Fresh Picks: Best Small Desks for Your Small Space

Posted: 08 Jan 2016 06:00 AM PST

You are a design enthusiast. You check Freshome regularly to see the latest in good design across the world; your home reflects your great taste and preference for clean, contemporary design. But alas, you still do your work in your bed, at a corner of your dining table or at the kitchen bar.

It's time to clear the table and relegate your work to a proper desk. No room for a full home office? Here are 10 of the best small desks on the market; they're affordable, beautiful enough to hold their own among other design elements and sized to fit nearly anywhere.

Image: DWR

Christina Liljenberg Halstrøm Georg Console Table

Dimensions: 35.5″ W x 12.75″ D x 28.75″ H

This sleek and understated Georg Console Table ($649-$749) is a versatile piece featuring clean and timeless Scandinavian design. It can function not only as a small desk, but also as an entry table or even a small breakfast table (stool sold separately). The shallow depth makes it perfect to use as a writing or laptop desk. It's available in oak and black finishes.

Image: Orange 22

Orange 22 Minimal Float Wall Desk

Dimensions: 36″ W x 16″ D x 10″ H

When floor space is crucial, a sleek minimalist desk like the Minimal Float Wall Desk ($649) is the perfect, high-design writing desk. The understated desk's slide-out tray and smart wire management system keeps everything in its place; just pull up a chair, or use an ottoman or stool that can tuck under the desk. It's available in satin-finish veneers (walnut or rift oak) and paint finishes (black, white or red).

Image: Heckler Design

Heckler Design OneLess Desk

Dimensions: 38.5" W x 12" D x 30.5" H

The OneLess Desk ($749) is two desks in one, designed to save precious floor space with its unique nesting design. Tuck the lower deck beneath the upper deck to reclaim valuable square footage, or roll out the lower desk when extra surface area is required. The upper deck is designed to hold your computer's display, while your mouse and keyboard sit on the lower deck. The two-piece desk is made of 12-gauge steel and comes in four colors.

Image: Target

Target Techni Mobili Writing Desk

Dimensions: 47" W x 19.5" D x 30.5" H

The Techni Mobili Writing Desk ($170) from Target is contemporary in design, with rounded sides for an organic and modern look. It's crafted of pine laminate with a steel frame, and it has two slide-out drawers and a keyboard tray. The versatile desk also is available with a white drawer for a two-tone look.

Image: Blu Dot

Blu Dot Desk 51

Dimensions: 56″ W x 24.5″ D x 31.5″ H

Blu Dot's Desk 51 ($799) might just be the perfect contemporary desk, especially in bright and sexy red. It has a surface of lacquered engineered wood, supported by dramatic powder-coated steel legs. The design of the cantilevered legs and the open shelf are worthy of a modern museum, but it will also look great in any modern home. If you lean more toward neutrals, Desk 51 also is available in slate, ivory/gray or white.

Image: CB2

CB2 Helix Acacia Desk

Dimensions: 30″ W x 20″ D x 29" H (70″ to top of frame)

When you have more wall space than floor space — and a smaller budget — this smart desk ($249) is the solution. Its three fixed acacia veneer shelves stained brown are designed to create a ladder effect. The sturdy but lightweight powdercoated carbon tube frame lends a slightly industrial look to this desk. Create a wall unit by adding the matching bookcase from CB2's Helix Acacia Desk collection to either (or each) side.

Image: Ikea

Ikea Besta Burs Desk

Dimensions: 71" W x 15.75″ D x 29.25" H

This is the largest of the top small-desk contenders, but Ikea's Besta Burs Desk ($269) made the list because it's a brilliant design when a writing desk needs to accommodate two (or even three small) users. And because it's narrow, it can be placed behind a couch to serve as both a desk and a sofa table. The high-gloss white melamine finish reflects light and gives this desk a high-end look.

Image: Wayfair

Zipcode Design Alexandria Writing Desk

Dimensions: 42.25″ W x 21.5″ D x 29.5″ H

Is the Alexandria Writing Desk ($200) really a desk, or is it an elegant entry table? It could be either, making it a beautiful and versatile addition to your modern or transitional decor. The clear glass top lends an open sense of space, while the two-tone combination of bamboo veneer legs and glossy white storage shelf give this piece an updated, contemporary look.

Image: West Elm

West Elm Mid-Century Mini Desk

Dimensions: 36″ W x 20″ D x 30″ H

Inspired by classic Scandinavian design, the Mid-Century Mini Desk ($399) is ideal for a small space. The designers at West Elm have delivered a modern yet timeless piece that is also earth-friendly; this desk is part of the company's collection of responsibly and sustainably harvested FSC-certified wood furniture.

Image: The Container Store

The Container Store Caché Desk

Dimensions: 42″ W x 23.5″ D x 29.25″ H

The simple, clean-lined Caché Desk ($249) has a feature that the most detail-oriented design enthusiast would appreciate: a bright-orange drawer interior to cheer you up every time you open it. Constructed from ash wood with a walnut finish, this desk can work with styles ranging from Craftsman to mid-century to contemporary in style.

We hope we've inspired you to upgrade the work area in your small apartment or home to a proper and stylish desk. Doing so doesn't have to cost a lot of money, but it will go a long way toward beautifying your work environment.

The post Fresh Picks: Best Small Desks for Your Small Space appeared first on Freshome.com.

Cabin in Netherlands Park Fit For Modern-Day Thoreau

Posted: 07 Jan 2016 12:00 PM PST

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Nestled in the wilderness oasis of The Netherlands' 5,900-acre Noorderpark sits a modern take on Henry David Thoreau's famous cabin at Walden Pond. Designed by Dutch architects cc-studio, this warm, dry escape for the Utrecht park's volunteers was inspired by one of history's most revered nature lovers.

The green, aluminum-clad structure is camouflaged within the surrounding forest, available only to those who know where to look for it. With no running water or electricity, the 377-square-foot cabin houses a kitchenette, washroom, storage room, cot for power naps and space to sit and eat.

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Built on the footprint of the park's original rest shelter, Thoreau's Cabin continues to serve the building's original purpose while giving it a stylish, modern update. At the heart of the building is the sculptural fireplace, a necessity for the area's freezing winters. It, along with the kitchenette, is powered by local firewood.

With two large sliding glass doors opening to a small surrounding meadow, the new design allows for a nature-centric and pleasant escape for its users in all seasons. "You can almost picture Thoreau writing Walden here," cc-studio says of the cabin. [Photography by John Lewis Marshall]

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