A perfect home office needs one crucial thing: the right desk

The Twofold for the Mueller furniture workshop is a minimalist folding desk. Photo: Mueller/dpa

The coronavirus crisis will likely change the way we work
 forever. Home office could increasingly become an option for many 
more employees – that’s because both employers and staff are
 realising that it actually works quite well.



For example, while in Germany, normally about 12% of all
 employees work from home, the German Institute for Economic Research
 (DIW) sees the potential for up to 40% of Germans working in
 a home office.

Modern technology makes this possible for many 
professions.

 However, that makes it all the more important for people to set 
boundaries between their private and professional lives at home.

To 
do so, they should set up a distinct work space – either in a separate
 room or in a corner of the living room.



The Twofold from the Mueller furniture factory can be transformed into a secretary by folding down a wooden shelf from the bookcase thanks to a rotating mechanism. Photo Mueller/dpa

Desks no longer have to be big



This also includes a desk that adapts to the spatial requirements on
 the one hand, and fulfils its practical purpose on the other.

The
 good news is that since computers have become smaller and smaller in 
recent years, and smartphones have replaced landlines, a desk no 
longer has to take up too much space.



One example of a space-saving desk are flat wall models such as the
 Twofold, designed by Michael Hilgers, and the Workout by Murken
 Hansen (both for the Mueller furniture workshop).

The desks are
 basically shelves: The Twofold can be converted into a secretary (desk) by 
folding down a wooden shelf. And with the Workout, the top panel can
 be adjusted in height so that you can work either sitting or standing
 – storage space included.



Like a painting on the wall



A filigree steel frame on the wall for an MDF board: This minimalist piece is the Rail Desk by Keiji Ashizawa for the Danish label Menu. Photo: Menu/dpa

Meanwhile Paolo Lucidi and Luca Pevere have designed a desk for Ligne
 Roset that at first glance is not recognisable as a secretary.


Stendhal is a reference to the French painter Pierre Soulages and his
 so-called “outrenoir” paintings.

The Italian designers have created a 
piece of furniture 175cm high, but only 16.5cm 
deep, which seems to hang on the wall like a painting.

 The dark walnut veneer body has two doors that can be covered with
 fabric or painted if you don’t like the look of the outrenoir images.


Inside, there are various shelves and compartments and a fold-out
 computer shelf.

“We wanted to design something for small rooms, ” says
 Pevere. “Since space is at a premium in cities, the idea for this
 desk was to make it compact.”



Those looking for extreme minimalism may like Keiji Ashizawa’s Rail
 Desk for the Danish label Menu. The Tokyo-based designer has based
 his design on the typically small living space in the mega-metropolis 
and the typical Japanese aesthetic.



A filigree steel frame, which is fixed to the wall, serves as a 
support for an MDF (medium density fibre) board with oak veneer. Since the design can be 
hung on the wall at any height, it is not limited to use as a desk, 
 but can also be used as a shelf.

“It was important for me to 
emphasise the lightness of the design by combining the two
 materials, ” says Ashizawa.



Minimalist design, but with foot rest





The desk named Myself + I by Garth Roberts for the label Dante Goods and Bads is designed in a semi-oval shape and is softly upholstered with leather. Photo: Goods and Bads/dpa

The S1200 secretary from Thonet goes in a similar direction. The
 designer Randolf Schott was inspired by classic Bauhaus furniture.


The compact table is made of a tubular steel frame that can be easily
placed even in narrow hallways and niches. And it has a special extra
 feature: A foot rest ensures a relaxed sitting position.



In contrast, the desk named Myself + I by Garth Roberts for the label
 Dante Goods and Bads has an almost mundane appearance.

It is not only 
semi-oval in design, but also softly upholstered with leather. A
 screen provides privacy and creates a separate room for the worker.



Meanwhile String Furniture has designed an extensive office furniture
 range under the name Works, which includes shelving systems, mobile
 containers and a height-adjustable desk.

It enables ergonomic working 
in both a sitting and standing position, and there are also panels
 that provide privacy and block out sound.