How to Choose the Best Desk
Imagine this—you walk into your office and it’s styled to perfection. Your tech is fully charged and displayed beautifully, all the cables are neatly organized. There’s a dedicated place for your work bag, morning coffee, and paperwork.
What’s the must-have item to make this perfect office a reality? The best desk. Whether you work from home or in an office, a high-quality, functional desk can help you and/or your employees work more efficiently and focus on the task at hand.
We turned to our Chief Creative Officer, Dan Mirth, and CEO, Sarah Mirth, to find out exactly what goes into choosing the best desk for your office, plus the best way to style it and how to take care of the desk so it will last a lifetime.
Table of ContentChoosing the Best Desk
Styling the Best Setup
Caring for the Best Desk
FAQs about the Best Desk
Choosing the Best Desk
1. WORK
The work performed each day varies from person to person, so you’ll want to hone in on how you use a desk specific to your daily habits. Make a list of your tasks and the accessories used to perform them. From sketching on draft paper to editing on multiple monitors. Whether you’re using your desk all day or for brief tasks throughout the day, you’ll want to ensure you have adequate space to work and display your everyday essentials to improve overall efficiency.
With this curated list, checkout some of the ideal setups for specific professions:
- Best Desk Setup for Photographers
- Best Desk Setup for Content Creators
- Best Desk Setup for Small Business Owners
- Best Desk Setup for Architects
- Best Desk Setup for Musicians
2. MATERIALS
Discover what materials you’re using throughout your home or office. Take into account how long they’ve lasted and if they fit your ideal aesthetic. For a desk, you have the choice of solid wood, metal, glass, or particle board.
High quality materials are proven to withstand wear and tear leading to longer use, making them more sustainable. Founders Dan and Sarah gravitate towards solid hardwood, steel, and aluminum for their resilience and clean aesthetic. Walnut and Oak have proven to be strong and durable hardwoods, ensuring longevity in our artifacts. Both have a beautiful natural grain - making each desk one-of-a-kind.
Choosing the right materials also depends on how often you will be assembling and disassembling your desk. Most often furniture brands will use materials that can only withstand a one-time set up, while the Artifox Desk is built using high quality materials at each contact point. Ensuring durability during multiple assembly and disassemblies. This is great for anyone who moves frequently or an office environment that’s constantly resetting as work spaces continue to evolve.
3. DESK DIMENSIONS
Measure, measure, measure. Whether you’re in search of a desk to be placed within your small living space or as a statement piece for a large office. Take measurements of the area or space to help ensure the desk’s size fits perfectly.
The height of your desk is also an important factor to consider from both an ergonomic and lifestyle standpoint. Depending on if you prefer sitting or standing while working from home or the office. Make a pros and cons list to determine which would benefit you the most. Ideally your desk should let you type on a keyboard with your arms and hands roughly parallel to the floor, your feet flat on the floor, you’re eye level to the top of your monitor, and your legs fitting comfortably under the desk when sitting (you should be able to comfortably cross your legs under the surface). If your desk doesn’t allow for you to be eye level to your monitor, there are desktop organizers available that will elevate your screen. Another key factor to having a more ergonomic desk setup is pairing it with the best desk chair. Experts say, “Makeshift setups can cause a laundry list of problems, including back, shoulder, and wrist pains”, so it’s important to find the best desk chair for you.
4. DESKTOP
Depending on your profession, you will need to do a variety of tasks throughout your workday. Including writing, drawing, or working on a computer. Is there a place to store your writing utensils or display your tech for easy access without having to purchase multiple storage accessories? Ensure the desk surface provides space and features to accommodate your needs.
Along with organization features, some desks may have a textured surface. If you’re using your desk to write or sketch, confirm the desk surface has a smooth finish.
5. SPACE
What type of style is the home or office space? Minimalist, eclectic, modern, or transitional? Consider your favorite interior design style and go from there.
Once the style is selected, find out what orientation the desk will be placed in to choose the best desk size for the space. Whether you’re adding a desk to the corner, against a wall, or in a small cubicle space.
Need some inspiration? We’ve got you covered, here is a list of our favorite workspaces:
- Modern Open Workspace by Supermodel Coco Rocha's
- Mid-Century Office featured in Dwell
- Minimalist Modern Setup by Photographer Shortstache
- Eclectic Mediterranean Influenced Home Office by Bleu Leman Design
6. FEATURES
A desk should be more than four legs and a tabletop. From a slotted surface to mix and match desktop accessories, built in hooks to hang headphones and a cable management grid to stay organized. Today technology changes quickly, your desk should cater to these rapid updates and provide clever design details that showcase your laptop, phone, or tablet.
Your desk is where you bring your ideas to life, the features are what helps you take them from good to great.
Styling the Best Desk Setup
Once you’ve chosen the best desk for your work and space, it’s time to create the best desk setup. Trends come and go, the best way to style your dream desk setup is by understanding how you personally dress, work, and live to decide what kind of workspace is best for you.
Take stock of the accessories you carry everywhere.
1) Headphones are a must-have whether you share a workspace or you’re solo. Research shows that listening to music encourages efficiency and creativity. Have a designated spot to hang your headphones such as a Wall Hook or Desk Hook.
