5 Ways to Style Your Desk at Home

Got a study or workspace in your home? Make it conducive to work and let it show off your style. We've got five styles with quick tips to clue you in.

Shabby Chic

Gone are the days when shabby chic is synonymous with distressed furniture and your granny's floral patterns.

The updated version of this classic style is still cozy and twee, but much more sparse and refined. Pull off the look with white walls, a streamlined wooden desk, and accessories that evoke country charm such as dried flowers in a clear glass vase and a repurposed jam jar.

For a penholder, try using a thick ball of abaca twine. Add a couple of framed photos of flora and fauna in white frames. Finish off with a timeless, elegant choice of lighting such as the Sinker Pendant in Dusty Gray that would add to the serene look of the area.

Art Deco

Get inspired to work on that creative project with a desk style that imbibes the understated glam of art deco.

The key lies in shapes and finishes. Choose sharp, simple accessories such as a dome-shaped vase partnered with a slender plant or a shapely succulent for contrast. Amp up the ante with accessories with sophisticated reflective finishes, such as the Cloche desk lamp in Polished Copper, and a desk organizer with metallic sheen.

Minimalist

There's definitely nothing boring with this style if you go with accessories that are calm and collected yet have a certain punch.

Take for instance the Turn On Lamps in Green and Black that are striking in their simplicity and clever design.

For the color scheme, stick with black and white and beige, but do spice things up with a pattern or two—think gridlock and herringbone.

Eclectic

Love to mix and not match? Can't decide whether to go with one or more styles? Then this style is cut out for you.

Although this hodgepodge style is meant to be fun and even crazy, there should still be method to the madness. To keep things interesting but still cohesive, make sure the accessories have a common thread among them through perhaps a complementing color scheme.

Also, balance pattern-on-pattern with pieces in neutral colors. The white Pion Lamps in this vignette do a fantastic job of balancing the patterns while also serving as functional statement piece.

Industrial

Several hip coffee shops in the metro subscribe to this cool, no-nonsense style.

Steal this look for your desk by going with pieces with natural finishes and organic feel such as file organizers made of corkboard or similar material.

Don't forget to throw in the mix a couple of quirky touches! The black Rope Trick is a perfect example of this. Its unique stylized stand is a witty twist that's hard to ignore.

Featured furniture and accessories are from HAY and Stellar Works, available at Design Story.