Great home office desks are key to create the best study areas in your home. And the best home office desks feature an ergonomic design, well-considered proportions and the right amount of accessories. Whether you need a compact work surface for a small home study or a large bureau for a more expansive office, these contemporary desks are sleek and elegant, while functionality comes from features such as integrated USB ports and lighting, and discreet storage.
Conceived by some of the most celebrated creative minds and produced by some of world's best furniture manufacturers, our selection of office desks includes historical designs, multifunctional workstations, essential furniture pieces and desks in bold colours.
13 Home Office desks from contemporary makers
A small and minimal writing desk
Name: Baguette desk
Designer: Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, for Magis
Price: on request
Originating from Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec’s popular Baguette dining table for Magis, this compact writing desk features die-cast aluminium legs and a slim top made of veneered Fenix with edges in painted ABS. The Baguette desk is available in three colour combinations: beige with a white edge and legs, burgundy with a black edge and legs, and grey with a black edge and legs. The perfect writing desk to transform a corned into a home office, it works just as well as a small dining table for small spaces.
An iconic desk rediscovered
Name: Office Desk
Designer: Bodil Kjaer, reissued by Karakter
Price: DKK 47.999
Danish architect and designer Bodil Kjaer created this office desk in 1959, originally designed for MIT and later made famous by featuring in an early James Bond movie in the 1960s. The simple, almost floating design was reissued by Karakter in 2018, and the rosewood and chrome metal combination of its origins updated with a contemporary spin. In this new version, the oak top, equipped with discreet drawers, sits on top of a graphic lacquered aluminium frame (available in red or grey). At the time of its creation, the desk was part of a larger family of objects that demonstrated Kjaer’s approach to a flexible work environment, with elements that could be combined by each user to suit different needs. The essential design of the desk and its modern life make it as relevant today as when it was first conceived.
The compact and versatile workstation that adapts to any environment
Name: ‘Touch Down Unit’ workstation
Designer: Studio Klass for UniFor
Price: on request
This versatile office workstation adapts to any environment, from airport lounges and libraries to high-end offices and private studies. It sits on 360-degree swivel castors and offers a rich palette of colours and configurations, and compact storage space, as well as a modular walnut desktop, allowing you to work sitting or standing. A wired version comes with a flip-door hiding USB ports and a rechargeable battery, while wood and leather trays let you display your sharp stationery on the side cabinet (or hide it inside, if you are of a messier disposition).
A monumental, leather-clad desk
Name: Arch desk
Designer: Jumandie Seys
Price: on request
This monumental desk by emerging Belgian designer Jumandie Seys is conceived as a micro-architecture, and is the result of a series of 3D visualisations to explore the endless possibilities of digital rendering. The starting point for the design is inspired by the architectural arch, defining the curved symmetries of the piece. The weather leather canvas used to clad the desk adds a textured depth to the piece, making it a standout desk.
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A slim leather desk
Name: ‘Terrazzo’ desk
Designer: Nicola Bonriposi, for Potocco
Price: £1,500
Known for combining creative innovation with artisanal tradition, Italian furniture company Potocco has worked with designer Nicola Bonriposi to realise this new desk. Characterised by a delicate silhouette and refined details, ‘Terrazzo’ is an ode to minimalism and elegance. The slender metal structure is all restraint, while a leather desktop adds a luxurious touch, and an upright back partly encloses the workspace and keeps stationery from falling off. Touches of burnished brass complete the design.
An elegant desk with functional details
Name: Romancier desk
Designers: David/Nicolas, for Carpenters Workshop Gallery
Price: on request
In true David/Nicolas fashion, the Romancier desk for Carpenters Workshop Gallery features exquisite details, from the oval purple leather top to the satinated brass hardware, and the ridged curved legs in amaranto wood doubling as storage cabinets. Combining the functionality of a home office desk (such as the well-considered proportions, discreet front drawers and spacious cupboards on each side) with eclectic elegance, the Romancier desk is available in a limited edition of 8 pieces, and follows a large collection from the Beirut-based duo for the gallery, which demonstrated the studio’s design talent through an extensive collection of furniture made of stone and wood.
