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Small desks that give you enough room to actually do some work are hard to come by these days. Most of the time there is only enough room for your monitor and maybe a pad of paper. That no longer has to be the case.
The Amish have come up with a design that really gives you all the room you need with plenty of features in the swing out desk.
It starts out 23″D x 40″W x 30″H closed. When you open it up you get an extra writing surface that is about 18 inches deep, a keyboard pullout and o the inside of the door you also have storage for paperwork and even software cd’s. Though that is a add-on that slides into the door compartment.
The door on this desk is on casters making it really easy to position it where you need it. One way I’ve seen this used is to swing it all the way out and have your kids sit next to you as they do their homework. In most homes it’s used in the L configuration as you see above.
Now the base comes in either the computer version as you see above or you can buy the file version that gives you 1 deep file drawer on the bottom and 2 smaller storage drawers above it. In the file drawer configuration there is no key board pullout. Instead its an open shelf under the desk top where you can easily store your laptop. With everyone seemingly switching to laptops this desk gives you plenty of flexibility that you cant find in any other desk.
For added storage you can also get 2 different hutches that make great places to store books and all kinds of other stuff. This becomes especially handy if you have to computer version. The open bookcase measures 12 1⁄2″D x 38″W x 31″H. The hutch with doors measures 13 3⁄4″D x 40″W x 42″H. They are not attached to the desktop.
One of the great things about this desk is that the builder had the forethought to keep the area behind the keyboard pullout and the CPU compartment open. That makes it so easy to connect everything. An added benefit is that there is plenty of air flow so your CPU doesn’t over heat. depending on the size of your machine you could even have room for and external hard drive to back up your files, which we should all do religiously.
The stool pictured is 16″D x 18 1⁄2″W x 17″H and can be upholstered with fabric, Micro fiber or leather. You dont have to get the stool but it is designed to recess under the key board so you have everything you need in one spot. That really ups the convenience of this desk.
If you have carpet on your floor it does make it a little bit harder to open the front but by no means is it difficult. Though that will vary depending on how deep your carpet is. The door is held closed with a surprisingly strong magnet.
The extra writing surface is very sturdy though I wouldn’t recommend laying on it to write like you see so many kids doing these days.
All in all this is a very innovative design that is well thought out and very well built.
Technorati Tags: small desk, student desk, expandable desk
Author: admin, October 5, 2008
I recently bought a computer armoire and for the most part love it!
The whole layout works well for me. Plenty of desk top space and the keyboard pullout goes all the way across basically giving me a second desktop to work on. My armoire is natural oak, no stain just the resistovar top coat (2 layers). I opted not to get the power strip or the lighting aded which was a mistake. I’ve added them myself since it arrived.
In the base portion of the unit there are 2 file drawers on the right hand side that fit plenty of paper work. In center there is a CPU box that has a lot of room for my computer and a external hard drive sitting along side. On the left hand side there a 2 full extension pullout shelves of which I have removed 1 because my all-in-one printer/fax/scanner thingy doesn’t fit with the feeder tray flipped up.
The top half has plenty of room for books on either side. In the center there is room enough for a bunch of software cd’s or music if you still use those.
The only thing this is missing is a space for my sub-woofer.
One of the most common questions asked about computer armoires is about the leg space under the keyboard pullout. From experience I can tell you there is plenty. The pullout is on full extension glides and comes out roughly 15″ in front of the unit which, at least for me is plenty of room for my feet. One of the cool things about this pullout is that the front edge has a leather pad on it for your wrists. I absolutely love it. It makes it so much easier and more comfortable on the wrists.
This unit is pretty big at 26″D x 57 1/2″W x 73 1/2″H. It has bifold doors on the front. They dont swing around and lay flat against the side but they are out of the way. When the computer armoires doors are open the stay out of the way because the “halves” are held together with a magnet which is nice.
For convenience I ran a touch light element to the top hinge (inside the door) on the bottom unit that way when I want light all I have to do is touch the hinge. It’s a triple stage element so I can decide how bright I want it to get.
One of the great things about computer armoires is that, if you’re like me and keep a pretty messy desktop you can close it up and hide the mess from company. WooHoo! A definate bonus!!
After using my computer armoire for about a month now I can actually say they are very user friendly. Especially if you’re going to put it in a room that isn’t designed as an office or just don’t want that office look. When it’s not in use all you have to do is close it up and it looks like a cabinet. They have plenty of storage & desk top space. Not only that but you can customize them to fit your particular needs. All in all good stuff.