Best desk for under $200

tacojohn · April 12, 2003 11:55AM

I getting an apartment next year and I'm going to need a new desk. I want something that looks cool, is cheap, and has a lot of desk space. I don't want some huge thing- 'cause its going to be in my bedroom (I have 2 other roommates).

I like light color woods, glass, and silver. Anything with those colors. I have a lot of stuff to put on the desktop and thats why I need a larger area. These are the things that I have that must go on the desk:

iBook

Wacom 6x8 tablet

apple keyboard

optical mouse

2 small speakers

palm cradle

iPod

cell phone

gameboy advanced sp

lacie d2 fw burner

and the usual pen and crap

and extra space for my arms and books and school related stuff

I was thinking about something from ikea maybe?

mrmister · April 12, 2003 12:27PM

I use an IKEA glass desktop (around $70) and two of their varnished sawhorses ($25 each). Looks great, tons of desk space, minimalist...it's not for everyone, but it works for me.

tacojohn · April 12, 2003 12:56PM

I was looking at this.

Its simple, looks like it has a ton of desk space and I'll be able to put my printer and airport extreme basestation on top.

Anyone have this? Post pics of your setup if you do. I'm going to be getting a powermac in the next year or two so I would want it to work for that too.

escher · April 12, 2003 1:30PM

tacojohn: Have a look at Panic's office. I love the MOMENT computer desk with glass top and wheels, which they got from IKEA. Personally, I have an EFFEKTIV desk from IKEA. The work surface is the 63" x 31.5" size in beech veneer with silver-lacquered steel legs. IMO, desks designed specifically for computers, e.g. the JERKER desk you mention, are too ugly for my house.

Escher

PS: My ABS in on top of my desk and my laser printer is under my desk.

tacojohn · April 12, 2003 1:54PM

OMG- I love that office! I someday want to own/work in a place like that.

I love the simple stuff. Its always the best! The Jerker does come in a version with just the desk which I like too. Kinda reminds me of a drafting desk.

I do like the glass top one that you mentioned too. I need to get to Chicago to actually look at these things. I'll be going there at the end of the month so maybe I can stop and check them out and take a stop at the Apple store too! Seeing they are right next to each other.

kickaha · April 12, 2003 2:51PM

I know it's isn't kewl or fashionable, but my desk for several years has been two Steelcase 2-drawer filing cabinets (black, chrome accents) with an oversized door blank from the local hardware store that I applied three coats of marine lacquer to. Grabbed a couple of Ikea screw-on drawers from their Ivar collection (raw wood, lacquered to match the top).

Cabinets: $60 ea.

Door blank: $12

Drawers: $10

A couple hours of finishing time, and voila. My desk is 7'x3', roughly, I have 3.5' of width of space for a chair (or CPU, etc) underneath, and it's rock solid. And if the top gets destroyed? Eh. Another $12. Great big desk, cheap, lots of drawers.

biaachmonkie · April 12, 2003 4:33PM

My girlfriend has the jerker, and likes it, as so do I. The only problem I have with it, that keeps me from getting one is its not tall enough. The top shelf is too low to provide enough room to fit a big 19" or 12" monitor on the swivvel arm (so that its raised and movable). You could make it work, but you have to bring down the main desk too low and it'd be like sitting on the floor...

Now if that does not matter for you or you don't want to have the monitor like that, then its a great desk.

tacojohn · April 13, 2003 12:43AM

would the apple 20" fit? Cause thats the monitor I'm going to get...

torifile · April 13, 2003 12:59AM

Quote:

Originally posted by tacojohn

I was looking at this.

Its simple, looks like it has a ton of desk space and I'll be able to put my printer and airport extreme basestation on top.

Anyone have this? Post pics of your setup if you do. I'm going to be getting a powermac in the next year or two so I would want it to work for that too.

That's my desk! It's still up in chicago at my fiancee's but I'll be picking it up soon. I like it, especially because you can get an extension for the top shelf and you can add other shelves to it. I've got a powerbook, so I don't really need room for a monitor, just room for all my shit. It looks good in person too.

stupider...likeafox · April 13, 2003 5:08AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mrmister

I use an IKEA glass desktop (around $70) and two of their varnished sawhorses ($25 each). Looks great, tons of desk space, minimalist...it's not for everyone, but it works for me.

Me too. Except I've got even more minimalist T-shaped wooden blocks instead of sawhorses to use as supports.

If you stick a softly glowing lamp under the frosted glass you get a cool luminescent effect.

kenneth · April 13, 2003 5:39AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Escher

tacojohn: Have a look at Panic's office. I love the MOMENT computer desk with glass top and wheels, which they got from IKEA. Personally, I have an EFFEKTIV desk from IKEA. The work surface is the 63" x 31.5" size in beech veneer with silver-lacquered steel legs. IMO, desks designed specifically for computers, e.g. the JERKER desk you mention, are too ugly for my house.

Escher

PS: My ABS in on top of my desk and my laser printer is under my desk.

I checked out the MOMENT desk before... it was too big and heavy due to the glass top.... it won't my sedan as well.. I returned it. I have myself the KLAS desk . It is smaller.. but good enough.

I had my iMac CRT, speakers, iPod, original Apple USB keyboard and mouse, I put the subwoofer underneath. Now, my current setup is a 17" studio display, pro keyboard and mouse, same speaker and iPod. Pretty good and clean.

matsu · April 13, 2003 9:02AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kickaha

I know it's isn't kewl or fashionable, but my desk for several years has been two Steelcase 2-drawer filing cabinets (black, chrome accents) with an oversized door blank from the local hardware store that I applied three coats of marine lacquer to. Grabbed a couple of Ikea screw-on drawers from their Ivar collection (raw wood, lacquered to match the top).

