desk duty: high style desks

still not my place

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Better late than never. I've been busy this week on deadline, and then we went out to dinner with my father-in-law, who has been in town for a few days. We haven't seen him in a year and he just finally got to meet the baby, who turned 10 months today.

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When I bought my desk--the ubiquitous white lacquer Parsons desk from West Elm--it wasn't quite as, well, ubiquitous, as it is today. I still adore it, but sometimes I wish I had something off-beat, a little different from everyone else. 

The nice thing about the Parsons is that it's a great blank canvas; there are so many ways it can be styled. I am still trying to decide if I want to do brights or neutrals. Above, from The Everygirl, is a lovely neutral approach. I could easily go in this direction, and not simply because I also have the Sapien bookcase that is to the left of the desk. 

Maybe someday I'll go with a different style. I also love the idea of a big table as a desk. 

Thalia Writing Desk by Century Furniture

I think I would pair the Thalia with a few modern elements to keep it from feeling too serious. Love the ornate legs and support strut, it definitely catches the eye.

Durham Desk by Ballard Designs

The Durham has a more industrial look, with a mix of wood and aged steel. I have a Mac, but if you were someone who had a tower for your computer, it would fit nicely on one of the lower shelves so it could be kept off the floor and out of the way.

Cant Desk by Blu Dot

The cool slim silhouette of the Cant is warmed by the walnut and grey finish. This would be great for someone with a small space, or who works on a laptop so they can utilize the upper shelf for storage and decorative objects. My monitor would obscure the whole thing.

Ermitage Desk by Grange

classique prune finish

Grange's traditional, feminine Ermitage has been a favorite of mine for a few years. The piece is available in 20 paint colors and 3 distress levels. I'm not really into distressing personally, so I would choose the least distressed finish, called classique. All of their colors are great, but I always find myself drawn to the purples, so I'd pick prune for the desk. Although, this fall, Grange is debuting seven new color finishes, so I could change my mind. 

One Forty Five Desk by Celerie Kemble for Henredon

tooled leather top

Super-talented and super down-to-earth designer Celerie Kemble designed a collection for Henredon, which includes this desk, the One Forty Five. This desk is so luxe, made of Philippine mahogany with a creme leather inlay on the main surface and two pull-out shelves.  The cabriole legs add to the effect; it's a really beautiful piece. You can see the leather better in the image with Celerie. 

Also, that black and white mirror behind the desk is amazing!

interior image via The Everygirl
desk images via Century Furniture, Ballard Designs, Blu Dot, Grange, Henredon

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