A separate room for a study is an unrealistic dream for most residents of Russia. Parents and children require separate sleeping places, an area for common leisure, areas for sports, favorite hobbies, study, cooking and shared meals. It will not be possible to allocate room for an office even in a three-room apartment. This option is only possible for singles or married couples without children living separately from their parents and other relatives. Therefore, most people working from home have to combine different functions in one room. One of the most popular options is a living room with a work area.
With proper planning, the use of modern furniture and space zoning techniques, a small room in a panel “Khrushchev” or a common room in a studio will look cozy and functional. How to create a comfortable work area in a small area? Take advantage of the recommendations from experienced designers offered in this article.
Types of computer desks
Models of computer desks may differ from each other in the following parameters: method of fastening (installation), color, style, material.
In their design and installation method, modern computer desks differ significantly from models of previous years. But along with fresh design and construction solutions, classic interior solutions for the work area are being rethought and given a second life.
Mounted
Such tables are compact and minimalistic, well suited for small monoblocks and laptops.
Built-in
The classic design solution for computer desks implies not only a horizontal table surface, but also a rack for papers and important small items.
Folding
Made according to the book-table principle. When folded, they turn into a cabinet. Convenient as a temporary option that can be folded and put away if necessary.
Another type of folding table is a transforming table, which when folded turns into a rack.
Window table top
It is installed instead of a window sill, or is its continuation.
Mobile tables
Small models that can be easily moved in space allow you to instantly organize a work area anywhere.
The Bureau
The desktop model, popular in the past, is not inferior in functionality to modern ones. The desk top of the bureau can extend or recline.
There are spacious cabinets under the tabletop, and above it there is a small shelving unit with shelves for small items. This model saves space well, while looking stylish and presentable.
Modular
Designer tables that allow you to independently regulate the number and position of working modules.
Gaming
“Professional” model for gamers. The tabletop of this type is quite wide, with additional elements for convenient placement of various gaming devices.
How to do it yourself?
Making a high-quality, reliable, durable sofa with your own hands is not easy. However, if you need to make a small, lightweight model for a balcony, hallway, garden or summer cottage, then the simplest available materials will be useful for this.
One option is to make a sofa from Euro pallets. To create a frame, 1 or 2 layers of pallets are assembled together, on which a foam cushion or a base of polyurethane foam wrapped in upholstery fabric is laid. If desired, you can form a headboard and armrests.
One of the armrests can be supplemented with a horizontal stand made of wood or other material, which will serve as a table.
The following video will tell you more about how to make a sofa from pallets:
Table sizes
The dimensions of the computer desk are no less important. Its aesthetic qualities depend on the shape of the interior element, and its functionality depends on its size.
Large tables are perfect for desktop computers with a separate monitor, keyboard, mouse, and additional office equipment.
Equipped with additional storage space, a large computer desk becomes the center of the work area, so it is very important to fit it correctly into the existing interior.
Compact, narrow and folding tables save space and are well suited for studio apartments, as well as rooms with different functional areas. A narrow console is an excellent option for a computer desk in a living room interior.
Corner countertops not only save space, but also form a closed work area, solving the problem of dividing space in general rooms. A corner computer desk can have the shape of an isosceles triangle, or consist of two rectangles oriented to either side.
It is advisable to install long work surfaces in nurseries for two or more children. This type of wall-length table implies the organization of two or more workstations.
Furniture with a figured tabletop has high ergonomics. The recesses in the table top are made in such a way that the person sitting behind it can comfortably work on the entire surface of the table. An excellent option for an office or study.
Square and rectangular tables require that at least one edge be placed next to the wall, while round tables and tables of complex geometric shapes can be placed anywhere in the room.
Tips for choosing
Choosing a high-quality side table is not an easy task: manufacturing companies fill the market with many different ideas and multifunctional models. To make your purchase easier, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
When choosing a furniture accessory, you need to select furniture that matches the color of the main idea, the texture of the furniture, and patterned design elements.
It is important that the decor of the table matches the interior decorations (shade of the sofa, color of curtains, etc.)
You need to find out what the table is for. Mobility depends on this. For example, to work on a computer, the model must be mobile
If they drink tea at the table, the usual option is enough. It is worth paying attention to the fastenings of the accessory. Many products have folding or adjustable legs, some of them are complemented by wheels, which makes moving the table easier
If you need a side table for working on your laptop, buy models that can be adjusted in height.
If you need an organizer model, you should pay attention to a product with functional drawers and shelves. It will rid the room of an abundance of small objects, giving the space a neat look. Side table can be used as an original nightstand
You can put a bouquet of flowers, figurines and other decorative decorations on it. Thanks to its compactness, lightness, mobility and originality, this piece of furniture fits into different interiors, becoming an integral part of them.
