Ideabook 911: Desks in the Bedroom — Yea or Nay?

Lily Gahagan I think it looks great when it's not too work-y. Keep the computer out and focus instead on personal touches like vanity items or stationery, as you showed here. Great inspiration, btw!

ellie48 I have always said if I had extra room in my bedroom, I would have a couple of comfy over-sized chairs, an ottoman, and a centre table. I can imagine having a cup of something hot there just before I go to bed. A novel would be near by too. But there are some great pictures in this post showing pretty desk set-ups and situations. Some are downright glamorous. It's a matter of preference.

Amanda Pearson I think it's a great use of empty space! Just make sure you don't have like a tons of drawers, so it stays as a place to sit down and work occasionally, but all of your work doesn't come home with you!

Danielle In some of these photos I am not sure if it is a desk or vanity and I think that makes a difference. If space is an issue then having a desk like some of these would be the best solution but in my humble opinion, I would not have a desk but I would definitely have a vanity. It really all boils down to personal preference, individual need and space to work with.

Denise Vilim Agreed. A full-fledge workstation with a desktop PC, file cabinets and such doesn't work well in a should-be relaxing bedroom space. However, with all the downsizing and open floor plans rage of late, some may not have a choice but to locate an office and sleep area in the same space, which in that case, room dividers are definitely called for.
Just some food for thought...
If a laptop computer sits atop a bedroom vanity, does the vanity then become a workspace? If perfume bottles and other personal items are neatly arranged on an office desk is located in the bedroom, is it then a vanity?

Mandy Brown I wouldn't consider some of these desks. I agree with the first comment. I think it looks ok as longs it doesn't take over the room.

kellym128 Yes I have been thinking about buying a desk for my bedroom I do have a glass table with a mirror with a stool ..However I do not like having a TV in the bedroom so I need to ask myself some important questions .Yes I agreee that the bedroom is for sleeping and time with your significant equal

Tynesia Hand-Smith I'm for it if you need a space to work in your sanctuary...sometimes you have to get it in wherever your can. Just blend seamlessly with the room's decor...who says your workspace can't be stylish?

marysouthon Sorry, but I vote "no desk". Your bedroom is a space for sleeping and relaxing. If you have a desk in there, you will work in there. A desk collects papers and other things that shout "to do list". If you have the space, try a big overstuffed chair, or a chaise lounge with a little table and a good reading lamp. Choose peace, escape and relaxation in your bedroom.

gknee Have recently reworked a table into a desk/vanity in black & white for the bedroom and couldn't be happier. I think as long as the desk is on the sleek side it can , like these photos, work beautifully.

Molto Bene Studios Depends on how you relax I think. A desk with a laptop to go through Houzz pictures?

Katya Popova I created a desk area in my loft second bedroom. It is taking up a niche we did not use before. I say yay :)

Danielle @ nluker: actually, since you put it that way I can imagine sitting in a chaise in my bedroom with a cup of tea on a small side table leisurely purusing the latest ideabooks...damn, maybe it's not such a bad idea after all, lol!

killian higgins My parents had an antique secretary desk in the bedroom in which my stepfather kept all of his investment records and other financial documents. Actually they still do and it now also houses their wills. I always though that it made sense to keep their personal financial documents in their inner-sanctum.

Rough Linen My kids' old school desk serves as a dressing table in my bedroom, with a naff triple-mirror wall cupboard and lights over. Plenty of room to stash stuff, and I can sit and give my maquillage the attention it requires...

steph barron I think desks are a great idea for a guest bedroom....it gives your guests a place to check their e-mail etc. while away from home...it also gives you a place to work thats not in your room which I think should be a place to relax....but maybe thats just because my husband likes to spread his papers everywhere!!

catra7000 yay if it doesn't overstuff the bedroom

dseaman I like the small desk and chair in front of the window. I would love a small area like this to have my coffee and do my personal journaling in the morning. Instead I go into my regualar home office. It would be nice to have private spot in bedroom room though. Nice idea.

Schalene Dagutis I say yes to desks in guest bedrooms, especially. Many of our overnight guests have laptops and need to checkin with work, family, or just surf the Internet. A desk (and a wireless Internet connection) gives them a place to do that and I think is a thoughtful touch.

designgirl2000 All very well, I too would love a "desk light" in my bedroom but with a 1 bd condo, and working at home, I must have a printer somewhere and currently it's in my bedroom hidden in a corner but still visible. Any ideas on how to hide a printer?

Sierra Fournier YEA ALL THE WAY!!! ;D

Audrey Hennefer This little desk is for display....no work allowed in the bedroom!

Irene Turner at Home If you journal, and would like a corner to write in...then a small table next to a comfy chair can surfice...otherwise...NO COMPUTER AND WORK IN AN ADULT BEDROOM

cloudyhouz I have had a desk in my bedroom since I was a kid. I find it extremely convenient. I AM able to relax with a desk in the room. I can tune it out when I've decided I am through with 'desk work' for awhile. My meds are there, too, since it would be inconvenient to keep them in the only bathroom. My computer is in the living room. (The word 'den' is not in my vocabulary.) My bedroom is small - I do not see how I would curtain it off.

Rebecca Broom No desk or workstation in the bedroom is my vote. Although my personal desk is somewhat organized - I still like to have my desk in a place I can close it off and walk away from mail and stacks of paperwork to file. YES to the comfy chair in the bedroom for reading - and yes to the guest bedroom with a desk for checking email. I do love to prop up in my comfy bed with my laptop at night though and look at HOUZZ photos and catch up on blogs which I consider a treat while I am retreating :)

patscats2 I wouldn't want my working desk and computer in my bedroom, but do like having a small writing desk of sorts so if I want to write down something while in the bedroom I don't have to run to the office to get pen and paper. Having the desk in the bedroom is more for decor that anything for me.

