Desks
By SteveSo, I moved without furniture. Which means I need furniture.
I’m getting sick of typing on a laptop—ugh, I hate these keyboards—so I need to break down and buy a desk. (And a couch. And end tables. And nightstands. And a dresser.)
Has anyone bought a particularly cool desk online? Most I see are… kind of tacky. I hate most of the standard Staples/particle board type ones. I want something a little swankier. (And simpler; nothing too crazy.)
I may end up just getting something from Ikea, but would rather get something a little better quality.
June 9th, 2007 at 11:57 pm
All I can suggest is that the wider you go, the better it is. And don’t worry too much about drawers or anything but the top side flat space – that’s all you’ll ever use. Look what happened to mine!
http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/9468/pc160002cb9.jpg
I once saw a picture of a Delta’s setup that utilized just one of those large plastic tables (or maybe it was wooden – but anyway it was the size you see at gun shows or other conventions of the sort) that had 7 PCs setup side by side kinda like mine. That’s always an option if you don’t mind cheap. Garage sales are great too.
While we’re here, another great cost cutting tip: Old CD-R’s (or DVD+R’s these days) that you burned as tests but they didn’t work out (read: I tried to make a boot disk for a weird burn of XP that somebody gave me to install which didn’t work… >_>) really do work as GREAT coasters, just like the fake term.
June 10th, 2007 at 4:08 am
Steve: not sure what your new digs are like (and, while we’re at it, the new super-secret job you have seemingly acquired), but if money is no object, check out the anthro furniture.
http://www.anthro.com/
Yes, slightly expensive. But the bottom line is, you want something that lasts, you gotta pay for it. And in my experience, the Ikea stuff, while definitely chic, isn’t built to last.
June 10th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
Ikea does have some good quality stuff, but a lot depends on how much space you’re working with and your patience for assembly.
They have an office furniture category for business, and my wife has one of the L-shaped desks from there. Lots of space to sprawl if you lead a cluttered lifestyle. Like she does. I’ll try to find a link to it. By and large, the desks they offer to homeowners are sub-optimal.
June 10th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
I just realized that you misspelled nightstands as nighstands… It’s not that I’m hanging out here 24/7, but I left the tab open and active and glanced over while I was waiting for something on my other PC to finish loading.
June 10th, 2007 at 5:44 pm
That’s an olde English spelling.
June 10th, 2007 at 10:39 pm
Thou art thy own Deku Tree?
June 10th, 2007 at 11:53 pm
I love IKEA, as I am a total cheapass. IKEA is not as crappy as it used to be back in the late 80s when everything was futons and melamine.
I have an IKEA desk…it’s all wood and I’ve been very happy with it. My husband uses an IKEA kitchen table for a desk.
However, I do not like ligonberries.
June 11th, 2007 at 11:42 pm
I ended up buying a cheap IKEA desk for now. I can always replace it down the road.
I also bought an entertainment rack thing there, but it’s all real wood, not particle board/laminate.
June 13th, 2007 at 12:07 am
Ugh. Ikea? I went that route for my wife’s desk a few years back. Kind of nifty design, lots of storage, etc., but the cheapest pressboard crap I’ve ever dealt with. And amazingly convoluted to put together. I usually have no problems with desks, shelves, barbecues, whatever, but this thing had me punching walls from about the 15 minute mark. I can’t wait until we decide to get rid of it, as I plan to “disassemble” it lovingly with a crowbar.
BTW, I bought Staples stuff for my office six or seven years ago. By Star. Heavy, solid, easy to assemble, great storage, perfect for PCs, and attractive. Doesn’t look like pressboard, and is at least twice or three times the weight of the usual pressboard junk. Only office furniture at Staples that I liked. Wearing great, too. Had this desk, filing cabinet, and shelf for a long time now and it all looks brand new.
Congrats on completing the drive, btw.
June 13th, 2007 at 2:43 am
I only paid like $90 for the desk, so if I hate it I’ll have no qualms about burning it in effigy in a year or whatever.
Against my better judgment, I bought a new chair at Staples. It’s actually pretty cool. It’s a Sealy chair with memory foam. Lots of back support, and so far it’s pretty comfy.