Time to get you're creative hats on! Im in the porcess of buying a house and im finally having a decent sized room for my computer setup. Im planning on constructing the ultimate desk. So far i have got a few ideas of what i want it to be like:- Got to be BIG, fancy a nice corner or l-shaped desk Built in rackmounted download/file server/media pc Complete cable tidying system Plenty of power points Now what else would you have in you're perfect desk? I keep attemping to do a mock up using sketchup but im having difficulties getting my head around it.
what are you makeing it out of? wood? if so wot type of wood? glass? would be cool, go to your local window company with some drawings and they'll cut it for you, u cud use rubber anti slip things to keep it together. * if your makeing a L shape desk, u could make the corner of the desk have a boxed in section for cables. * plan where your going to sit, where the monitor will be, and you tower. not much more i can say
Definety build a kegerator or some other beverage cooling system, ie. small fridge or something. Also some sort of urinal (w/working plumbing)...that would be sweet, cause you know it is impossible to walk 10 feet to the bathroom, or kitchen for that matter.
IMO a "UBER" desk would be where your screens and keyboard are mechanically revealed.. like the screens slide up from under the table and the keyboard reveals it self aswell plus all the little extras and what not... cool but expensive
I was considering going with a matrix-esque workstation for my next desk. check out the ergotron.com line of flat panel and keybaord mounts. imagine those with a super-ergo chair. everything at your fingertips, infinitly customizable (sp?), and then some sort of workspace adjaccent to it for spreading out "real" documents. think "dentists chair meets the digital age"
Take a look at recording and radio studio furniture to give you ideas. They mostly include racks so you'll get tips on placement and size. Most of that stuff is very ergonomic and looks great.
I tidied up a desk today, and the main problem with all desks containing computers/routers/printers, are the visible cables. If you could have a board going parallel to the wall (spaced 10cm for instance), so that your cables could be hidden behind that, it would be great. The box shape that was suggested by someone else is also smart if you're building an L-shaped one. If you want to have a really clean desk top, wall mount your TFTs (assuming you will be using those instead of CRTs). Have plenty of space underneath the desk top, so that you can slide your chair from one place to another without hitting legs or drawers.. If you can, mount the desk with huge angled brackets to the wall instead of using legs to the floor.
this is my desk here. Its originally from my dad's law office. Its great, and I dropped some blue rope light behind the top so it has some crazy background lighting. The chair is kind of covering it up, but the corner that looks like this is a MUST. its like 3 segments or something. I wish I didn't have so much crap all over my desk . | | .\___
Something more flexible? http://www.glassmaster.com/www/composites.htm http://www.8020.net/Solution-3.asp (my usual favorites)
I would start by making the main desk area out of MDF board (the nice stuff), and all the main supports/bracing out of pine. Then I would kevlar/epoxy the entire thing, and polish finish it. JAT.
Hmm... depends on what you want to go for. Do you wanna go for clean and sleek or massive and "metropolis-like"? This is just my idea, but if I wanted to go clean and sleek, I'd get a huge piece of glass, put mirror car window tint film on it, and fit it to one of the walls in your house (the wall you want to be facing when you use your computer). I'd then carve out little cubby holes that will fit the monitor (get the biggest CRT you can find, you'll need a big CRT for this setup to work well) and any other "set-up and forget" hardware (switches, network hardware, etc) to put behind the glass. This way, when the monitor/hardware is off, it just looks like you have a huge mirror there, but when the monitor/hardware is on, you see it. You'll want the other side of the wall to be accessible as well, so might want to make like a long walk in closet type deal behind the wall you use. This room of course should be chilled at all times (around 65 deg F). Then get a small adjustable pedestal that will hold your keyboard and mouse (one of those "laptop desks" slightly modded for height, should work well), you'll probably want a wireless combo to keep the sleekness. The computer itself should reside in the floor with a sinking panel controlled by pneumatics, so that with a press of a button it'll pop up from the floor and with another press it will sink into the floor and a panel will cover it from view. For speakers, you'll want the wall mounting flat ones you can hide behind a painting (don't look at me like that, I know, they're expensive). Get a nice comfy leather arm chair and a little end table for your tea and magazine, and you're all set. Oh yeah, and don't forget an ottoman, preferrably one with a storage compartment for any software CDs you have lying around. .............................................................................................. If that's not your cup of tea, you can build a desk that will stealth your computer into it if you don't like wires showing. Or if you like wires, you can have some massive cable routing all along the walls and the ceiling, make it look like your computer is a tumor that's taking over your room! Muhahahahha! Or you can just build a normalish looking desk. Rackmounts are expensive, and don't do their job unless you put it in a computer cold room (chilled air coming from the bottom with hot air exhaust in the ceiling). But you might find a cheap used one on ebay. I guess you can let it sit on top of an AC vent if you have on on the floor. -L6
my desk is a large piece of some sort of laminated desk wood stuff counter topish, screwed to both ajoining walls with angle iron, then it has a single metal leg 2.5x2.5 ish at the 2 outter corners of the L. the only things ied like are a better palce to put my tower, a bit wider, and maybe some better spotsfor speakers. you should go for a u shaped desk, with the moniter and keyboard and what not on the bottom part of the U so you can get good surround sound integrated into the desk.
if your just going for a normal desk makit out out of mdf and put a channel down the back with a cover over it so you can hide all your wires in it. also if you want to add lighting how about adding a psu to the desk then running cathodes and leds off it or maybe even a cd player using an old cd drive and speakers. i've got a plan to build a desk inside a small fitted wardrobe in my room with a cupboard/draws at one side under the desk, dvd/cd racks on the 2 small walls and lights on the top. i just need to clear out all the junk in there first
This is a desk/PC that I designed and built for a client. The PC is built into the right hand side of the top. If I were to do another I would change the cooling (really wanted to go H2, but he had reservations). it's been up and running for several months with no issues and he's happy, so I'm happy.
clocker that is a sweet desk there man. You have some skill if you built that. Hvae you done any others maybe even more elaborate? On topic: Uber desk to me is what was pictured above. Sweet A$$ computer built right into it along with all your other gadget hookups and what not.
for wire management i took some eye screws and pulled them apart to make hooks then screwed into the underside of my desk and put wires on them and all is tidy
Number one thing to do IMO: Design it to store everything youre going to use there! If you play games, have storage for them and everything related to them. Software? The same thing. Design a system around what you need to store first, and worry about how youre going to deal with the littler things later.
Now that is one nice piece of craftsmanship. Love the use of different woods. Nice big keyboard tray too. Tiny keyboard trays are a pet hate of mine. (Apologies for the minor threadjack)
wow that kicks ass, i'd forgotten how good real wood looks after being around fake catalouge "wood" for so long. i think i'll be using real wood for the top of my desk and the parts that will be seen now. how much did that desk cost btw? to the client or to you whichever your happy sharing with us