Looking for a new playlist to improve your mood or focus? Our Chief Creative Officer, Dan Mirth, created those playlists for our team and we have them on throughout the workday!
2) Got outlets? Every office has everyday tech such as laptops and monitors. When placing your larger workspace furniture such as your Desk, Side table, or shared working Table keep in mind where your outlets are located.
The best desk setup includes a desktop organizer to elevate your laptop or monitor to provide additional space to work or place a desk mat for a keyboard and mouse.
With tech comes cables. Ensure you have quality cable management options such as a Desk Grid and Dock, Knots, and Straps to hide cords and hold them in place.
3) Planners, notebooks, magazines, oh my. If you have these items for those much needed moments away from blue light, you’ll need sleek storage solutions. Invest in a Magazine Holder or Paper Tray to store your office accessories.
Make it Your Own
Where work and life blend beautifully. An office is where you get work done, but that doesn’t mean the styling should be all about work.
1. Display various artwork that inspires or motivates you. From one statement piece to a gallery wall, the artwork can serve as a focal point to break up the workspace’s walls.
2. Bring in details that feel like home and fuel all the senses such as a candle for a calming scent, a coffee mug to drink your favorite pour over coffee or a lamp for soothing lighting.
Mood Boosters
1. By sprucing up your desk setup with an office plant and tending to it for three minutes during the workday you can decrease stress, according to a Japanese study published in 2019.
2. Similar to hanging a great piece of artwork, displaying a quote that either lifts your spirits or motivates you can be just what you need to get through the workday.
3. Produce good vibes after an intense work meeting by burning sage in your workspace. When burned, sage smoke releases ions that change the composition of the air and have been linked to positive mood boosts.
Caring for the Best Desk Setup
Maintaining a clean desk setup will not only banish any unwanted germs but keep it looking beautiful overtime.
Keep your desk clean by removing all office accessories, including your computer (if possible), phone, writing utensils holder, keyboard, and more, from the desktop, wipe down the entire desk surface using a slightly damp cloth with a tiny bit of dawn soap, and place the items back once the desktop is fully dried. It's recommended to do this monthly, be sure not to overdo it if you have a solid hardwood desk as it’s a natural, raw ingredient.
Solid Hardwood Care
Use a slightly damp cloth with a tiny bit of dawn soap to wipe down surfaces then wipe with a dry cloth. UltraViolet light can affect the appearance of natural wood. If your Desk is consistently exposed to harsh UV light (i.e. sunlight), you may notice color variations over time. We recommend keeping your solid hardwood desk in a low light environment.
Cleaning Your Tech
(Keyboard, Mouse, and Screen)
First things first, power down your tech. Once you’re unplugged, spray compressed air between your keyboard keys to clear out any crumbs or debris over a trash can. Once you’ve cleared the debris, clean your keyboard and mouse with a disinfectant wipe, taking care not to get too much moisture in any openings. For your laptop or monitor screens, avoid using paper towels, cleaning rags, glass cleaners, and other harsh chemicals, as these can damage the LCD screen. Wipe the display with a microfiber cloth dampened with a diluted solution of mild dish soap and warm water until it’s completely wiped clean.
FAQs About Choosing the Best Desk
Q. What makes a great desk?
A great desk for home or office spaces is both beautiful and functional. A quality desk will last overtime and be easy to assemble.
The average size of a sitting office desk is about 50 inches long and 29 inches tall. The average size of a standing office desk is about 50 inches long and about 42 inches tall. Depending on if you’re looking for more mobility throughout the workday, you’ll want to look into a sit vs stand desk. The desk surface should be large enough to have space for your work tasks while maintaining a clutter free workspace.
Q. What material should my desk be made of?Your desk materials depend on your aesthetic, budget, and environmental concerns. Materials such as solid wood and high-quality steel provide durability for years of daily use, which is a more sustainable option because you won’t need to replace your desk as often. While materials such as particleboard and lower-quality metal materials will show signs of wear and tear more quickly and require replacement sooner.
Along with looking at the materials listed before your desk purchase, consider taking these research steps:
1) Find out where the desk is being manufactured and the importance of supporting local craftspeople:
As a brand that manufactures our products in the US, we find it’s valuable to support high quality local manufacturers. By purchasing your desk locally, you will positively impact the environment by reducing the negative effects of not only shipping your product a long distance but the materials used to make it.
2) Understanding the difference between solid hardwood and solid wood:
Some retailers may list ‘solid wood’ as the material used to make the desk which could be softer woods that are stained to look like solid hardwood. However, this material will dent easily and will not hold up. While solid hardwood is a valued raw material that will withstand the test of time.
Q. What features should my desk have?A desk should accommodate the work that you do every day. Some features to consider include cable management such as holes and channels for cords, ability to beautifully display your tech and office accessories, and clever design details to provide storage.
When it comes to investing in a quality desk, it's more than what goes into the desk itself. Creating the ideal place to bring your ideas to fruition is investing in yourself and your work. Choose a desk that makes you feel motivated to go to work every day.