Computer desk design
The design of a computer desk is not only its shape, but also the material from which it is made. The most common table models are:
- solid wood;
- wood-based materials;
- glass;
- metal and metallized surfaces;
- plastic.
Wooden tables go well with classic and Provençal styles, while metal and glass suit the loft style.
Before purchasing a computer desk, it is important to ensure the quality of the materials from which it is made. You can request quality certificates directly from the seller. Normally, they exist for all types of furniture and must guarantee not only the environmental friendliness of the raw materials, but also the strength of the finished product.
Small living rooms - colors, patterns and accessories
There's no lie - gray has been a favorite color for many years when it comes to interior design. It brings peace and harmony, and the huge number of its shades, available both in furniture and in paints, finishing elements and accessories, allows it to be used in any interior. This would definitely work for a small living room too. One note: it is better not to decorate the interior entirely with gray (or its various shades). Even if they are warm colors, the room will seem cold and unfriendly.
To make a small living room seem larger, you can install tall, simple white baseboards. If you add white furniture and use glowing gray walls as a backdrop, you will have an extremely striking and trendy interior. A good way to optically enlarge the interior is to decorate one of the walls with panoramic wallpaper.
In a small living room, plain fabrics and upholstery will look good. Alternatively, you can afford to place a modern black and white geometric patterned rug under the table.
Accommodation in the room
The position in space depends to a lesser extent on the interior style of the room with a computer desk. Here are the most successful locations that will suit any interior:
Along one of the walls. Long console tables and narrow rectangular tables placed along the wall will save space while creating a spacious work area.
Near the window. This can be a table that continues the window sill, or a free-standing piece of furniture. Natural light and a good view from the window are the best things you can think of for productive work.
In the corner. These tables seem small, but they hold a lot. An additionally purchased storage system for corner furniture will turn such a table into a full-fledged alternative to a work office.
Next to the bed. It is convenient to place a small console pull-out table in this area. The console can be adjusted, rotated and retracted when not needed.
In a recess or niche. A great place to create a mini-office. A bureau, as well as any type of transformable tables installed in a niche, saves free space in the room.
Models
All sofas with a table in the armrests can be classified into straight and corner.
- Direct. Usually distinguished by deep seats. The best option for a small room.
- Angular. This option features firmer seats. Typically, a corner design takes up a lot of space, so placement in a large room is recommended. In this case, the table is often built into only one armrest. There can also be a tabletop on the corner of the sofa.
Sofas also differ in the method of transformation, while not all folding options are available for products with armrests-tables. Instances can be roll-out or folding. The roll-out mechanism means “pulling out” the sleeping place, and the sliding method means unfolding the sofa using all its parts.
Sofas with tables most often have several transformation mechanisms.
"Book". To get a berth, you need to raise the seat. When the backrest is in a horizontal position, the seat can be lowered.
So, many of them include ottomans, orthopedic sleeping pads, a bar, and a drawer for storing linen.
Various materials are used to upholster sofas. Among the most common are matting, eco-leather, jacquard, tapestry, velor.
Choosing a room for accommodation
The classic location for a computer desk is an office. You can safely put any model you like in this room.
It is possible that the design of the office will be built around the selected desktop. A luxurious desk-bureau, or a minimalist tabletop without drawers, a wall-mounted model with a set, complex geometric shapes, a round and oval table - all this is easy to fit and play with in the interior of the office.
When choosing a desk for an office, you need to take into account the type of activity of the owner, since different professions may require different sized workspaces.
A very original solution would be to place a computer desk on a heated balcony. A compact bureau, a small console, or a narrow long window-sill table will be a good choice for this room.
Excessive lighting for a computer, if desired, can be corrected with thick curtains or blinds.
The optimal solution for the bedroom would be a small mobile computer table. Console tables, transformers, narrow wall-mounted models, as well as compact corner tables, or a work area on the window sill will also be a good option for this space.
For a children's room, a computer desk is selected according to age. For young children, they purchase a built-in furniture option combined with a wardrobe and a bed.
When choosing a table for a teenager, you need to focus on the ergonomics of the model, since the child will have to spend a lot of time at it. A classic option with a shaped tabletop and an additional shelving on top works well.
Perhaps one of the most difficult tasks for a designer is arranging a work area in the living room. Many people want the computer desk in the living room not to be visible in the photo.
In addition, there should be a lot of free space in the living room, therefore, the computer desk should not take up it.
In addition to various mobile options and transformable tables, you can try combining a living room furniture set with a computer area. The built-in option is also suitable for the kitchen.
Color solutions
In any apartment, private house or office space you can find an armchair, sofa or other pieces of upholstered furniture. They are produced in all sorts of styles, decorated with a variety of prints, decorative items, and original shaped elements. The color range of sofas is almost limitless. It is so wide that you can choose a sofa that perfectly matches the color and style for any interior.
The classic colors of sofas (beige, brown, white, black, gray) are appropriate in any interior. These colors are quite practical, versatile, and go well with decoration and other furnishings.
