Commercial Office Furniture: The Best Desk Option for Any Job
Let’s talk about desks. It’s always been a favorite piece of commercial office furniture. Many had a proper desk as a kid and used or owned many types since then. Desks are the greatest single piece of furniture for both work and play, for the office and the home. An excellent desk can be the centerpiece of any area dedicated to a specific activity, be a hobby, schoolwork, a job, or merely having fun.
One of the most varied pieces of furniture one can own; the options you have when purchasing a desk are almost limitless. In this article, we’ll help break down varieties of style, function, and form.
Desk construction can vary in categories, from the more traditional, massive and heavy wood models to minimalist glass and steel designs so we’ll cover some of that as well.
Main Types of Commercial Office Furniture Desks
Desks fall into a full spread of categories. From slim and minimalist to office-filling sprawls, the type of desk you choose will define the space it stands in. We will cover the most common you would see in a commercial office environment.
The Cubical Desk
An idea that is now 40 years old, the commercial office furniture cubicle is a partially partitioned space for one or more workers. These desks help separate an unpartitioned building space for offices. In many offices, it has replaced the individual office room. The cubicle desk is intended to be a compromise between a certain amount of soundproofing, privacy, and lack of distraction for an individual while at the same time promoting a sense of community space shared by all. The cubicle is also more cost-efficient than individual offices. Are cubical office desks right for your Houston office?
The Executive Desk
The executive desk is king of the commercial office furniture world. In Houston, TX offices, executive desks make all the difference. With plenty of drawer storage and surface area, with an often massive footprint. These carved wood specimens give a sense of grandeur and timeless charm that stands apart from the other styles.
Often what is imagined when considering traditional desks, the executive desk can include a wide variety of styles and shapes like:
- The rectangle desk
- The L-shape desk
- The U-shape desk
- Massive desk systems.
The Corner Desk
Corner desks can be a fitting solution to space problems in their compact form or a sprawling landscape of surface area with more elaborate commercial office furniture configurations. They can offer more desktop space in smaller areas and the best feature is their ability to provide extra legroom.
The Secretary Desk
This is a desk usually topped by a hinged surface, which is then topped by a bookcase, typically closed with doors or drawers. Traditionally, the whole is very often a tall, heavy, single piece of ornate furniture. More modern materials like metal and laminate can be used, however, which can drastically reduce its weight and increase its versatility.
The Floating Desk (a.k.a. Wall-Mounted Desks)
This desk is mounted directly onto the wall, saving all available floor space. Often mounted with cubbies and shelving, taking advantage of the vertical frame, these desks are convenient for those with limited space. The floating desk is also perfect for dorms and bedrooms.
The Standing Desk (i.e., Adjustable Height Desks)
Recently, there have been numerous health discussions about how unhealthy it is to sit for long periods. The result of these discussions has been the growth in the popularity of stand-up desks and sit/stand desks due to the claimed health benefits of working part of the time standing up.
There are three major types of stand-up desks:
- A separate desk accessory that provides the option to work standing up at your regular desk
- An entire desk that can be raised and lowered
- Permanent stand up desks that are always in an elevated position.
Commercial Office Furniture Desktop Materials
The desktop is where most of the interaction with a desk occurs. Whether hiding storage below or acting as a basic tabletop, the material will determine most how the desk feels and looks as it’s being used.
Wood
A wood surface is the most traditional desktop. While most often found on top of an all-wood desk, they can also be mounted atop metal frames
Glass
A glass surface will add a modern touch to any desk. Combined with wood or metal construction, glass expands visual space and will lighten the entire space. Often removable for maintenance, cleaning, or moving purposes, You can find glass desktops in a variety of configurations and shapes.
Metal
Metal desktops are the peak of utilitarian design. Resisting scuffs and stains, and staying cool to the touch, it’s a modern material that’s often paired with other modern materials like glass. Metal desktops can, however, be combined with traditional wood constructed desks for a high contrast look.
Laminate
A laminate surface is a protective material on top of wood construction. This coating is usually a plastic of some sort, designed to help the desktop resist stains and warping. While not the most luxurious type of desktop, they provide versatility, practicality, and peace of mind while being cost-effective.
Commercial Office Furniture with Wood Desk Finishes
Being the most common desk material, wood desks can come in a variety of finishes, the most common being natural, black, white, and gray. Many offices in Houston, TX are searching for the best wood desk finishes matching their office decor.
Natural
Natural wood tone, stained lighter or darker, is inarguably the most common desk finish one can find. A classy look that conveys timelessness, it’s not hard to see why these have remained popular to this day.
Black
A black desk expresses a slightly more modern tone than natural wood styles yet maintains a more formal and serious look.
White
White finishes have increased in popularity recently. They can add a bright, energetic tone to any room, and a large swath of white will help open up any space.
Gray
A gray wood finish can impart a calming, neutral tone, but with a modern edge. Not as warm and traditional as natural wood, it’s brighter and less severe than an all-black desk. A gray finish strikes a fine balance.
Written by:
John Ofield
President/CEO at Collaborative Office Interiors
Collaborative Office Interiors is a complete office furniture and systems provider in the Houston, Austin and San Antonio area. COI specializes in providing high quality/low-cost solutions to companies that are moving, upgrading or expanding.
John opened ROSI Office Systems in 1993 and the company today is on Inc. Magazines’ Top 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in 2018. John specializes in new office furniture, space planning, new workstations, Work Fit products, remanufactured Haworth cubicles, asset management, furniture liquidation, and office furniture rentals.