Jan J I am on the fence with this one (great post and pictures, by the way!) Since I have a full blown office in my home, and have two computers, I would hesitate to bring the laptop in. Then someone mentioned Houzz updates, and I think, yes! That would be a fun spot to browse. I am currently planning on revamping my master with furniture that wasn't bought together, but will hopefully coexist in an electic manner. My tortoiseshell finish desk will be one of the bedside tables with its matching chair. These pictures give me lots of ideas.Thank you!

scribbler A ladies' writing desk or table in the bedroom is a time-honored tradition where the woman of the house kept up with her social correspondence. I do think the piece should be small and pretty, housing one's nice stationery, notes and cards (and personal papers, as a previous commenter suggested), and not be set up for any actual work. I use my laptop in bed in a nest of pillows for things like looking at HOUZZ, not at a desk, anyway. If there is real work to be done, I have another place for that.

Becky Harris April, your point is exactly where I was trying to get to but never got there - a desk is a desk if you make it a desk, but it shouldn't be too desk-y in the bedroom - ha! :)

I think we're bringing up another quesiton - TV in a bedroom, yea or nay? I don't really like it at home, but it always is a fun luxury for me in a hotel, to catch those $14 movies that aren't quite out on DVD yet. I have been known to sneak my laptop to bed only to watch "Friday Night Lights" on Netflix. I'm thinking I want an iPad to catch up on looking through Houzz pics - that I'll allow for sure :)

leticiashaquana Why should adults demand their bedrooms be private sanctuaries and their own personal oasis when they so very often put their own children into smaller rooms than must function as private sanctuary, playroom, homework area and living space!
Anyway, I vote yes for a desk. And yes for a t.v. too. Currently we have a television in the bedroom, which is nice because we can fall asleep to nature programs and have the self timer turn off. When we move, I am putting my creative space into our master bedroom since there is plenty of room and it makes sense. This will be my sewing/crafting area... and yes there will be a desk. But I say it sure does belong in the bedroom, because it is there that I journal about personal things, and there that I create things from my heart.

Mission Millworks The bedroom is no place for a workstation or desk. It should be a refuge from the clutter. A space dedicated to strengthening the bond between you and your partner.
Never a place for outside ditractions.
A better use of the extra space would be to create a comfy seating arrangement. With a couple cushy chairs or lounge grouped with a low table. See glass top coffe table with a light foot print. Create a perfect place to read, share morning beverage or evening apparatif with your significant other. Make this one space a chapel for your relationship.

bebong benoot i have one in my bedroom and a sitting area as well. it works. but then again, my husband and i have separate bedrooms for i cannot sleep with anyone in the same bed.

A & D Glass Inc. I vote for allowing whatever YOU want in your bedroom. And did anyone else notice that Star Trek was on the TV in picture no. 6?

dancingfish If you have the space--I think its ok! especially the desks/writing tables/ vanitaty tables you have shown here..

And then there are other options to consider.. if there is no where else in the home and your room has the space... sometimes your spaces have to multi-task!

And TV????HECK YES!!

sooyoung chung It is usuful for most people, but not for those with insomnia.
For them a bedroom should strictly be for sleeping.
Any distraction (TV, desk) is potentially harmful.
I don't have any of those in my bedroom, but....
mobile internet devices are the problem now (smart phone, iPad, notebook).

watergirl444 @adg123: nice catch on the Star Trek. Hilarious. I think I like that room more now...

mylesb After a day of chaos, I look forward to retreating to my quiet sanctuary and studying at my desk. Having a desk in the bedroom also extends the function of my bedroom and I spend more time in the beautiful space that I have created, which I otherwise would spend sleeping in. Go ahead, put a desk in your bedroom.

carol_klein I vote "yes" to desks in bedrooms. I love desks (!!)and have lots: my grandmother's small attractive writing desk stocked with books and magazines, stationery, a reading lamp, and often a plant or vase of flowers is a practical, welcoming addition to the master bedroom. I store financial and other personal papers as well as memorabilia in this desk's drawers rather than in another more public-accessible desk. This desk serves double-duty as my bed-side table. The guest bedroom's library table/desk, where I sometimes work on my computer, can be quickly readied for visitors. A large secretary desk in the living room stores favorite books on the glass-doored shelves above and travel scrapbooks and information on the covered shelves below. My husband uses the sun porch/dining room table as his more spacious desk when he works at home. In a multi-purpose room just off the master bedroom, an old desk holds my sewing machine, with thread and other supplies stored in the desk drawers. Finally, I believe it's great for children to have desks/writing tables in their bedrooms or another dedicated spot where they can do homework without distractions. Hooray for desks!

rubyflewtoo Thanks for the inspiration! Some of us live in small houses - guest rooms and offices are things dreams are made of. For me I want the living spaces to be family areas for relaxation, fun, eating, creating, laughing... - not work areas. You show that creating a space to do work doesn't have to overwhelm the bedroom. It can be stunning as well as functional with personal touches, keeping the paper clutter out and perhaps a space to hide the laptop away. Thanks!

danieberrieful Having a desk in a bedroom is not a problem from me. Whe n I was younger and lived with my parents my dad had a desk put in my room for studying. Trust me it did not distract me from sleeping and many times I completely tuned it out. In an adult bedroom, the same thing can happen, just keep ur desk neat and clean. For those of us without the space to have a dedicated office (like if you live in NYC and "spare bedrooms" are rare, then your spaces take on double duty as long as they are tastefully done.

j0dy Could I use a 14" deep occasional table as a desk? Thoughts? I live in a 299 sq ft studio and don't want to take up a lot of space with a regular size desk. I like the above ideas as long as it's not a 'work station' unless all the office stuff can be put away at the end of the day.