A separate room for a study is an unrealistic dream for most residents of Russia. Parents and children require separate sleeping places, an area for common leisure, areas for sports, favorite hobbies, study, cooking and shared meals. It will not be possible to allocate room for an office even in a three-room apartment. This option is only possible for singles or married couples without children living separately from their parents and other relatives. Therefore, most people working from home have to combine different functions in one room. One of the most popular options is a living room with a work area.
With proper planning, the use of modern furniture and space zoning techniques, a small room in a panel “Khrushchev” or a common room in a studio will look cozy and functional. How to create a comfortable work area in a small area? Take advantage of the recommendations from experienced designers offered in this article.
Types of computer desks
Models of computer desks may differ from each other in the following parameters: method of fastening (installation), color, style, material.
In their design and installation method, modern computer desks differ significantly from models of previous years. But along with fresh design and construction solutions, classic interior solutions for the work area are being rethought and given a second life.
Mounted
Such tables are compact and minimalistic, well suited for small monoblocks and laptops.
Built-in
The classic design solution for computer desks implies not only a horizontal table surface, but also a rack for papers and important small items.
Folding
Made according to the book-table principle. When folded, they turn into a cabinet. Convenient as a temporary option that can be folded and put away if necessary.
Another type of folding table is a transforming table, which when folded turns into a rack.
Window table top
It is installed instead of a window sill, or is its continuation.
Mobile tables
Small models that can be easily moved in space allow you to instantly organize a work area anywhere.
The Bureau
The desktop model, popular in the past, is not inferior in functionality to modern ones. The desk top of the bureau can extend or recline.
There are spacious cabinets under the tabletop, and above it there is a small shelving unit with shelves for small items. This model saves space well, while looking stylish and presentable.
Modular
Designer tables that allow you to independently regulate the number and position of working modules.
Gaming
“Professional” model for gamers. The tabletop of this type is quite wide, with additional elements for convenient placement of various gaming devices.
How to choose the right one
To choose a suitable table, you need to consider:
- Installation location – for small rooms, models with built-in shelves and cabinets are suitable; they partially or completely replace other shelves; you should also pay attention to corner or modular tables. It is better to put a classic table in a study or office that will not block the space with additional extensions.
- Purpose – the more time you plan to spend at a computer desk, the more convenient it should be. The most comfortable models are gaming ones. If you supplement them with an orthopedic chair, it will be easier for the body to tolerate prolonged sitting.
- Interior style - the table should not stand out from the overall color scheme and design solution. There is no point in placing massive furniture if the rest of the space is occupied by miniature and weightless furniture.
- User characteristics – you need to be especially careful when choosing a student desk. Preference should be given to models with an adjustable tabletop, which are made of wood, plywood or MDF. These are the safest and most durable materials.
When choosing a computer desk, several factors should be taken into account.
Most tables are placed close to the wall or in a corner, so it is important to properly organize the lighting. If this is not possible, then it is better to place the furniture closer to the window and equip it with a table lamp.
It is very important that the workplace is properly lit.
Important! At night, the monitor backlight is not enough. Therefore, additional lighting is necessary to protect the user from visual impairment.
Table sizes
The dimensions of the computer desk are no less important. Its aesthetic qualities depend on the shape of the interior element, and its functionality depends on its size.
Large tables are perfect for desktop computers with a separate monitor, keyboard, mouse, and additional office equipment.
Equipped with additional storage space, a large computer desk becomes the center of the work area, so it is very important to fit it correctly into the existing interior.
Compact, narrow and folding tables save space and are well suited for studio apartments, as well as rooms with different functional areas. A narrow console is an excellent option for a computer desk in a living room interior.
Corner countertops not only save space, but also form a closed work area, solving the problem of dividing space in general rooms. A corner computer desk can have the shape of an isosceles triangle, or consist of two rectangles oriented to either side.
It is advisable to install long work surfaces in nurseries for two or more children. This type of wall-length table implies the organization of two or more workstations.
Furniture with a figured tabletop has high ergonomics. The recesses in the table top are made in such a way that the person sitting behind it can comfortably work on the entire surface of the table. An excellent option for an office or study.
Square and rectangular tables require that at least one edge be placed next to the wall, while round tables and tables of complex geometric shapes can be placed anywhere in the room.
Bedroom +
Small apartments. There are many more of them than we would like. Most families are forced to live in modest areas of two- and one-room apartments and ensure maximum comfort by reorganizing the space.
Many people work online without leaving home, and organizing a home office is a pressing issue. This is how a living room or bedroom with a computer appears - an office at home, without which existence today is unthinkable.
In a small bedroom, organizing a workplace involves choosing a place for equipment. For miniature rooms, it is better to abandon a desktop computer and purchase a laptop or all-in-one computer, marking the latter on the wall. During non-working hours, it is used as a TV, fortunately, the functions allow it.
