Do you remember how clunky office desks used to be? Outside of a few bespoke exceptions, the paper-and-pencil age offered only two primary choices: tankers that looked a little like sideways refrigerators, and the cabinet-packed credenzas that took up half of the room. They were utilitarian – and definitely fit the needs of the time – but wow, how times have changed! Now that most desks need little more than a laptop and a few writing supplies, there's a lot more room to focus on aesthetics and cool designs. Let's take a look at today's modern desks and explore how beautiful a workspace can be.
The super-streamlined Multi Storage Desk offers a clean and distraction-free form, with simple shelves tucked away on the sides of the legs. It's available in a variety of finishes to suit any environment.
Charge, connect, and store absolutely anything with the Hollow Core Connect IT Desk. The unique slide-to-open design makes it easy to organize your devices while keeping your workspace clean and clutter-free. Tangled cords are yesterday's problem.
A simple mid-century design with today's simple workspaces in mind, the Celine Desk by Nazanin Kamali is easy on the eyes and easy to assemble. This desk is available in oak and walnut, each featuring the distinctive white panel and a convenient cubby in which to store your laptop or important papers.
Too perfect! Danish-American furniture designer Jens Risom is an exemplar of mid-century modern design, but he certainly predicted the future of minimalistic workspaces with his namesake desk. He originally designed this light and cheery piece for his own Connecticut home in 1968, originally meant to serve as a simple writing desk – a place to read books or take down notes. The singular drawer features a lift-out compartment to hold basic office supplies.
Classic and contemporary elements combine to form the perfect lightweight desk for everyday needs. It features a two-toned design with wood-panel tops and drawers, centered by a polished work surface that draws the eye to the task at hand.
The super-sleek Berkley Desk slides out to reveal a nice little compartment. This is a boon for small spaces because it means the desk can be closer to the wall – you don't have to account for the extra space needed to open a standard drawer.
This minimalistic desk cuts out all unnecessary details in favor of extra storage space – the drawer doesn't even have a handle, but instead uses a simple cutout, easy to grasp and fitted with multiple compartments for easy organization. Smooth wood laminate and powder-coated steel legs provide unprecedented sturdiness for the price.
Beautiful AND functional, Knack features clean lines and simple materials but with an added twist: four wood-grained panels along the back hide a magnetic frame to hold storage trays, penholders, or any photos and notes you might want to keep around for inspiration.
The Brioso Table is sure to delight any fan of Bauhaus-inspired design. A smooth tempered-glass top and chrome frame provide a streamlined style appropriate for any workspace.
Not a huge fan of drawers? The Bin Desk puts everything on the table – literally. Slide working items into the provided niches when you're not using them, and easily retrieve anything you need without a fuss. Keep your inspiration right where you need it with this classic and beautiful design.
Focus, pure focus, is the intent of the iconic Copenhague Desk by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec. The split-top work surface is perfect for hiding cords and propping up your tablet, books, or inspiring odds-and-ends.
Natural minimalism at its finest – the Avélére Desk provides a simple workspace made of sensible materials that are easy to assemble without tools in under a minute. Of course, the best designs are tried and true: the Avélére team says they use this model for their day-to-day tasks.
The quirky Origami Desk is a classic yet innovative design, with an abundance of well-arranged drawers to hide the essentials. Its smooth folded shape would look great anywhere, and would look especially fitting in the office of a mid-century design fan.
A smart and simple design made of converging angles and folded planes. Beautiful from every angle, the folded ledge makes it easy to store items within reach without the need to pull out a drawer.
Weightless and elegant – the Abeyance desk features a tempered glass top suspended by a polished a-frame form, with wooden drawers beautifully balanced on a subtle crossbeam.
The perfect desk for a pilot or aeronautic engineer: the Aviator desk from Safavieh features smooth materials and characteristic rivets to recreate the look of an airplane wing.
The Josephine Desk is functional, simple, and undeniably beautiful. X-shaped legs keep the form sturdy, and the drawer helps keep you organized. Finished in high-gloss white, Josephine is a great desk for any space that calls for simple streamlined design.
For those who are tired of losing pencils and misplacing notebooks, the Leo Desk offers a transparent glass top that allows the user to view the contents of the drawers below. Designed to mimic the shape of a drafting table, this piece is perfect for those who value functionality as much as they value aesthetics.
Do you often find yourself rolling from one workspace to another? The LAXseries Wall Mounted Desk eliminates troublesome table legs for a clean, functional, and down-to-earth design that maximizes visual space and reduces visual clutter – ideal for small spaces.
