How to Squeeze a Floating Desk into your Living Space

I love a home office nook. You know, a floating desk attached to a wall with a gorgeous chair sitting at it. As someone who runs their business out of home, it’s long been my dream to have a zone with this sense of permanence. It’s so much nicer than a freestanding desk, don’t you think? And what I love most about the notion of installing a floating desk is that you can do it in just about any room.

Got space in your hallway? Floating desk the life out of it! Got extra room near your kitchen? Recipe calls for a floating desk. And family rooms especially: change the channel to ‘floating desk’. As you’ll see from the dreamy images in this post, installing a floating desk around your home does wonders not only from a functional perspective, but a styling one too.

You can “work” from it (ie watching YouTube). The kids can do homework at it. You can set it up as a home tech zone with all your chargers, computers and iPads in the one spot. You could have speakers installed around it and make it a zone for enjoying music. The options are almost endless, and one things for sure: styling this zone is so much fun!

Today I’ve gotten imagery from my sublime mates at Metricon that showcases just how dreamy floating desks can look. And if you’re not across the magic of Metricon, you need to be. The Metricon website has a gallery here you can explore that’s broken up via room. So you can jump in and drool over floating desk ideas for daaaays!

Let’s Explore a Few Floating Desk Ideas First

A Floating Desk in your Kitchen/Dining: Do it!

Outside of installing a floating desk in an office, which is a logical option, consider one for your kitchen. Or dining room. Or that zone between the two where you currently have a sideboard that never gets used. No point holding onto furniture that you’re not making the most of. Why not move the sideboard somewhere else and use this zone as a family workspace?

The above image makes my heart flutter. I mean, it’s just perfect. The desk is simple and streamline in its design, and the colour of it speaks to the dining table top behind it. A very wise approach when selecting finishes across rooms is to select similar timbers. It links the rooms together stylistically so there’s cohesion.

Another idea seen above is to screen off the office nook ever so slightly. The panels above keep the light in and the spaces connected, but the office zone is defined as its own area. I love it. Bonus style points awarded here for using a chair not normally designated as a desk chair. Because as discussed in this post: so many office chairs are hideous.com/hurtingmyeyes

Floating Desk Ideas for Rumpus Rooms

In a family home I adore floating desk ideas rolled out in a kids area. You might call it a rumpus room, or play room. Essentially it’s that room that’s not your main living room but where your kids might hang when not in their bedrooms. It’s a great zone to consider installing a floating desk in because it gives the kids a dedicated zone to do homework in. And if it’s one thing I know, it’s that parents want to be able to keep an eye on the kids when they’re online.

It’s also an opportunity to install a desk long enough to house multiple kids, so think about how many people need to use the space and how many computers you might want to set up there. I’ll list some other things you need to think about when it comes to installing floating desks below. Feel free to screen shot these tips or bookmark the page!

Things to consider when installing a floating desk

• Depth is important. Desks less than 50cm in depth are tough to work at
• Consider height. Once it’s in, it’s in! 65-70cm is a comfortable height for all ages
• Think about the chairs you’ll place at the desk (will the arms tuck under?)
• Match the timber to a similar piece of furniture in the room so there’s cohesion
• A permanent hole at the back of the desk is required for computer cords
• Think about seeing power points. Installing right underneath the desk will conceal them
• Consider lighting: strip lighting under a floating shelf or a pendant light is a nice idea
• Painting the wall behind a deeper colour can make the zone a real feature

Scroll on for some more floating desk ideas and a video on how you can create your own one without much hassle.

Floating Desks on Landings are Genius Too

The images above and below showcase floating desks that have been installed at the tops of stairs on landings. Such a good way to make the most of the space you have at home. So many of these smaller landings go to waste. You pop an armchair there that never gets sat on, or a shelf you barely access. A desk is a good move and you’re sure to use it, especially if there’s a window nearby.

I should point out that a lot of the images you’re seeing here are custom cabinetry solutions. Unless you’re particularly handy, you’ll need the help of an interior designer to map out your ideal cabinetry needs. Luckily I am one and can help you out (click here for more on working with me in your home). We can sit down and assess your needs, exactly what you want in terms of function, and I can engage my cabinet makers from there.

If you only need something smaller and a little more do-it-yourself, scroll on down because I have an awesome video for you from Bunnings. It showcases just how simple it is to create your own floating desk at home and you’ll love it.

Video: How to Install your Own Floating Desk

Below I’ve popped a video that shows you how you can put your floating desk ideas into practice. It’s from the clever cookies at Bunnings. You’ll be surprised how easy and affordable it is to do this. Give it a go and let me know how you got on.

I actually got all the supplies for this project for a home I was making over late last year, but we ended up changing direction because of spatial issues in the clients living room. So I now need to live vicariously through you!

Reckon you’ll give Installing a Floating Desk a Go?

I’d love to know what you think of this project and if you’ll give it a go yourself at home. Drop me a comment and lemme know if you’ve already done something like this before. Dying to know how it turned out.