Office space
You don’t have to be an executive to work at home in style. A trip to the local office megastore uncovers desk options that won’t break the bank
Your desk says a lot about you. From the color to the size to the material, your workspace can be an extension of yourself and your own personal taste.
For those lucky ones who don’t work in a cubicle and actually get to pick out their office furniture, the Globe stopped by a Staples store and played pretend executive with some desks.
During our morning at Staples, we narrowed down the desks to four categories: big and intimidating, small and cozy, stylish, and glass. Then we picked one of each that we liked.
Our favorite overall desk fit into the stylish category. The Manhattan ($159.99 for desk, $69.99 for hutch, and $99.99 for file cabinet) has all the charm of an old roll-top desk without the roll-top. It is sturdy and has strong lines and decorative handles. It comes in espresso, which is not quite black, but really dark brown.
The Mercury corner desk ($139.99) is great for an apartment or small home office. It tucks away in a corner but has enough space for all your stuff. Its best feature may be the convenient four-port USB hub in front and bevels to run all your cables through to the outlets.
The best overall “huge’’ desk was the Southgate L-Desk ($399.98 for desk, $189.99 for hutch), which mixed solid construction with the space and convenience of an L-shaped desk. The hutch is a great addition for under $200. It has two glass cabinet doors, plenty of storage space, and a really great valet drawer in the middle that lets you charge devices — smartphones and the like. If glass is your thing, consider the Horizon desk. You can buy two desks for $169.99 each, and a $39.99 corner piece to turn it into a larger L-shaped desk that gives you a ton of work space. There’s also a $99.99 matching file cabinet.
Charlie Peluso, the Needham Staples furniture guru, recommends the glass desks, saying they are well made and resistant to breaking — even if you slam your hands down from time to time.
“All you need is some serious amount of Windex,’’ Peluso said. “And they’re easy to build, too.’’
Build time is something to consider. All the desks require assembly. The three wooden ones we tested are also all made of particle board with wood laminate — not solid wood, which generally costs more.
John M. Guilfoil can be reached at jguilfoil@globe.com.
MANHATTAN
$159.99 for desk, $69.99 for hutch, and $99.99 for file cabinet
Pros: The desk is well made and very stylish.
Cons: It’s a little small. The file cabinet is not worth the extra money.
Final word: This is a decorative piece. It will look good in a room, but it’s still functional.
MERCURY CORNER DESK
$139.99
Pros: It’s inexpensive and very functional with its built-in USB hub.
Cons: You need a spare corner for this desk.
Final word: If you have a corner and a computer, this is the desk for you.
SOUTHGATE L-DESK
$399.98 for desk, $189.99 for hutch
Pros: It’s huge. You will really sell the “executive’’ part with this desk. It’s also well made, and the hutch really completes it.
Cons: It’s huge. It’s expensive for a desk that’s still just particle board with laminate.
Final word: It was the best “big’’ desk at the store.
HORIZON DESK
$169.99 each, and a $39.99 corner piece to turn it into a L-shaped desk. There’s also a $99.99 matching file cabinet.
Pros: This glass desk is stylish and is great for a creative space like an art studio or graphic designer’s lab.
Cons: It gets expensive as you add parts. Some people may worry about the glass breaking.
Final word: We really liked this desk, especially in the L-shaped form. It’s very modern.
