Q: My girlfriend and I are taking a big step and moving into our first apartment together. The large, L-shaped living area is very open to the kitchen and balcony, which we like. We would like to use the space for dining, living, and working. The attached pictures is not our furniture - its from the current tenants.
We like the current tenant's layout - I'm thinking the living room layout will probably remain the same (sectional couch with something like Ikea's 70" wide Besta). For dining we'll probably get an extendable dining table, but where do we keep the extra chairs? I'm mostly worried about my workspace:
For pretty much my whole life I've had an entire room for my computer. I do graphics and coding so I can't stick with a laptop. The current tenants are using an area with a width of 48" on a wall between the balcony and the media center — within it I need to somehow fit two dual screen 24" monitors (44" when wall mounted and flat against the wall), without it looking like a workspace.
I'm thinking about wall mounting the monitors. The desk would need to have my wireless keyboard, wireless mouse, two speakers, and a tiny mixer for audio work. No other storage is needed and I'll run cables cleanly to the media center under the TV where I will fashionably store an HTPC.
I need desk ideas! Less than 48" in width and not too deep. And what would go on the 90-degree angled corner between the desk and the media center?
Sent by Chris
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Would it be possible to move the sofa and corresponding tv area up the walls toward the kitchen, float a small,extendable dining table in the middle of that area where the rug is, and then put your "office" on one side of that end window?
I really like the desks from BluDot -- the Can't desk or Desk51. They are inexpensive and intelligently designed, and spiffy.
West Elm parsons desk is 48" and less than 24" deep. I find it plenty spacious!
Can you work with their idea and put bookshelves to the left and right of the media center and then extend the left bookshelf past the corner by the depth of your desk? Let's say their shelves are 30 inches wide and your desk is 24 inches deep, can you put a 54 inch bookshelf to the left of the TV? That would hide your desk from the living area.
Another idea would be to use the 12 foot long wall for your desk and not get a dining room table. Can you live with eating at the counter and being creative when friends come over?
I think you are on the right track with your ideas for mounting the monitors and the way you plan on running the wires - neat and clean is key to making it look less like a workspace. I would hang artwork with the monitors to make it look even less like a workspace.
Float the sofa and use a console table behind it as a desk.. Because of the width, usually 5', you only need about 1-14" of depth. Use fabric covered boxes for desktop storage and attractive baskets underneath substitute for drawers.
I have a workspace/living area in my apartment as - only it s a MUCH smaller space.
This is what I came up with:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v612/susanthebear/LivingRoom-3panellarge.jpg
It's a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf that divides the workspace (with 2' x 4' desk) and
my living area. The shelf acts as a visual/mental divider from the tv area, and
the storage is fantastic. Clearly this is a much smaller space than most people
would want, but the floor-to-ceiling partition works really well for separating the
two areas.
HB
I'm not sure if this would work, but what about somehow using Ikea's Expedit center? You could get the tv media center: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30218111/, have it where the current media center is, and somehow have the desk option go along the wall where you want your work station? http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S59861342/
I would probably put a desk where their table is pushed against the wall and put your table in the middle of the room or by the wall where their desk is now. If you get a small, expandable table it would fit just fine.
If you want a skinny desk but can't find anything, you could maybe try a console table with keyboard trays mounted underneath. I have an ikea desk (besta?) that is about the depth of a console table and I really like it.
If I was the current tenant, I'd be um, somewhat displeased to find you'd posted my home on the interweb - please assure us we're not being uninvited voyeurs here :)
Could you trade the two monitors for one massive flat screen tv somehow hooked up to your computer parts and then have a small "desk" area in front of the tv/computer where you pull up a chair for work?
For the life of me, I can't figure out your floorplan as it relates to the photos. Sorry if I'm being dense...
If you have a dining table, I'd be tempted to do a desk up against the kitchen island......as for suggestions, it all depends on your price range and where you want to shop.
I built my own sawhorse desk using Ikea's Vika Artur legs and a slab door from Home Depot. Slab doors come in 24, 26, 30, 32, and 36-inch depths, but you'll need to buy a solid core door if you want to cut it down from the 80-inch length. I was fine with the length, so I bought a hollow-core door which is much easier to move around.
I also made a monitor stand out of 2 sets of Knuff magazine filing boxes and an Ekby shelf. Everything was purchased unfinished, so I finished it all the same. I should submit photos.