Built-in Desk Suggestions?

I agree with Mark, but if that is not possible, consider putting the
desk along the wall with the windows....

I'm sitting in a similar sized room with windows on all walls and while
I can leave the windows on the same wall with the computer desk
unshaded, the windows behind me have to always be shaded... plus it's
nice to be able to glance up and enjoy the view every so often.

http://BevHoward.com

Nehmo Sergheyev wrote:

> For an established customer, I need to design and build a built-in
> computer desk for this room:
> http://home.kc.rr.com/plumb/cooper_office.htm

On ours I provided for under-desk mounting of as many components as
possible. Put a copier and a printer on slide outs. Added a narrow shelf
along the back to hide wires and have the surface blend directly into a
window ledge. Also put a reinforcing triangle under the main monitor.
Made that part of the desk deep enough for a big CRT. We've since
switched to LCD monitors, so now there's about a foot and a half of
empty space back there. <sigh> Old photo here
www.citlink.net/~wmbjk/images/desk.jpg Top is 1.5" of particle board and
oak veneer ply. Front edge is simple custom molding.

Wayne

- Nehmo -
> >> For an established customer, I need to design and build a
> >> built-in computer desk for this room:
> >> http://home.kc.rr.com/plumb/cooper_office.htm
> >>
> >> The door to the right goes to a hallway. The windows are at the
> >> bottom of the plan view and view northward. There will be shelves
> >> on the left and on the back (of the 3D view). It should have one
> >> file drawer. The style should be functional/modern. The surfaces
> >> will be white.
> >>
> >> Does anybody have any ideas or suggestions? What's a good source
> >> of modular components, such as the file drawer and the other
> >> cabinet components?

- Mark Jerde -
> > I would rotate the desk 90 degrees and have it in the middle of
> > the room, probably 6 to 12" from the south wall. I would sit
> > facing the hallway door.

- Harvey Van Sickle -
> Or facing the other way, but you're absolutely right: having a window
> at your back (or front) when working at a monitor is a right pain in
> the eyes -- you really should try to arrange side lighting.

- Mark Jerde -
> > Having the back of the computer & monitor easily accessable makes
> > it much easier to connect/troubleshoot all the cables.

- Harvey Van Sickle -
> If you faced it away from the hallway, though, at least you'd avoid
> having the back gubbins of the computer and monitor as the first thing
> you see when you walk in the door.

- Nehmo -

They have a plasma screen (and probably will get plasmas in the future),
so glare won't be a problem. The widow's also, as I mentioned, face
north. They seemed to want an arrangement somewhat like this:

http://www.cwcabinet.com/homeoffpaint2.html

Right now, they only have the basic computer set-up: tower box,
keyboard, mouse, flat screen, printer-scanner, and cable modem. But I
think there should be some room for expansion.

The glass top surface used in the pic above is an idea, but I'm not sure
that's the best way to go. What *is* a good desk surface?






--
--
********************
* Nehmo Sergheyev *
********************

"Nehmo Sergheyev" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> For an established customer, I need to design and build a built-in
> computer desk for this room:
> http://home.kc.rr.com/plumb/cooper_office.htm
>
> The door to the right goes to a hallway. The windows are at the bottom
> of the plan view and view northward. There will be shelves on the left
> and on the back (of the 3D view). It should have one file drawer. The
> style should be functional/modern. The surfaces will be white.
>
> Does anybody have any ideas or suggestions? What's a good source of
> modular components, such as the file drawer and the other cabinet
> components?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> --
> ********************
> * Nehmo Sergheyev *
> ********************
>
>
Won't give advice on design since I invariably screw up my own and have to
re-do until I work out the bugs. But a good source of cabinet hardware is
http://www.wwhardware.com/ . Most other serious woodworking supplies also
have computer associated hardware available. Or if you are looking for
actual cabinet components you might try a company like
http://www.cabparts.com/ .
--
John McGaw
[Knoxville, TN, USA]

Return address will not work. Please
reply in group or through my website:
http://johnmcgaw.com

- Nehmo -
> > I need to design and build a built-in
> > computer desk for this room:
> > http://home.kc.rr.com/plumb/cooper_office.htm
> >
> > The door to the right goes to a hallway. The windows are at the
bottom
> > of the plan view and view northward. There will be shelves on the
left
> > and on the back (of the 3D view). It should have one file drawer.
The
> > style should be functional/modern. The surfaces will be white.

- John McGaw -
> a good source of cabinet hardware is
> http://www.wwhardware.com/ . Most other serious woodworking supplies
also
> have computer associated hardware available. Or if you are looking for
> actual cabinet components you might try a company like
> http://www.cabparts.com/ .

- Nehmo -
Have you, yourself, done any business with Cabparts
http://www.cabparts.com/main.html ?
They seem to make most of their stuff with Melamine. I'm wondering how
well this will go with the painted wood of the shelves, since the sides
of the boxes will show.



And I would still need the faces frames and door fronts. I can't find
anything good locally (Kansas City), so I'm thinking about using
WaltzCraft http://208.56.50.249/ . I want to assemble the desk from
components, but I probably will make the shelves and the top of the desk
myself.

Home Depot and Lowe's use http://www.americancabinetcorp.com/ and some
other suppliers too.



