We recently took a look at the workspaces of creative types (like Ray Eames) who find inspiration in excess, an "organized chaos" of sorts. But what about the opposite: those who flourish in a more orderly office? Get a glimpse at few desks whose occupants stay on task by staying tidy (like this former Tech Tour's picture perfect home office setup) -- then leave us a comment to let us know what kind of space keeps you motivated, and why.

Designer Jonathan Lo's weekend workspace in the San Diego area finds order not only in its cleanliness, but also its color scheme. "I like to keep my workspace pretty neutral," he explains. "It helps avoid too much visual distraction. At the same time, I can't be in a space completely devoid of color....The house this place resides in is pretty close to the beach, so hits of blue seemed appropriate."
The home office of Los Angeles-based mobile app developer Garrett Murray includes an especially tidy Airia desk and Mirra Chair combo.
The work of interior designer Jayne Michaels of 2Michaels (a firm she runs with twin sister Joan) is known for its spare, undecorated style -- and it shows in her personal desk space in Manhattan.
Streamlined bookcases and neatly organized office accessories surround this desk and Eames Aluminum Group Management Chair pairing at Treehouse Design Partnership in Los Angeles.
The lack of extra "stuff" in graphic designer David Airey's workspace in Northern Ireland can be explained by a lifetime of moving houses. "Since first leaving my parents' home when I was 19, I've lived at about 15 different addresses," he says. "That'll be why there's not a lot in my office -- you tend to shed the junk each time you move."
Designer Matt Singer's laptop shares a few trinkets and a set of speakers with an otherwise clean-topped desk space.
Three white Eames Molded Plastic Armchairs line up all in a row at one long wood desktop at the creative agency Juliet Zulu in Portland, OR.
Former Unplggd contributor, Mike Tyson, was a devout practitioner of the clean desk. Check out his 2010 Tech Tour, which showcases his minimalist aesthetic.
And then there's this "meticulously modern" corner home office where everything seems to have its place, a post complete with a sourcing list so you can follow Lungho's footsteps.
(Images: As linked above)
Republished in partnership with Herman Miller Lifework. Originally posted by Amy Feezor.

White Enamel Flatwa...
My desk/workspace will stay absolutely clean and neat...
as long as I don't go near it after I tidy it up!
This is like one, big Apple ad. (Not that I don't love Apple products, but come on... are all PC users aesthetically challenged?
I always thought Mac users were a bit OCD (I am trying to be nice). I am a PC and my work space is a heck of a lot more entertaining and colorful than those work spaces...just sayin.
Totally with you, @trissi.
I dream of having a "clean desk". Not that it is messy, but I don't have paper storage elsewhere. Shelving on top of my desk also makes for collecting things. It's neat, but I would love the space to have an "empty" desk with just my computer and a few essentials on it.
I would love to see a roundup of cool home offices with CPU towers. Yes, your iMacs and Macbooks look very sleek and low-profile, but I won't be getting rid of my PC anytime soon and darn it, I need some inspiration too. Especially now when I'm trying to buy a desk...
Solidarity, @Slangevar and @trissi
I wanna see stylish work places that aren't camera read...that said I want an airia desk!
Baha here is my mac set up....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v411/colorfulalium/photo.jpg
I'm with @ J.L, I remember the last time I saw a set up that wasn't a laptop or a Mac, which isn't very helpful for a lot of people.
*can't remember
Being clutter free is an ongoing battle, but soooo worth it ! Love all those Mac's !
I am not surprised that they didn't use my setup in this post. :)
Macs can be booted into Windows with very little effort. So, if you see my MBP, you are actually looking at computer that runs OSX and Windows.
I'm reasonably tidy and clean up after myself, but no matter where I live I get the biggest desk space I can fit in the room. Right now I have a 5-ft. length of gray IKEA countertop butted up against a 7-ft length of the same thing to create an L-shaped desk. They're fastened to a ledge in the wall in the back and held up in front with four silver IKEA desk legs. A couple of silver filing cabinets from Staples tuck underneath.
Nothing fancy, nothing expensive, but it gives me room for two computers. Also, I can invite another person into the office to work with me or I can spread out when I need to. I especially love it at holiday time when I need to wrap presents or when I want to add my sewing machine to the mix.
I was just thinking the same thing about the Macs. Especially the MacBooks (burn out within a year or two) and the iMacs (go obsolete within a few years). After my fourth Mac burned out I realized I couldn't afford to keep buying them. AT makes it seem like having a Mac is de rigueur to be considered stylish, right alongside your "Keep Calm" ephemera and a color-coded bookshelf. Ugh.
