The type of desk that suits your office best depends on a variety of factors, including office size and layout, business type and individual preference. Here, we compare two of the most common desk styles in NZ offices – corner desks and straight desks – highlighting their pros and cons so you can make the best decision when fitting out or renovating your office space.
Corner Desks
Corner or L-shaped desks can be very convenient, especially in small spaces or home offices. Office Furniture Warehouse stocks a variety of corner desk styles, from sleek white to contemporary wooden or sophisticated white and charcoal.
Pros of Corner Desks
Creates space – by bordering an office corner with an L-shaped desk you are making use of what would otherwise be dead space. Corner desks create little pockets of space, giving you room to move around while offering plenty of space at which to work effectively. This efficient use of space makes them especially great for small or home offices.
Separation of tasks – for workers with a variety of tasks to accomplish, having two distinct sides to one desk can help compartmentalise. A project manager might use one side for management work and the other side of the bend for hands-on technical work.
Cons of Corner Desks
Computer positioning – the idea with L-shaped desks is to make use of the corner by putting your computer there. In practice, some people find it awkward sitting in the crevice of two joining surfaces, while others feel this wastes the space behind the monitor.
Difficult in certain offices – the corner desk doesn’t suit all office layouts, especially large, open spaces which look and function better with desks used along the walls or even in the centre of the room.
Straight Desks
Straight desks are the traditional desk that usually comes to mind – rectangular in shape, making them fit easily into any office space and any layout. When in doubt, we recommend straight desks – you can’t really go wrong with one of these!
Pros of Straight Desks
Versatile – with their simple, straight design, these desks fit well into any office space, even those with odd layouts. This makes them the best and easiest choice for large, open-plan rooms with plenty of employees. Put the desk against the wall or create a row in the centre of the room – it works either way and looks good.
Ergonomics – the simplicity and right angles of the straight desk makes achieving an ergonomic work environment easier.
Cons of Straight Desks
Limited space – straight desks provide enough room for most workers, but those who find their desks constantly filling up with paperwork might prefer the additional space a corner provides.
Lacking in imagination – these desks are traditional, which isn’t a bad thing, but some modern and chic offices find they want more mold-breaking alternatives to suit their innovative style.
The Pros and Cons of Corner and Straight Desks
