Home Office Desks

As working from home has become more common, having a designated home office setup is essential to being productive and comfortable. But what does that look like? Some people need room for stacks of reference and log books; others need only enough space for a laptop and a cup of coffee. Whatever your needs, there are some key factors to keep in mind before fenging your shui.

Kelly and Nick Niesen, owners of Madison Liquidators, stress the importance of high-quality materials that can last, travel, and adapt to whatever someone’s situation might be. Many commercial lines use a “high-density particle board encased in layers of craft paper and resin all fused together under high heat and pressure,” says Kelly. “It also has a PVC edge banding. The industry can get a little confusing because laminate is a general term. Melamine is another one. It has more to do with the material they are using versus how it is put together.”

“It tends to look new forever,” adds Nick. “You can expect 10, 20, 30 years of service out of a midrange commercial office desk in your house.”

A lot of people like the look of solid wood, like a maple, cherry, or walnut. Though this can be a fantastic choice, it is important to consider a few drawbacks before spending the money. First off, wood scratches, so keeping that surface blemish free might be more stress than you would prefer. Second, wood is heavy…really heavy. Nick’s doctor purchased a very nice desk for his home office only to find he needed to call Nick again to move it after purchasing a new home. Lastly, wood is expensive. For all its beauty and charm, getting an authentic slab of nature that has been shaped into something truly one-of-a-kind means paying for the work that went into it every step of the way.

Going too cheap comes with its own brand of headaches. Sure, cheap is great for something that’s temporary, but if the goal is to have a home office for more than a year or two, those lower-quality screws and shrink-wrapped particle board will eventually show their grade. In the end, the home office should be a place where time is valued, so spending any of it worrying about a desk falling apart is not worth the cost.

Another thing people do not think about is what happens when their needs change. What if I have an L-shaped desk and suddenly my partner needs to start working from home? By purchasing trusted and proven lines of office furniture, the worry of having a mismatched home office is nonexistent. That L-shaped desk can become a T-shaped desk that looks like the pieces were bought together, future proofing your purchase in ways you have never considered.

There are also a larger variety of sit-stand desks out there than you might guess. In a world where too many people are spending too much time sitting in a chair and staring at a screen, why not get everyone on their feet? L-shaped sit-stand desks can be part of a larger assembly, blending into other desk components when lowered to chair height. And thanks to the rigid structure of a higher-quality sit-stand desk, options include filing cabinets that connect to the desktop and a higher degree of cable management for people with desktop computers and multiple monitors.

For nontraditional at-home offices, such as those of artists and woodworkers, there are some products worth considering as well. A stand-only desk can be great for working on a project that requires moving around without having to hunch over, combining the reliability of a workbench with the functionality of a desk.

Perhaps the best solution for people who work at home minimally and need a space to work is a folding wall-mounted desk. It attaches to either an existing desk or on the wall to flip up and lock in when needed. Surprisingly, these little workhorses hold anywhere from 175 to 220 pounds.

With so many options, it can be hard to know where to start. Kelly says, “If someone is not seeing exactly what they are looking for, speaking with a commercial sales representative would be their best route. So much of what is available is modular and flexible and customizable.” A sales rep can be your most important resource for making the centerpiece of your home office exactly what you need, from intern to CEO and hobbyist to maestro.

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Madison Liquidators

2224 Pleasant View Road, Suite 6
Middleton, WI 53562
608.831.1012
madisonliquidators.com