I miss the conventional desk without computers, and just with books, articles and notepads & pens..
i made a huge investment going Mac in 2007 and now after all my software (full adobe suite) i really can't afford to switch back. or to upgrade. a little stuck here. I have a 2007 MBP....you know...the kind with the definite graphic card failure? had it replaced (along with the battery) either summer 2010, or 2011 but now i think may be on the verge of going again (that or everything else is). Optical drive only works when it wants to.....runs hot...etc. Might need to replace fans. Now that I am very out of warranty i have to decide between replacing everything (most likely at leas the fans, the optical, new battery, upgrading past 10.1.4) or trying to get another mac, or going pc. Or trying to revive the mac enough to be my workhorse for graphics, and then getting a cheap internet/tv machine. I don't know. I wish there were clearer cut answers on these things. Nobody I know is very computer savvy. I wish i could get a reasonable evaluation from someone not trying to sell anything - just maybe like a pay for consultation place only. or a cool awesome computer friend.
Haha, I have a Mac but it's got nothing to do with wanting a sleek office. I just prefer using a Mac. My workspace is pretty messy. I know Macs are overpriced, but I've had mine for four years with no wear/tear problems (knock on wood). My PCs seemed to burn out or slow down much faster. Nothing against PCs (I would use one again), I just like what I like.
Bwahahaha! Nice!
Where are their printers? Scanners? Copiers? Paper, trace, markers? I would love to have my space look like this, but it doesn't really reflect the reality of a working office space. Home office, sure. But I would love to see a post with a functioning office space to get some inspiration.
Wormy: just a heads up, there are two very visible printer/scanners included above. I'd also highly recommend upgrading to a wireless model for more flexible placement (and out of sight while not in use).
@sneakers You can check Apple's store for refurbished computers. They come with a warranty and are backed by Apple.
I bought a 2009 white Macbook last year off of Ebay with no problems then bought a newer white Macbook last year used of Ebay as well again, with no problems (and it was still under warranty). I'm sure they have newer Macbook pros on Ebay (just read the sellers feedback like an x-ray).
If not I suggest just buying a new PC. There is no reason to spend all that money to fix what is an outdated machine.
What do you do to your Macs? I have a four year old MacBook Pro as my main machine, a twelve year old PowerBook, and an 11 year old PowerMac. I have never heard of this happening with anyone, and I know and know of a lot of people with Macs.
I have transitioned to iMac and love it. I don't think I would ever switch back. I always remember the horror of the blue screens and spam and pop ups and those uglies are virtually eliminated on my mac. She is harder to understand but is such a well designed bit of technology. As for my office. Some days it is spotless and some days not so much. In fact right now I am in the middle of an imaging project with a goal to eliminate all my old photos, manuals for the appliances in my house, taxes, etc. So it's all a matter of approach to how streamlined one wants to be. Some folks honestly work better in a lively, messier environment and some people actually like less buzz that happens in their head from a white box space. I kind of fall in between.
Agreed. I'm on my 4th Mac and typically upgrade every 2-3 years. I have *never* had any of these catastrophic issue, and the few small problems I have experienced were all solved free of charge at the Apple Store (some even out of warranty). I'm sorry, but any premium I paid to own these well-supported and virtually maintenance-free computers has been more than recouped in saved time and frustration avoided. Also consider that I've been able to resell my previous 3 Macs for roughly a third what I paid for them, or about $600 for a $1800 Macbook Pro. Now let's get real--who would EVER buy a used PC?
Mac users! Don't give in to this pessimistic, cynical, and nonsensical rhetoric. You are not a lemming! You have not fallen victim to Steve Job's reality distortion field! And contrary to what your black-friday shopping, Norton-renewing, CTRL+ATL+DELeting friends might tell you, no! They can not buy the same thing but for "half the price". You have a Mac, baby! And that means you're smart, funny, attractive, and most of all, logical.
I'm chuckling to myself over all the Mac's. It's ironic that the original mantra of Mac users was standing out from the crowd, and doing your own thing. Now I see so many of these "chic" setups that are so cold, obsessively neat, and similar. I used to be a Mac user, but am back to building my own gaming desktop computers as I'm a power user and Mac's were not powerful enough for the price, and had overheating issues.
I love good design, but I don't love this trend of turning a tool into a piece of mass produced "art" that "everyone" has. Keep Calm and Carry On, the sequel.
Wow, this is a lovely and beautiful office. The desks and Home Office interior Designs are looking good, everything else is amazing too. Superb! Thanks for sharing...
LMAO!