Tucked away desks

You don’t have to turn an entire room or your home design into an office or study to make way for a hard working desk. Look around for an alcove or any other unused or wasted space and imagine a desk and chair there.

With a little home improvement is sufficient to represent. The desk areas on these pages seem to prove that the more unusual the space, the more imaginative the solution. On desk is tucked under the staircase, another was once a planter box. You’ll see a fold up desk that blends into a blank faced room divider, a desk area sliced from a living room by a high wall, and a desk that wraps around a bed.

Under the stair

Bifold door cut to match the angle of the staircase opens to reveal built in desk and shelves. A file cabinet fits neatly into its own closet under the stair landing. Architect: George Cody. Associate: William Smart.

Hidden in a room divider

When it’s closed it’s a blank faced room divider. When it’s open you see two separate storage areas with a desk in the middle. A fluorescent strip lights the desk, supplementing the ceiling tracks lights. Even the chair slips into the unit when its time to close up. There’s room on the top for indoor greenery. Architect: Pennington & Pennington.

Wrap around a bed

This wraparound desk is an imaginative solution to the problem of too little work space. The whole tidy unit breaks down into modules, so the apartment dwelling owners can move it easily. Adjustable table lamps can be clamped on wherever light is needed. There’s actually room enough for two people for two people to sit and work here. Storage is below the desk, in put out file boxes and open shelves. Architect: Jennifer Clements.