Working from home? Here are some thought starters:
DESKS
Got a small space? What would you say to an office that fits onto a space 27†wide? Work on your laptop at a Fall Front desk  from Stickley. Drop-front desks offer storage, a working surface and clean lines. When the desk is not in use, flip the lid up and lock your work away in a great looking cabinet. If you have a little more space available add bookshelves to the sides.
Got a bit more room? A small desk with storage deck for all those sticky notes and paper clips might help to keep things organized. The Harvey Ellis desk is a stunning compact desk 42†wide x 24†deep with beautiful inlays on the legs: use it where your desk is on display. Steal some room from an unused closet by removing the doors and interior fittings and sliding in a small desk with drawers. Add a hutch with wiring access, tack-board and task-light for added efficiency.
Yes, don’t forget the lighting.
Got even more room? Do you use a keyboard and mouse? Consider that typing / mousing height should be lower than the desk surface. The most versatile desk options provide these features with hidden drawers so that work spaces appear cleaner when not in use. As technology changes and you no longer use a separate keyboard and mouse you have just simple, useful drawers for storage.
Want to convert a bedroom or create a full office? Consider modular solutions in a configuration that suits how you work and an aesthetic that matches your tastes to provide ergonomics, storage for books and files for many years. Solid wood means that those inevitable nicks and scratches will be easy to touch up for many years.
FILING
Whatever happened to the paperless office? Many desks come equipped with one or maybe two file drawers. If you need more filing you don’t have to compromise the fine aesthetic of your office by adding metal file cabinets. Stickley makes solid wood file cabinets in Vertical configurations (like the Mission style offices) and in Lateral configurations. The drawers are built to take the load and offer all the flexibility you expect to hold letter or legal sized documents.
SHELVES
Go for the classic look with Barrister bookcases. Barrister bookcases keep the dust out when doors are closed, but provide easy access when doors are open. They can be a good bookcase with doors solution for smaller rooms where you don’t have enough room for a swing-door. Choose glass doors for display: Choose wood doors to hide the clutter.
If you want a bookcase with glass doors there are a few details to look for to make sure your cabinet will work well for years to come. Be sure your shelves are SOLID wood and not too long. Books are heavy and you don’t want warpage. Look for hinges that open a full 180 degrees so you can get at that last book. Look for glass panels (panes) that are puttied in, finished with quarter-round. If it’s a multi-paned door, look to be sure each pane is separate. If you break one, you need to replace only one.
If you want quick, easy access to your books open bookcases may suit you better. If you have a lot of books you will likely be weighing the pros and cons of built-in vs. stand-alone. That you are reading this blog on a furniture website notwithstanding, you can take your stand-alone bookcases with you. Most of us keep our books forever. That means we leave our built-in bookcases behind when we move and have to build again in our new home. How wasteful!
