New era of design design reflects consumers’ tech trends

Portability and connectivity with the explosion of smartphones, notebooks, tablets and Wi-Fi have been game changers in the way we think of home offices. They have expanded the options for working just about anywhere, including at 40,000 feet.

Even the peripherals have downsized, such as super-small printers and compact projectors for those PowerPoint presentations or family slideshows.

So a move to more minimal desks started taking root two or three years ago, as the need for mega-footprint towers, printers and monitors lessened. Hulking furniture is not necessary for your personal workstation, unless its your style to rock a honking executive desk.

Still, its nice to have a clean surface for at-home work.

We see work styles and workplaces all over the country really evolving these days, said Kim Shaver, a spokeswoman for Hooker Furniture. When you bring work home from the office or check email or pay bills online, you want to stay connected to the people and activities around you. ... Because of portable electronics, we want to seamlessly integrate them in the home with multifunctional, high-fashion, high-style pieces that can go into any room. That allows you to blend work and family life.

Some recent furniture introductions nod to beautiful classic pieces that are as decorative as they are functional 18th century, 1930s Art Deco or midcentury modern styles made from exquisite woods and veneers, allowing their craftsmanship, form and style to speak volumes. Other desks are more generic, with simple lines, pleasantly traditional with familiar details such as cabriole legs or reeded aprons, transitional, like campaign styles with crossed legs, or ultra modern.

Even the sleek offer surprises. One simple design (the Torino) by Manuel Saez at CB2 has a matte lacquer white top that sits on a white oak stretcher base with U-shaped legs that are braced with intentionally exposed hardware. Peek inside: With an integrated pull, the top opens to reveal 9 square feet of stash space for laptop, smartphone, tablet, projects, books, planners, folders and supplies even hidden cord cutouts to charge electronics.

Industrial influences

There especially has been an uptick in the industrial look with metal or raw, grained, often reclaimed woods sometimes combined with steel and iron. These materials lend themselves well to clean-line designs. Theres also the allure of the back story, such as the use of reclaimed telephone poles that celebrate distressing, knobs, drill holes and splits, at Crate & Barrel.

A desk with rounded corners anchored by cast arched trestle legs at Restoration Hardware is a faithful reproduction of a 1950s English garment factory table. Also at RH is another 74-inch metal desk with an ample-sized surface, complemented by a symmetrical pair of curving, open compartments for storage, a slatted shelf stretcher and a hidden slide-out panel beneath for a keyboard. Its truly an elegant form.

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New era of design design reflects consumers’ tech trends