If the bedroom is a little more spacious, use the window sill as a tabletop, placing a storage system on the side of the window and something like a secretary in the lower part.
The biggest disadvantage of placing computer equipment in the bedroom is not the noise of the processor, but the partner sitting too long at the monitor, as well as children spending a lot of time in the parents' bedroom.
Computer desk design
The design of a computer desk is not only its shape, but also the material from which it is made. The most common table models are:
- solid wood;
- wood-based materials;
- glass;
- metal and metallized surfaces;
- plastic.
Wooden tables go well with classic and Provençal styles, while metal and glass suit the loft style.
Before purchasing a computer desk, it is important to ensure the quality of the materials from which it is made. You can request quality certificates directly from the seller. Normally, they exist for all types of furniture and must guarantee not only the environmental friendliness of the raw materials, but also the strength of the finished product.
Children's +
Ignoring the teachings of the ancient Taoists, schoolchildren, and especially teenagers, cannot imagine their own room without office equipment. In this case, even the smallest children's room with a computer is divided into areas for relaxation, sleep, study, and part of the area for communicating with peers.
For children, quality lighting plays a key role. The study and work area with cabinets, shelves and a desk should be well lit, and also have additional light sources in the form of table lamps.
In design, it is advisable to adhere to one style direction.
A conservative style in the spirit of modern classics is considered an optimized option for decorating a nursery for a child of any age. This is good quality wooden furniture and quality accessories. The accent detail is a sophisticated computer chair with chrome details and an anatomical seat.
A romantic or ethnic style with an abundance of decorative decorations will look good in a girl’s room. The directions are quite similar, and are equally designed to emphasize femininity and girlish tenderness:
For growing boys, rooms are often decorated in high-tech style:
The clarity of lines and shapes, the abundance of metal and plexiglass in the arrangement of your own room radically influence the formation of character. Having their own equipment, rather than a computer allocated for a while in their father’s office, contributes to the boys’ maturation and self-organization, and also instills a sense of responsibility.
Accommodation in the room
The position in space depends to a lesser extent on the interior style of the room with a computer desk. Here are the most successful locations that will suit any interior:
Along one of the walls. Long console tables and narrow rectangular tables placed along the wall will save space while creating a spacious work area.
Near the window. This can be a table that continues the window sill, or a free-standing piece of furniture. Natural light and a good view from the window are the best things you can think of for productive work.
In the corner. These tables seem small, but they hold a lot. An additionally purchased storage system for corner furniture will turn such a table into a full-fledged alternative to a work office.
Next to the bed. It is convenient to place a small console pull-out table in this area. The console can be adjusted, rotated and retracted when not needed.
In a recess or niche. A great place to create a mini-office. A bureau, as well as any type of transformable tables installed in a niche, saves free space in the room.
Choosing a place in the apartment
To install a desktop computer with a system unit, printer and scanner, a substantial area is required in comparison with the placement of a laptop. When organizing a home office, it is important to follow technical safety rules when working with computer equipment - grounded sockets in a number equal to the number of working devices, as well as provide a wireless connection for working on the Internet.
Convenience and comfort in the workplace is achieved through furniture designed for these purposes - a separate table or retractable tabletop, paper storage systems, shelves for office supplies, as well as telephone holders.
Installing a computer according to Feng Shui means taking the equipment into a separate room. Ancient Chinese teaching warns against negative stimulation of the mind when installing a system unit in a nursery or bedroom. But if it is impossible to equip a separate office, a desktop computer is installed on the north side of the room and removed from view in a non-working state.
The teaching recommends placing a couple of large crystals near the monitor - both a design technique and relief of negative energies. Cacti and a number of some house plants also grow well near computer equipment, absorbing wave radiation.
Choosing a room for accommodation
The classic location for a computer desk is an office. You can safely put any model you like in this room.
It is possible that the design of the office will be built around the selected desktop. A luxurious desk-bureau, or a minimalist tabletop without drawers, a wall-mounted model with a set, complex geometric shapes, a round and oval table - all this is easy to fit and play with in the interior of the office.
When choosing a desk for an office, you need to take into account the type of activity of the owner, since different professions may require different sized workspaces.
A very original solution would be to place a computer desk on a heated balcony. A compact bureau, a small console, or a narrow long window-sill table will be a good choice for this room.
Excessive lighting for a computer, if desired, can be corrected with thick curtains or blinds.
The optimal solution for the bedroom would be a small mobile computer table. Console tables, transformers, narrow wall-mounted models, as well as compact corner tables, or a work area on the window sill will also be a good option for this space.
For a children's room, a computer desk is selected according to age. For young children, they purchase a built-in furniture option combined with a wardrobe and a bed.
