Jacob Rees-Mogg is on a mission to get the Civil Service back to the office. Quite right too. But hybrid working is here to stay for many of us and desk sales have soared.
Luxury furniture company OKA has seen a 27 per cent increase in sales in the first four months of this year compared with the same period in 2021.
‘One of the challenges is that a desk needs to be practical but also not be an eyesore when you close the laptop and revert to home life,’ says interior designer Clare Gaskin.
Polished: Jonathan Adler’s Bond Executive Desk with brass legs – sales of luxury office furniture have soared as more people work from home
Whatever your workspace, there is something for you. Just do your homework first.
Float and fold
Wall-mounted desks are brilliant solutions for small spaces and for turning unusual spaces into workspaces. John Lewis & Partners ANYDAY Portal Wall Mounted Folding Desk is a cleverly designed fold-down desk with worktop and storage space (£179).
La Redoute’s Trigala Wall Desk in light oak wood is a streamlined wall-mounted option with a large compartment to store away clutter (£245).
OKA’s Briolette Bureau has a fold-down desk and 13 drawers (eight of which are hidden inside) as well as one central cupboard for all those workspace essentials (£4,595).
The circular shape of Made’s Ankhara oak and rattan bureau, meanwhile, has a Nordic feel and storage aplenty (£595).
Make a statement
OKA’s Honshu desk in faux shagreen
‘One of the great things about working from home is that you don’t need to sit in a boring office space; you can make your study look beautiful,’ says Sue Jones, OKA’s co-founder.
‘A statement desk in a really punchy design, such as our mirrored Versailles (£1,195) or faux shagreen Honshu desks (£1,795), are not only practical but look lovely, too.’
Interior designer Jenny Luck also favours a statement desk: ‘I love using the Fontana desk by Paolo Moschino — its sculptural design detracts from the fact it’s a working desk.’ But it comes with a hefty price tag of £12,840.
A coloured desk is another way to add interest. Oliver Bonas’s Mango Wood desk has a vibrant blue design (£465).
Power desks
The solid silhouette of Jonathan Adler’s Bond Executive Desk with its minimalist polished brass base and burled mappa wood top is enough to make anyone feel like a CEO (and it comes with a price tag to match; £3,700).
Made’s Anderson Swivel Desk, meanwhile, in mango wood and brass has lots of cabinet space and a swivel desk feature that allows it to look like a chest of drawers when the desk is not in use. It’s on sale for £675 (down from £875).
A glass desk will inject a contemporary feel and brighten up the darkest room. Try Geo-Glass Large Clear Glass Desk (£329, The Furniture Market).
Cherish antiques
Traditional mahogany desks and old bureaus can be picked up for a snip on eBay and at junk shops.
Vinterior, an online vintage and antiques marketplace, is also a brilliant source. It’s selling a Retro Teak Bureau for £400 and Mid-Century Floating Top Desk in walnut for £625.
Stand tall
Health experts are keen on standing desks.
One of the more stylish is the Primo Designer Standing Desk, which comes in a variety of finishes and has a striking pair of forward mounted legs (£1,273, Friska Desk).
Alternatively add a desk convertor; adjustable units that you place on top of your existing desk.
Cora Standing Desk Converter made of laminate and aluminium is refreshingly simple in design (£189, Fully). Now all you need to do is… work.