Cabinets: $60 ea.

Door blank: $12

Drawers: $10

A couple hours of finishing time, and voila. My desk is 7'x3', roughly, I have 3.5' of width of space for a chair (or CPU, etc) underneath, and it's rock solid. And if the top gets destroyed? Eh. Another $12. Great big desk, cheap, lots of drawers.

You must post a pic.

I use a glass table from Ikea. Granas I used a home hardware privacy film to frost the glass from underneath, 'cause I didn't like looking through it. Clamped a very nice lamp (also from Ikea) onto one corner and slapped one of Ikea's semi circular black leather desk pads on the top. I have a few mods planned for the summer.

First I want to attach an UPS to the underside of the steel basket at the rear corner of the desk, so I can plug and unplug cords without straining for an outlet. Second, I want to drill some holes in the legs and route the power cords throught them so that they're invisible externally. Then, if I can find one of those little power/ethernet/telephone domes that stick out of library laptop stations, I'll integrate it onto the top right corner of the deskop.

escher · April 13, 2003 11:12AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Matsu

You must post a pic.

Yup. Kickaha, you must post a picture.

Happy desk-modding, Matsu! I like your idea of using a privacy film to matte the glass. It's smart because it's easily reversible. You should post pics of your dining room table turned computer desk as well.

Escher

robo · April 14, 2003 9:45AM

The two filing cabinets and a door blank desk is actually a great idea. I used such a desk all through high school, and the desk is still being used in my parents' house.

If you have a lot of computer stuff, a regular 'computer desk' is going to be too small, but a door blank desk is perfect. It doesn't look bad either, in a utilitarian sort of way.

Also, be aware that a lot of cheap 'wood' furniture (like the 'wood' parts of the Jerker desk) are actually particle board covered in paper or foil printed with a wood-like pattern. Cheezy, heavy, and looks like crap after a while. Ikea's fake wood looks a lot better than, say Office Depot's fake wood (where the printing dots are painfully obvious), but it's still fake wood..

-robo

matsu · April 14, 2003 10:00PM

Ikea's pricier stuff actually has real wood veneers. The printed stuff does look and feel like shiit though. They do sell some reasonably priced wood veneer stuff, and some cheaper stuff too, and some wood plys.

bradbower · April 15, 2003 1:19AM

I don't know how many of y'all watched the Trading Spaces this last weekend with Andy Dick, but Genevieve's team (well, and Ty) made a pretty cool little desk.

They took two unfinished, plain, inset panel interior doors, cut one in half, put some biscuit joints between them and made an "L" shape, then finished and poly'd them nicely, and then in the inset panels genevieve cut plexiglass to fit exactly so that the whole surface was flush. Looked pretty cool! Then they sat this on top of two old filing cabinets that they got at a thrift store (which they had painted with a metallic surfacer and then applied an oxidizer which made it look all rusty, pretty cool effect, she did it on a whole wall before). They had to put a leg in the middle to support it, and they just used some big silvery plumbing pipe and some fittings. Very cheap, but very cool. Somewhere in between a postmodern industrial and a shabby chic look!

Try it!

escher · April 15, 2003 9:40AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bradbower

Somewhere in between a postmodern industrial and a shabby chic look!

I watched the episode with my wife. I couldn't stand the choice of colors; that rusty stuff just looked hideous. OTOH, Andy's new kitchen was a true winner.

Combining door blanks and file cabinets is an age-old trick for students on a budget. One of my classmates used a college-owned spare bed frame, upside down, to support his door desk. I like lots of space for my legs, so I'd prefer sawhorses over file cabinets. (I also don't like the clonking noises that cheap file cabinets make.)

Escher

nebagakid · April 15, 2003 9:54AM

if you dont care about stlye, you could build it youself. A hammer, four pieces for legs, some supports, and a top, you could also add other things you want!

buonrotto · April 15, 2003 10:03AM

This thing seems to have a lot of shelf space, one under, two over the desktop:

Target desk

matsu · April 15, 2003 4:42PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Escher

tacojohn: Have a look at Panic's office. I love the MOMENT computer desk with glass top and wheels, which they got from IKEA. Personally, I have an EFFEKTIV desk from IKEA. The work surface is the 63" x 31.5" size in beech veneer with silver-lacquered steel legs. IMO, desks designed specifically for computers, e.g. the JERKER desk you mention, are too ugly for my house.

Escher

PS: My ABS in on top of my desk and my laser printer is under my desk.

I thought of the moment way back when, but to me it has one major ergonomic flaw. The wire basket/brace at the bottom seriously impedes my feet. No good, I like to stretch out. Same problem with most all the types of workstation similar to the one Bounrotto posted.

frawgz · April 15, 2003 5:06PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tacojohn

I was looking at this.

Its simple, looks like it has a ton of desk space and I'll be able to put my printer and airport extreme basestation on top.

Anyone have this? Post pics of your setup if you do. I'm going to be getting a powermac in the next year or two so I would want it to work for that too.

I have IKEA's other Jerker model. It's much longer so it also works well for do work that doesn't require the computer. Not that you can't do this on ther other Jerker desk, there's plenty of space on that as well. Mine was $69 I think. You might want to pick up a catalog, since their website doesn't showcase everything.

Best desk for under $200

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