Going to IKEA is like visiting a foreign land full of furniture and Swedish meatballs. On my first adventure there I was in need of a desk and didn't exactly have a huge budget. Clearly IKEA was the right place to go for home office furniture, because within minutes of entering their workspace section I found the MIKAEL desk and bought it almost instantly.
For $149 I was the proud owner of a corner desk with adjustable shelves in the center and more dividers than I could possibly use. I purchased the birch effect/white version, but they do have a black-brown/white as well. It wasn't too difficult to construct, as the dimensions were a compact 47 1/4"w x 47 1/4"d x 65 3/8"h.
Keep in mind that with IKEA, you're getting particleboard and fiberboard products coated with acrylic paint so it's not exactly solid mahogany, but a great value nonetheless. It doesn't look like you can pick this specific desk up online, so you'll have to make a store visit, but believe me, the meatballs alone are worth the drive.
In his short but illustrious career designer John Slater has received New Designer of the Year at the New Designers exhibition in London in 2006, and this year a selection as a "Top Ten" in Milan. Slater manages to incorporate simple elegance and practicality in his designs, and of course the all important aesthetics. The Frank Desk is very creative and features a flip up light that exposes a small colorful drawer and hollowed out section perfect for any thing that will fit. John has earned a job in Shin Azumis studio and works on furniture and exhibition designs that I can't wait to see.
Even if you are a serious person there is nothing wrong with fun refreshing furniture, and Vitra is well versed in brightening up a room. Designer Philippe Starck gave his BaObab desk a very interesting look in a series of optimistic colors free of right angles and perfect for a home office or commercial use. The baobab tree is traditionally a place for meeting and communication, and the shape of BaObab desk is based on the seed of the baobab tree. The one piece design offers total privacy from the front and several storage spaces with cord accommodations for the user.
Headquartered in Michigan, U.S.A., Cumberland Furniture is a company with a high level of commitment to making a quality product. Cumberland began making tables, office, and lobby products in New York in the 1950s. They have grown since that time, but still have the same eye for modern American design.
The Fortis collection pictured, here is a classic today much like Eames and other designers introduced many years ago. The marble top table is reminiscent of design from the early 1930s. The pedestal underneath the table top brings an element of much more recent times. I find the colors of the collection in this picture to provide a light backdrop for a work area. Office areas often focus on heavy grays creating a monotone theme, whereas lighter colors speak to creating ideas instead of "pushing paper". Cumberland products are available through company sales representatives. There is a link on their website to find the nearest sales agent.
Evesham is one of the latest releases from office seating experts Keilhauer. Designer Robin Rizzini describes this chair with "a small footprint that sits big". Those comments are right on mark with what I see. The thin outer frame is a fantastic concept for an office lobby. A challenge is having enough seating for clients due to the high rental costs in many buildings. I also like that the chair is nice and boxy again helping create a line of chairs that will not waste space and look uniform in appearance. The size of the chair is important as well. People are getting bigger and this chair uses most of its width as seating area where many other chairs have overstuffed arms or other features that subtract from the true seating dimensions. White is one of the hottest decorating colors out there with examples gracing the covers of many magazines. Keilhauer furniture offers Evesham in fabric and leather models including up to ten different grades of upholstery to choose from to help control costs. I find this chair to be more transitional than just an office piece. In fact, the Evesham would look great in my home.
Dimensions: 30w x 31d x 30.5h - Fabric $2,488 - Leather $3,872
