Homes + Decor

8 Wall-Mounted Desks and Built-In Work Surfaces That Will Save Space

Because a home office that doesn't have to eat up your square footage

February 29, 2016

Photo: Roger Davies
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Finding room for a desk in your small space can be a challenge. And when you’re trying to get motivated to accomplish a task or two at home, the last thing you need is another obstacle. So if you’re low on square footage, a wall-mounted desk or built-in work surface can be a great space-saving solution, providing roughly the same work area with a smaller footprint. Whether you prefer a surface built into existing storage, a simple plank that drops down from a wall-mounted shelf, or a table that emerges at the foot of a bunk bed—perfect for a kid’s room—we’ve rounded up some great examples from the AD archives that will inspire you to get to work.
An Ellwood-Lomax drop-front desk is in the living room of Malibu’s Steinman House, which was restored by Michael Boyd of BoydDesign, originally built by architects Craig Ellwood and Jerrold Lomax in 1956, and now owned by Holly and Albert Baril.
Photo: Michael Moran
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For her radical redesign of a Manhattan apartment, Jennifer Post carved six distinct areas out of the 900-square-foot space. The home office occupies an entire bedroom wall with a minimalist desk installed between cabinets and shelving.

Photo: Richard Powers
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In the home office of jewelry designer Ippolita Rostagno’s Brooklyn brownstone, a desk is built into custom-made oak cabinetry.
Photo: Nikolas Koenig
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A residence in Amagansett, New York, designed by Tod Williams and Billie Tsien features a striking built-in desk.

Photo: Durston Saylor
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At architect Allan Shope’s home in Amenia, New York, site-harvested black cherry clads the walls and ceiling of the master bedroom and is the source of its built-in furniture.
Photo: Paul Warchol
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The master bedroom of a Mercer Island, Washington lake house by E. Cobb Architects, includes a custom-made wall-mounted desk.

Photo: William Waldron
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At the Beverly Hills home of Lucky Brand’s Dave DeMattei and Patrick Wade, a desk is built into the master suite’s dressing area.
Photo: Scott Frances
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“We encapsulated the furniture into one piece that could be modified over time,” architect Peter Pennoyer says of a room for a five-year-old boy in a Manhattan townhouse, decorated by Victoria Hagan. The ingenious structure holds a bunk bed, shelves for books and toys, and an adjustable-height desk.