The Executive Desk

Congratulations! You have just been promoted to an executive position. You have a bigger paycheck, more responsibility, and a bigger office with nicer furniture! You can decorate your new space any way you like. Of course, you will start with the focal point of the room, your executive desk. Which one, what kind, what color, how big, with what features? Because it will be the first thing anyone notices when they enter the room you want your executive desk to say the right thing about you. What does your executive desk say about you and your personality or work style? The truth is that most executives are men. Therefore, most executive desks are very masculine. They are large, dark, robust and stately. Your executive desk should reflect the power that your position carries.

If your employees, suppliers, or managerial peers are looking at you over a large leather top desk with a lot of space between you and them, you automatically command a position of authority. Your physical position will give you the upper hand during any negotiation or discussion. Beyond commanding respect, a large workspace will enable you to layout documents side by side and give you the room to accomplish all of the work your new position brings. If you need an even larger work area, consider a desk that includes one or two pullout writing shelves. Pullout shelves are great because you have the extra space when you need it, but the desk will retain its sleek design when the writing shelf or shelves are pushed in.

A u-shaped desk will maximize work real estate. These desks typically include a desk, a credenza, and a U bridge. You need an office that is at least 13 feet by 16 feet for this desk to function comfortably. Even if your office is sufficiently large, you might find that your overall work flow is hampered by continually having to walk around your massive piece of furniture. In addition, u-shaped desks might give the impression of isolation or detachment. If you end up selecting a u-shaped desk, you need to give careful thought about orientation and placement of the desk relative to the rest of the office to lessen the potential negatives.

The color of your desk, again should communicate your importance. For some reason, dark woods seem more elegant and robust. Many desks with cherry or mahogany finish combine modern and classical styles together for a sleek and powerful look. More expensive woods like teak are often dark in color so they convey your position by letting anyone in the room know that you are sitting behind an expensive piece of furniture. Whether we like it or not, our society automatically thinks that something is better if it is more expensive.

To complete the picture an executive is trying to create with their desk, you need it to have a robust and regal presence. This is often achieved by choosing a desk that is more ornately decorated than your average office furniture. Carvings and a solid front make the executive desk look much grander and again, give your guests the impression that it is very expensive and thus you are very important. Whatever desk you choose, make sure that it communicates the high esteem you expect your visitors to bestow upon you.

Executive offices are often more than just a desk and a chair. Executive desks often come as part of a set. The set will include the main desk, a credenza with or without a hutch, bookshelves, file storage cabinets, and possible chairs.

One of the most common pieces bought in combination with the desk is a credenza. A credenza is a desk-like piece of furniture, which is usually placed next to a wall behind or perpendicular to your main work surface or executive desk. The credenza should be within easy reach of the desk’s occupant by either turning or wheeling the executive chair a slight distance. The credenza is often used for a computer so that the main workspace remains clear, a printer or scanner, or for storage of materials that are not used as often such as extra files or books. Others use their credenza as an additional workspace for large papers, blueprints, or anything that needs to be spread out. Some managers put their credenza away from the main executive desk next to a conference table to in a sitting area. Wherever it is placed, the credenza should match the executive desk in color and style.

Sometimes, the credenza will be a flat surface like your main executive desk, but more often, it has stacks of shelves, small drawers and nooks sitting on its main work surface. This part of the credenza is sometimes called a hutch. This configuration is commonly seen in older roll top desks and secretaries as well.

Other pieces of matching furniture could include bookcases, two-drawer and three-drawer file cabinets, lateral file cabinets, and hutches. The files often come with casters that allow the cabinet to be rolled under a desk, credenza, or wherever it is needed. These pieces will of course look much nicer than the average utility storage cabinets and selves most employees will have in their offices. Having these additional pieces of furniture can really make the executive office seem more regal.

In addition to the work related furniture, you will often find that an executive office is more of a suite because it includes a small seating area or a small conference table somewhere else in the room. The seating areas should be roughly circular in nature so that they can be used for small intimate meetings and social gatherings. The conference table will be smaller than what you would find in a full conference room. More likely, it will be small round table with approximately four chairs. Another reason that an executive workspace could feel nicer than other areas of the workplace is that they often have a lot of natural light from large windows. A spectacular view can impress a visitor to your executive office!

In today’s business world, it is nearly impossible to do work without the aid of a computer. Having access to the internet and your company’s intranet are important aspects of anybody’s job, but especially to an executive. They must be aware of what is happening in all aspects of their business as well as the market in which they operate. However, the wires and accessories that come along with a desktop computer can take away from the presence and beauty you strive for with an executive desk. So, how can we resolve this conflict? There are many features you can find for executive workspaces that allow for a clean desktop yet easy access to a computer when it is needed and out of the way when it is not.

One of these features is a pullout keyboard tray hidden behind a flip-down drawer front. This flip-down drawer front gives the illusion of a middle desk drawer where you might normally find pens and small desk accessories like paper clips or rubber bands. Instead, the face of the “drawer” actually flips downward allowing a tray to slide out on rails that holds your keyboard and mouse. The wires for your keyboard and mouse go out the back of the sliding tray to your computer. When you are not using the computer in a meeting or when you are writing with pen and paper you can hide the keyboard away from view and out of the way so that you have room to work on your desktop.

Another clever feature is a concealed desktop computer storage area or a shelf for your computer under the desk. The concealed storage area usually looks like a cabinet on either the left or right side of the desk. Instead of the normal storage or file folder drawers, one cabinet holds your workstation. This cabinet is usually equipped with a small hole in the side so that the wires from your keyboard, mouse, and monitor can reach the computer without being run along the top of your desk or floor. Another common computer storage cabinet feature is a vent. The vent allows the hot air from the computer to escape and prevents your machine from overheating. If you do not have a cabinet, often you will find a small shelf very close to the floor on the inside of your desk where your feet go. You can put the computer here and the wires will be hidden from view under the desk. I prefer the storage area so that I have more room under the desk for my legs and feet, but I do give up storage for files or other items I might need at my desk.

As mentioned previously, you do not want wires running along the desktop or down the sides of your desk, so another common feature for an executive desk is a cable management slot. This is a small slot or hole usually in the middle and towards the rear of the desk into which the monitor wire is fed. The wires then go under the desk and can be led to the computer without being seen on the outside. All of these features allow for a clean and professional look to your executive desk without giving up your desktop computer.