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These practical yet stylish desks offer functionality and storage
Regardless of whether you’re back in the office or are still working from the comfort of your home, a solid workstation for home use is essential. It’s vital you choose the best desk for you and for your available space.
For those lucky enough to have a dedicated study or home office to work from, a desk can take centre stage and can be as sprawling as your floorplan will allow. If you’re setting up in the living room, or a corner of the bedroom, however, you’ll need to be a little more creative with a desk that both satisfies your nine-to-five needs and complements your existing décor – preferably without taking up too much room.
There’s so much choice when it comes to buying a new desk, from mid-century modern and industrial styles, to classic and contemporary. Then there’s the materials, size, shape and storage to consider.
If you’re known to keep a messy desk, think about a home desk with open shelving, drawers, or even integrated cupboards to encourage you to keep your workstation clutter-free. For those working with multiple monitors or architects’ drawing boards, an L-shaped, or double desk can be a godsend.
Once you’ve chosen your ideal workstation, think about supportive, adjustable, and ergonomic seating in the form of an office chair that will give you correct posture throughout your workday. Above all else, comfort is key when it comes to sitting at a desk all day.
We put a range of desks to the test with differing price points, styles and materials, looking for great design and craftsmanship, and ease of self-assembly where appropriate. We tried out the desks in different room setups and considered various office seats to go with them, thinking about comfort. We weighed up affordability with space-saving properties and we considered simple functionality, given their daily, heavy use.
We test all of our products in everyday settings rather than in labs, because that’s where you, our reader, will be using them. Products are rated on several criteria and, while these can vary depending on the product type, we take into consideration everything from performance to value to design and usability.
It may be simple in design but the Modi desk proves that sometimes all you need is a sturdy surface to work from. Satisfyingly chunky, the tabletop boasts a 6cm thickness and is crafted from reclaimed wood, which is full of character and rustic charm. The dark stained timber top is contrasted with mid-century inspired tapered black legs complete with brass capped ends – just to give the piece an added touch of luxe.
What this one lacks in storage it more than makes up for in generous dimensions. Centre your screen and there’s still plenty of space for books, files and home office accessories on either side. Thanks to the angle of the legs, there’s also space to move around on a wheely office chair or to tuck in a comfy seat with armrests.
A desk that gives you a simple surface, Ikea’s offering is as reliably affordable as it is satisfyingly wide. The tabletop is fashioned from a mix of fibreboard and particleboard with a recycled honeycomb structure paper filling, making it both lightweight and sustainable, while its black, pole-like legs are made from a powder-coated steel.
This one’s designed to save on space and sit against a wall, and it proves ideal in a home office set-up where you have multiple monitors, or you’re working alongside someone for the day. Thoughtfully designed, the feet are adjustable to account for uneven floors and it boasts a fifth leg in the centre to prevent sagging, and to keep it nice and steady.
We don’t all have the luxury of a dedicated home office, which is why this affordable and foldable desk from Dunelm proves a godsend. It boasts an oak effect top, which is made from a mix of MDF and wood veneers, together with a black metal painted frame for a pleasing, Scandi-inspired contrast. Its party piece, of course, is that it folds completely flat and can be easily stacked, or better still, hung up on the wall to save on floor space when not in use. Ideal for occasional home office workers, this lightweight desk will happily hold a laptop and a few extra workstation essentials. Its X-shaped frame, despite its slimline silhouette, proves perfectly sturdy too.
Offering a chic, industrial take on the home office desk is this entirely metal number from La Redoute. The desk is crafted from a powder-coated steel and boasts a slim silhouette with a minimal footprint. Cleverly designed to give you plenty of storage space, this one’s all about the open shelving with generous compartments to the left as well as an open undershelf that runs the full length of the desktop. This one can be easily fixed to the wall, too, if you’re after extra security. Stylish, lightweight, minimal and fuss-free.
This is a seriously stylish desk that more than earns its place in a domestic setup. A world away from the clinical office-like computer desk, the Franklin boasts attractive marquetry and metallic accents, bringing style and sophistication to any room. Designed by Swoon and made by John Lewis, it is fashioned from a mix of acacia wood, MDF, wood veneers and metal.
Storage space comes in the form of two generous side drawers, complete with beautifully textured fronts and brass hardware. Its spindle style legs offer mid-century chic and prove surprisingly steady, while the surface is satisfyingly wide, bragging a beautiful natural wood grain. We loved the lipped tabletop design with its brass inlay, which kept our paperwork neatly in place.
For many of us working from home, the name of the game is space-saving. Without a separate study, you want a nifty desk that’ll not only blend with your existing décor, but one that won’t intrude on your already limited floorplan. For that reason, Habitat’s offering is awarded best small desk from us, thanks to its clever corner design, and its light and airy feel.
Unmistakably industrial in style and part of the brand’s wider “loft living” collection, the desk is fashioned from a powder-coated steel frame with a contrasting warm oak effect wooden top that successfully mimics the real thing. With its enveloping frame, you’ll need to choose your office chair wisely – one that will comfortably slide in.
We loved Barker and Stonehouse’s modi reclaimed wood desk for its simplicity and eco credentials. The reclaimed wood top is wonderfully rustic and chunky, while the tapered, angled legs hint at both industrial stylings and mid-century modern. We also loved La Redoute’s hiba metal desk for its contemporary-industrial look and its slimline and space-saving make-up. We were impressed with Dunelm’s affordable fold-up desk, the Evelyn, for its nifty design, too.
Take your working from home setup to the next level, with our pick of the best standing desks