Another wall-mounted desk with an emphasis on pure productivity, the Modern Ledge Workstation Desk is perfect for people who are limited on space but chock-full of creative ideas. This gorgeous design reimagines the traditional secretary desk with drop-open drawers, but integrates all the necessities of modern workspaces, like seamless cord management.
Orange22 created a perfectly thin desk with a perfectly spacious working surface. A full-length table slides out to accommodate a keyboard, utensils, or anything else necessary to get the job done. Rounded corners and simple materials ensure this weightless wall-mounted desk would look great in any interior.
It would be difficult to find a desk more minimalistic than this one. The Walker Desk is a cantilever design supported by a smooth backing base (it almost looks more like a canvas than a piece of furniture), and supports two pullout drawers perfectly integrated into a continuous rectilinear shell.
If ergonomics is your ultimate concern then Herman Miller’s Envelop desk is THE desk you need to get. At $1200+ its pricey, but worth the investment if you are the kind of person who sits for 8+hrs a day. Designed to prevent the standard desk hunch that we are all guilty of, the top of this desk is capable of sliding and inclining at an angle which enables you to sit back or sit straight while maintaining a healthy posture at both these positions.
Manage those cords like a pro with the Bluelounge Studiodesk. The leather-covered top slides out to reveal a convenient charging station with room to spare for accessories you'd rather tuck away out of sight. A long slot along the back of the desk makes it easier to route cords of any length, so even devices with shorter cords can sit within reach.
Fluid, adaptable, and customizable – the Milk Desk by Danish designer Soren Rose packs an abundance of advanced features into a streamlined and eye-catching design. With the touch of a button, an electronic mechanism adjusts the height to accommodate sitting or standing. Four modular spaces make it easy to add or remove accessories.
If standing is healthier than sitting, and walking is healthier than standing, the Sit-to-Walkstation is the logical evolution of modern desk design. When the day starts to drag and desk-bound workers wish they could take a quick stroll, this desk steps up to the challenge with a low speed treadmill complete with an integrated health-tracking display to show stats like distance walked and calories burned.
Trekdesk is a more affordable walking-desk option for those who want the health benefits but don't need all the fancy features. It fits most treadmill sizes (you have to provide your own) so it's ideal for people who already have a treadmill and don't really want or need to purchase another.
Typography fans are sure to love this one! The Kattedra Table is made from a single plate of metal, neatly folded and decorated with laser-cut lettering - a fun addition to any classroom or design studio.
Ikea does it again – the Micke computer desk is a simple and delightful way to brighten up any workspace. The back is fully finished so you can set it up right in the middle of a room, and the legs can be mounted on either side so it'll look great just about anywhere. Cord management and sliding drawers provide the complete package at an unbeatable price.
The Julien loft bed and desk is a space-saving combo with a sleek and modern design. With lots of room for storage and a spacious work surface tucked underneath, kids and teens can harness their creativity without compromising on style. The stairs are a nice alternative to ladder rungs and make it easier to carry a book or binder to the top for some light studying before bed.
Clean lines and organic wood texturing give this compact desk a lightweight and cheery appeal. Storage cubbies and two shelves leave plenty of room for decorations or peripherals.
Another classically inspired desk – this one with updated modular features and cool sled-style legs. A wheeled file cabinet slides easily underneath, easy to pull out when you need to search for an important paper. It includes two drawers: a standard drawer to organize office supplies, and a fold-down drawer that would work equally well as a keyboard tray or a convenient spot to stash a laptop.
The Tvilum Function Plus desk takes a traditional form and adds contemporary asymmetric details for a distinctive look. Two drawers and a tucked-away shelf offer light and easy storage.
Modular desks are a fantastic solution for small spaces that require flexible functionality. The Liber-T collection offers a variety of configuration options – slide the storage compartment underneath the desk for a more compact form, or pull it outward for more legroom and a broader work area.
Very cool! The shelf rotates outward to create an L-shaped workspace with plenty of room for storage and reference materials. Simply rotate the arm back into place when finished working to save space in a small room.
Taking cues from the Star Trek starship USS Enterprise, the Warp desk explores a new frontier of curvaceous lines and space-age appeal. It's a highly creative form for adventurous souls.
With metal a-frame legs and a weightless elevated workspace, this
L-shaped desk
provides a minimalist approach to industrial design influence. Large cabinets and plenty of storage space ensure this desk remains as functional as it is attractive – a nice design for executives and creatives alike.
Need more storage? Strates is ready to rise to the challenge. Modular interlocking units allow for endless arrangement possibilities: stack as high or low as you like, create an L or a U, or add extra shelves above or below the desktop.
Curvaceous and dripping with attitude, the Bean Desk features an exciting retro shape wrapped in a high-gloss candy-colored finish.
