidently say that this is my favorite. The thoughtful blending of design and function allow for this space's minimalist chic--the materials used become the art and dressing themselves, and the natural light illuminates the simple beauty.
Ideabook updated on Feb. 27, 2010.
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