The key word is style, when sizing up your office for a new work desk. Your work style should match the design of your office desk, and the design style of your office desk should match the available office space. Our informative guide tells you how to make space and style work together.

How To Select The Right Desk For Your Office Space

An office is called a 'workspace' for a reason. A cramped office reduces productivity and job satisfaction and increases physical stress and the chance of bodily injury. Choosing the right-sized desk will enable you to enjoy your office and achieve the focus you need to succeed. The following tips will tell you how.

Space station

Your workstation should be arranged according to these spatial guidelines.

• Leg space: about 30 inches are necessary for your legs to rest at a comfortable 90-degree angle
• Interspace: about 3 1/2 feet of space is needed behind a desk, and at least that amount between a desk and other office furniture
• Depth: an office desk should allow 20 to 40 inches between your eyes and a computer monitor

Along with these size considerations, your office desk should complement your work style. Take a look at your desk during the middle of a workday. Note how reference materials or files are laid out, the positioning of keyboards or computer wiring, and the proximity of office supplies such as pens and post-it notes.

Chances are you're either a desktop worker or drawer worker. If you need to see what you're working with, choose an office desk that provides more desk space. If you like a neat and clean work area, select an office desk with maximum storage space.

Office desk styles

Spatial considerations will also have an impact on the style of office desk and office chairs you choose. One of the following desk styles might be the right match for your office space.

• Executive office desks
  Executive office desks are stately and imposing, the ideal choice for an expansive corporate office. A typical executive desk is between six and eight feet deep, with multiple drawers and a front width of six feet to over 10 feet. Standard executive desk height is 30 inches. Executive desks are available in traditional desk design, L-shape, or as an executive desk and hutch set. The smallest executive office desks measure about six feet by three feet. Big and tall office chairs are best paired with executive style desks.
• L-shape office desks
  L-shaped office desks are ideal for accommodating smaller office areas or maximizing the use of available wall space. A typical L-shaped desk might have a 72-inch width, 86-inch depth, and 30-inch height. A smaller L-shaped desk would be 60 inches wide and 60 inches deep. For greater office space efficiency, look for an L-shaped desk with both file and box drawers that could substitute for a separate filing cabinet.
• U-shape office desks
  U-shaped office desks provide a spacious desktop and shelving area for employees who do an equal amount of computer work and paper work. U-shaped office desks often take up a great deal of room (widths of five foot and depths of eight feet are common), but are one of the most visually appealing ways to transform a large office area into valuable desk space.
• Desk and hutch sets
  If office space is lacking, desk and hutch sets enable you to think above the box. Most office desk styles focus on depth and width, but desk and hutch sets feature additional storage space that mounts above the desktop.

An office is a home away from home, yet the office decor in some buildings is about as personal as a hotel room. Personalized office decoration can increase your job satisfaction while providing a welcoming and sophisticated ambience for your customers.

Decorating your office to suit you and your position

In the modern workplace, personalized office decor is no longer a secondary concern. Corporations are discovering that personalized aesthetics will not only increase worker satisfaction, they will signal a level of sophistication and attention to detail that is very appealing to clients. The following tips will enable you to decorate your office to suit both your individual tastes and the demands of your profession.

Color and lighting

Lighting plays a significant role in how a room is perceived. Fluorescent lights are standard in the workplace, but sometimes fluorescents present office decor in an unappealing light. Alternative lighting solutions are a simple way to change the ambience of your office while retaining a professional atmosphere.

Desk lamps, multitask lights, or ambient lights are viable alternatives to fluorescents. If a window provides much of your office lighting, consider changing the style or slat width of your window blinds to achieve a different look.

Color is another easy way to alter a room's appearance without detracting from its function. A change of color can be as dramatic as a new paint job or as subtle and diffuse as choosing similarly colored decorative accessories to complement the base color of your office walls and furniture.

Office furniture and decorative accessories

Office decor is also shaped by your choice of office furniture and decorative accessories. Desk sets are an imposing presence in any office and will set the design theme for all other office accessories. If your office needs a makeover, begin by selecting an office desk that is more contemporary in style or transcends its function to set an aesthetic mood for an entire room.

Finally, decorative office accessories are where you can really display your idiosyncratic tastes. Consider adding a few of these items to your office decor.

• Office clocks
  Put your own mark on the time with a unique office clock. A wall clock might bear Roman numerals in Gothic font for a traditional office, while a time zone clock bearing a world map would indicate your knowledge of global affairs.
• Book ends
  Book displays are an ideal way to mix your personal life with your business life. A few novels or historical works interspersed with your reference books will reveal something personal about yourself to visitors or clients. Decorative or sculpted book ends can subtly draw attention to this display of erudition.
• Globes
  World explorers such as Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan were men of vision and imagination. Globes are decorative office accessories that suggest a breadth of knowledge and scope of business that will attract world-class clients.
• Room dividers
  Decorative room dividers can add to the complexity of an office by providing a blend of seclusion and openness. Keep the casual and the corporate areas of your workplace separate with room dividers.
• Wall art
  Wall art is perhaps the one decorative office accessory that provides the most opportunity for personal expression. Some people prefer motivational posters or traditional prints. Choose an abstract painting with colors that bring a room together, or communicate your interest in art, film, opera, or world travel with a framed poster.