The small desk for any space
Name: Treviso Desk
Designer: Matthew Hilton, for L. Ercolani
Price: from £1885
This compact desk by Matthew Hilton combines a small footprint with intelligent design and honest craftsmanship. Available in ash or walnut, the desk features built-in drawers and a raised shelf, and takes up little space in the room thanks to the oblique legs and small desktop space. The design nods to Ercol’s history and modernist aesthetics, updated by Hilton for the modern workspace.
The historic office desk design reimagined for modern life
Name: 'Petit Bureau en Forme Libre'
Designer: Charlotte Perriand, reissued by Cassina
Price: on request
Part of Charlotte Perriand's freeform design experiments, Cassina's 'Petit Bureau en Forme Libre' was originally designed for her own Montparnasse studio. Perriand's pioneering design approach is evident in the curved forms of the home office desk, allowing users to approach the piece according to their needs and allowing flexibility of use. The desk was an innovative design when it was first conceived in 1952, and remains a marvel of furniture design to this day. Made of solid Canaletto Walnut and available in a black version, Perriand's desk design was discreetly updated with optional space for cables, combining its modernity with an added functionality.
The home office desk that combines Italian expertise with a Japanese aesthetic
Name: ‘Iren’ desk
Designer: Kensaku Oshiro for Poltrona Frau
Price: £4.150 + VAT
Designer Kensaku Oshiro was inspired by the Japanese concept of ‘iren’ ( indicating ‘an invisible but deliberate continuity between points, lines and characters’ in Japanese calligraphy), a motion that ensures complete harmony between symbols. The resulting office desk is a combination of harmonious lines and practical details. Thanks to a simple movement, the desk’s double surface can overlap to extend the workspace or create storage, and recharging and USB are discreetly concealed in a leather-bound metal box. The gently curved work surface is engineered for a more comfortable arm positioning, and the desk is also available in a wall-mounted version with fitted LED lighting.
A colourful home office desk to create a working alcove in any space
Name: ‘Akira’ bureau
Designer: Mathias Hahn for Schönbuch
Price: from €2,950
The ‘Akira’ home office desk by Mathias Hahn for Schönbuch is a bold piece of furniture that is both a functional workstation and a peaceful retreat. The compact surface can be extended to maximise deskspace, and the bureau includes storage compartments that can fit a laptop and notebooks, as well as a smaller case to fit pens and similar items. The desk is a sculptural statement piece whose elegant design is enhanced by the rich palette of matt painted finishes, which can also be customised to create bold, contrasting colour compositions.
The organic, modular table
Name: ‘POV’ table
Designer: Kaschkasch for Ton
Price: €7,493,53 (for ‘POV’ table 467)
Designed by Cologne-based studio Kaschkasch, and produced by Czech bentwood specialist Ton, the ‘POV’ collection of tables comes in two heights, three base types and six tabletop shapes, allowing for multiple configurations. The bases are made by joining three bent plywood forms, and the same process is used to produce a stackable conical stool. The collection is available in beech, oak and American walnut, and can be finished in various colours.
The mini office desk addition with space for plants
Name: ‘World of Plants Sideboard’
Designer: USM
Price: £1,373.10
A design classic since its creation in 1965, the ‘USM Haller’ modular system is branching out with a new range featuring integrated plant pot cut-outs, allowing you to build a towering green wall or simple herb display around your desk. Not only is the contrast between the furniture’s metal grid and soft cascading plants aesthetically pleasing, but the greenery should also help reduce stress and boost creativity. The range includes panels in five sizes and 14 colours, pots in terracotta or basalt, and a discreet watering set.
The compact writing desk that fits anywhere
Name: ‘Harri’ writing desk S
Designer: Peter Fehrentz for More Moebel
Price: from €2,517
This compact writing desk is sleek and elegant while small enough to fit anywhere. Featuring a veneered tabletop available in walnut and oak, the table's design is defined by a curved edge that results in a slim writing surface and a more generous side for a ribbed drawer and discreet flap for cables.
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