Fans of more non-standard furniture will certainly prefer bright, rich colors (pink, green, yellow, purple, blue, crimson). Such furniture harmoniously combines with the expression of the Art Deco style, or can be a bright accent in an interior of restrained tones.
Built-in or folding tables are made in a contrasting combination with the upholstery of the sofa or, conversely, in full accordance with the main color scheme. Most often, countertops are made in different shades of natural wood (black, brown, walnut, sand color).
Choosing a style
The best computer tables of 2022 are presented in styles: loft, hi-tech, modern, Scandinavian, country.
Modern style
Modern style does not impose strict requirements on the material, shape and color of the table. A laconic console table made of white plastic is a common option for a table in a modern style.
A computer desk made of light solid wood with strict rectangular shapes will also fit well into this interior.
An original solution in this design would be a table made of a combination of epoxy resin and natural wood, as well as a slab tabletop.
Computer tables made of glass, metal, transparent plastic, untreated wood and a combination of all these materials are suitable for the loft style.
The design of the table should look monumental and rough; the option of creating a tabletop from recycled materials and containers is not ruled out. For example, loft-style furniture can be made from old pallets and clear glass.
High tech
High-tech implies high functionality of objects combined with a minimalist design. Glossy rectangular tables made of plastic in pure colors, light metal, and laminated particle boards are characteristic of this style.
Classic
A computer desk in the “classic” style is made from natural materials. Usually it is solid wood with various glass and metal inserts, carved and painted decor. The bureau table will also fit well into a classical interior.
Scandinavian style
The popular Scandinavian style has received such high praise thanks to its laconic, harmonious and peaceful combinations.
Natural wood and simple shapes, pastel cool shades - these are what you should pay attention to when choosing a table for a Scandinavian interior.
Provence
Provençal style involves a light-colored table with an oval or rounded shape. Furniture in this style can be artificially aged or carelessly painted with pastel-colored oil paint.
Country style
The rustic interior will be complemented by a computer desk made of natural materials of a simple and sustainable design with many cabinets and drawers.
The choice of a computer desk depends on many parameters. How to choose a computer desk? First of all, it is worth deciding in which room the work area will be arranged, who it is for, how many hours a week access to the computer will be required, and the size of the computer itself.
It is also worth taking into account the general style of the room, its square footage, and lighting. After choosing a model, you need to make sure that it is made from environmentally friendly materials and has all the relevant certificates.
Color spectrum
Its boundaries depend only on the preferences of the buyer. Popular options:
- “wood-like” - such tables can be in harmony with the flooring and wooden furniture in the room;
- white - if you have white walls or a white floor, or maybe most of the furniture in the interior is white, the question of what color the table will be has one obvious answer;
- red, crimson - an option for lovers of bright accents, especially if the interior itself requires splashes of color;
- pastel colors - will fit into the same space, devoid of clear transitions and contrasts;
- multi-colored - why not decorate the house with a colorful table, or maybe it will have a beautiful pattern, an ornament that echoes other elements of the interior.
Manufacturers
Side tables from the famous Swedish company are one of the most popular products. They are distinguished by simplicity, functionality, compact appearance and reasonable cost. Ikea tables fit perfectly into the interior of the home and are considered a good buy, although sometimes they have complaints from buyers.
Italian brands Creazioni and Silik will provide customers with unusual models of side tables that are appropriate in any style. The French brand La redoute interieurs produces original tables made from popular inexpensive materials that are durable and comfortable to use.
What are they?
There are a lot of variations of such designs. For example, a coffee table may well be a side table. It stands next to the sofa and, in a sense, serves it. For such a furniture composition to look harmonious, it is not at all necessary to select items from the same set. You can combine things from different eras, you can avoid matching colors and still create cozy, atmospheric combinations. Today, interior fashion is generous and blesses everyone to experiment in favor of individuality.
Options for side tables.
Movable. If you move it towards the sofa, they become one. Outside the sofa, such a table may look scanty and be completely invisible in the interior.
The legs of the table are different - high and low, wide and narrow, in the form of rollers or stable supports. Most often there are 4 legs, but there may well be only 2.
Minuses
Despite a lot of positive qualities, side tables have several disadvantages:
- they are not always functional if creative thought prevails over purpose;
- budget models are distinguished by their simplicity of texture, which often spoils the overall design idea;
- sometimes they have supports that are not equipped with protection against damage to the floor covering (they scratch the surface);
- in models with rotating wheels, careful selection of carpeting is required, otherwise the pile interferes with the mobility of accessories and leads to their breakage;
- sometimes they have sharp decorative elements, which, if accidentally touched mechanically, can injure the skin;
- Having a solid appearance and made of expensive material, they are distinguished by a high price, which is beyond the means of the average buyer, which forces them to look for budget options.