--
--
********************
* Nehmo Sergheyev *
********************

On 01 Dec 2003, Mark Jerde wrote

> Nehmo Sergheyev wrote:
>> For an established customer, I need to design and build a
>> built-in computer desk for this room:
>> http://home.kc.rr.com/plumb/cooper_office.htm
>>
>> The door to the right goes to a hallway. The windows are at the
>> bottom of the plan view and view northward. There will be shelves
>> on the left and on the back (of the 3D view). It should have one
>> file drawer. The style should be functional/modern. The surfaces
>> will be white.
>>
>> Does anybody have any ideas or suggestions? What's a good source
>> of modular components, such as the file drawer and the other
>> cabinet components?
>
> I would rotate the desk 90 degrees and have it in the middle of
> the room, probably 6 to 12" from the south wall. I would sit
> facing the hallway door.

Or facing the other way, but you're absolutely right: having a window
at your back (or front) when working at a monitor is a right pain in
the eyes -- you really should try to arrange side lighting.

> Having the back of the computer & monitor easily accessable makes
> it much easier to connect/troubleshoot all the cables.

If you faced it away from the hallway, though, at least you'd avoid
having the back gubbins of the computer and monitor as the first thing
you see when you walk in the door.

--
Cheers,
Harvey

For e-mail, change harvey to whhvs.

Nehmo Sergheyev wrote:
> For an established customer, I need to design and build a built-in
> computer desk for this room:
> http://home.kc.rr.com/plumb/cooper_office.htm
>
> The door to the right goes to a hallway. The windows are at the bottom
> of the plan view and view northward. There will be shelves on the left
> and on the back (of the 3D view). It should have one file drawer. The
> style should be functional/modern. The surfaces will be white.
>
> Does anybody have any ideas or suggestions? What's a good source of
> modular components, such as the file drawer and the other cabinet
> components?

I would rotate the desk 90 degrees and have it in the middle of the room,
probably 6 to 12" from the south wall. I would sit facing the hallway door.
Light from the window shouldn't give glare problems.

Having the back of the computer & monitor easily accessable makes it much
easier to connect/troubleshoot all the cables.

HTH.

-- Mark

On Mon, 01 Dec 2003 20:18:31 GMT, Mark <[email protected]>
responded:
>Nehmo Sergheyev wrote:
>> For an established customer, I need to design and build a built-in
>> computer desk for this room:
>> http://home.kc.rr.com/plumb/cooper_office.htm
>
>There is absolutely no frigging way I would position the desk so the
>customer would have to sit with their backs to the windows. We could get
>into a discussion of computer use and depression, studies have found
>there's a correlation. Being able to look outside with a slight turn of
>the head will reduce (not eliminate) this effect.
>
>And if that's not a good enough reason , think reflections in the monitor.

I agree. This is especially important. IMNSHO, that monitor needs to
be on the window side of the room. DAMHIKT. I had to completely
reorganise my office soon after setting it up as the reflection from
the sun made it impossible to use the computer at certain times of the
day. The same thing will happen if the monitor is on the side walls.

Luigi
Replace "no" with "yk" for real email address

I like to browse around this site for ideas.
http://www.freeww.com/desks.html


"Nehmo Sergheyev" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> For an established customer, I need to design and build a built-in
> computer desk for this room:
> http://home.kc.rr.com/plumb/cooper_office.htm
>
> The door to the right goes to a hallway. The windows are at the bottom
> of the plan view and view northward. There will be shelves on the left
> and on the back (of the 3D view). It should have one file drawer. The
> style should be functional/modern. The surfaces will be white.
>
> Does anybody have any ideas or suggestions? What's a good source of
> modular components, such as the file drawer and the other cabinet
> components?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> --
> ********************
> * Nehmo Sergheyev *
> ********************
>
>

Nehmo Sergheyev wrote:
> For an established customer, I need to design and build a built-in
> computer desk for this room:
> http://home.kc.rr.com/plumb/cooper_office.htm


There is absolutely no frigging way I would position the desk so the
customer would have to sit with their backs to the windows. We could get
into a discussion of computer use and depression, studies have found
there's a correlation. Being able to look outside with a slight turn of
the head will reduce (not eliminate) this effect.

And if that's not a good enough reason , think reflections in the monitor.

Also, putting a file cabinet in the desk makes the desk grow huge
quickly. specially if there's a scanner and printer involved. I would
use a separate file cabinet.






--

Mark

N.E. Ohio


Never argue with a fool, a bystander can't tell you apart. (S. Clemens,
A.K.A. Mark Twain)

When in doubt hit the throttle. It may not help but it sure ends the
suspense. (Gaz, r.moto)

Our local kitchen & Bath design place also does desk design and assembly.
Most kitchen cabinet places sell modules to build and integrate desks.


"Nehmo Sergheyev" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> For an established customer, I need to design and build a built-in
> computer desk for this room:
> http://home.kc.rr.com/plumb/cooper_office.htm
>
> The door to the right goes to a hallway. The windows are at the bottom
> of the plan view and view northward. There will be shelves on the left
> and on the back (of the 3D view). It should have one file drawer. The
> style should be functional/modern. The surfaces will be white.
>
> Does anybody have any ideas or suggestions? What's a good source of
> modular components, such as the file drawer and the other cabinet
> components?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> --
> ********************
> * Nehmo Sergheyev *
> ********************
>
>