When choosing a table for a teenager, you need to focus on the ergonomics of the model, since the child will have to spend a lot of time at it. A classic option with a shaped tabletop and an additional shelving on top works well.
Perhaps one of the most difficult tasks for a designer is arranging a work area in the living room. Many people want the computer desk in the living room not to be visible in the photo.
In addition, there should be a lot of free space in the living room, therefore, the computer desk should not take up it.
In addition to various mobile options and transformable tables, you can try combining a living room furniture set with a computer area. The built-in option is also suitable for the kitchen.
Kitchen +
In small-sized apartments, the kitchen does not shine in size. If it is impossible to set up a home office in one of the rooms, and if the apartment is one-room, then in the only room, you have to install a computer in the kitchen.
In a small kitchen area, it is better to use compact mobile cabinets and mobile racks for storage systems for office equipment.
It is difficult to create a full-fledged workplace in a small space. A more profitable option would be to purchase a laptop instead of a desktop computer with a large and noisy system unit that takes up a lot of space in the room.
It’s good if the kitchen is equipped with a niche in which you can easily organize an office area. Zone delimitation is mandatory. It is generally advisable to erect some kind of partition, since the smells of culinary masterpieces, even with a strong hood, greatly distract from work.
In a rectangular kitchen, a bar counter equipped with transparent or colored glass will perfectly delimit the space by creating work and office areas. Square kitchens are zoned with a plasterboard ledge, behind which office equipment is hidden. When decorating a kitchen in the style of Japanese minimalism, install a beautiful screen that completely hides the work area with the computer.
Choosing a style
The best computer tables of 2022 are presented in styles: loft, hi-tech, modern, Scandinavian, country.
Modern style
Modern style does not impose strict requirements on the material, shape and color of the table. A laconic console table made of white plastic is a common option for a table in a modern style.
A computer desk made of light solid wood with strict rectangular shapes will also fit well into this interior.
An original solution in this design would be a table made of a combination of epoxy resin and natural wood, as well as a slab tabletop.
Computer tables made of glass, metal, transparent plastic, untreated wood and a combination of all these materials are suitable for the loft style.
The design of the table should look monumental and rough; the option of creating a tabletop from recycled materials and containers is not ruled out. For example, loft-style furniture can be made from old pallets and clear glass.
High tech
High-tech implies high functionality of objects combined with a minimalist design. Glossy rectangular tables made of plastic in pure colors, light metal, and laminated particle boards are characteristic of this style.
Classic
A computer desk in the “classic” style is made from natural materials. Usually it is solid wood with various glass and metal inserts, carved and painted decor. The bureau table will also fit well into a classical interior.
Scandinavian style
The popular Scandinavian style has received such high praise thanks to its laconic, harmonious and peaceful combinations.
Natural wood and simple shapes, pastel cool shades - these are what you should pay attention to when choosing a table for a Scandinavian interior.
Provence
Provençal style involves a light-colored table with an oval or rounded shape. Furniture in this style can be artificially aged or carelessly painted with pastel-colored oil paint.
Country style
The rustic interior will be complemented by a computer desk made of natural materials of a simple and sustainable design with many cabinets and drawers.
The choice of a computer desk depends on many parameters. How to choose a computer desk? First of all, it is worth deciding in which room the work area will be arranged, who it is for, how many hours a week access to the computer will be required, and the size of the computer itself.
It is also worth taking into account the general style of the room, its square footage, and lighting. After choosing a model, you need to make sure that it is made from environmentally friendly materials and has all the relevant certificates.
Material selection
Computer tables are made from traditional furniture materials:
- Wood, plywood - environmentally friendly, durable material, durable and reliable. The only drawback is the high cost, but in the long run (if the table is purchased for a student or for an office) it will save money on repairing and updating furniture.
- Glass – durable tempered glass or triplex is used to make the tabletop. The furniture looks original and futuristic, reliable and environmentally friendly. Among the disadvantages, it is worth noting the high cost and tendency to form chips and scratches. Glass tables are not recommended for children's rooms.
- Pressed sheet materials (MDF/chipboard) - the most budget models are made from chipboard; they are not as durable as their counterparts from other materials, but are resistant to moisture and can be made in any design. The best combination of price and quality can be called tables made of MDF. This material is environmentally friendly (unlike chipboard), durable, and not susceptible to cracking or swelling from moisture.
On the wall
Hanging table LaRedoute
Ideal for tiny rooms. The table is mounted on the wall, suitable for any partition, corridor, balcony - where the space is narrow. The folding tabletop is good for laptops; inside there is space to put papers, pens, and a diary. By the way, Ikea has a similar one!
Editorial opinion
“It’s beautiful and looks compact. The only thing that confuses me is the fasteners. I think it can only handle a light laptop. You can’t put a mug of tea anymore, and you won’t be able to lean on your elbow.”
Ekaterina Ugleva editor-in-chief
