Your workspace setup, whether in an actual office or at home, plays a crucial role in your productivity. The right desk can make your office a beautiful oasis to get things done. If you are looking for ways to spruce up your office space, consider incorporating wood desk tops into your setup!

Benefits of Wood Desk Tops

Durability

Well-crafted and built wooden desk tops are durable. In fact, a wood table top that is made of live edge hardwood is an heirloom. Some types of solid wood such as oak, mahogany, ash, and cedar are strong, stable, and rot-resistant, insect-resistant, and can last up to hundreds of years. While a table top like this may be pricier than desk tops made of processed wood, they provide great value for money.

Versatility

Wood desk tops offer interior design versatility! There are tons of different types of desk tops to choose from to suit your specific preference in grain pattern, texture, and wood color.

Promotes Environmental Sustainability

With increasing evidence of global warming, more and more people are becoming keen about making green choices with their purchases. A solid wood desktop can be eco-friendly if the material is sourced sustainably. Wood is also renewable, reusable, long-lasting, and biodegradable.

Unique and Bespoke

The natural beauty and feel of authentic wood cannot be replicated. A solid wood desk stands out, bringing a sense of nature to your workspace. Each piece of authentic, natural wood has a unique hue, texture, and grain spectrum that bring out an aesthetic allure to your furniture.

Promotes Productivity

In feng shui, wood elements are crucial for interior design. It enhances creativity, originality, trust, and new ideas. Ultimately, it helps to keep your energy levels at optimal and boosts productivity.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Your Wood Desk Tops

Quality

When it comes to the quality of your wood desk tops, consider the hardness, density, and durability of the type of wood used to make the desk top. 

Hardness refers to the ability of the wood to resist breakage. Durability refers to how well can the desk top withstand natural decay and damage by elements such as heat, moisture, and humidity. Density is the actual amount of wood material in a piece of wood. All these quality factors vary from one type of wood to another.

Color and Grain Pattern

Each type of wood has a specific color and grain pattern. Some wood planks, such as walnut and white oak, have light hues while others such as mahogany and cedar have darker hues. Grain patterns include flat, curly, and straight. The grain pattern can also be influenced by the way the solid wood top is cut, sliced, and sanded. The color can also be affected by any stain or finish added to the wood.

Type of Wood

The most common types of real wood used for making desk tops are:

Red Oak: It grows abundantly across the USA, so it is easy to source. It has a light to mid brown color that may tend to be reddish. Its grain pattern is usually straight with an uneven and coarse look. The quality of wood is strong with medium bending strength.

White Oak: This is another commonly used type of wood for making office desk tops. It has a similar grain pattern and texture characteristics as red oak - straight with an uneven texture. It is abundant across the US, but tends to be more expensive than red oak. It has a beautiful light to mid brown hue that seems like it has an olive overcast. It is easy to work with, strong, durable, and rot-resistant.

Teak: It is medium to golden brown in color. It has an uneven and coarse texture but with a natural luster and a slightly oily feel.  It glues together well during building and is rot and decay-resistant, making it super durable. When being sanded or milled, it produces a leather-like scent. It is mostly used to make carvings and in construction, but it can also be used to make furniture such as wood desk tops for a dining room or home office.

Field Maple: It has a whitish to cream color but sometimes it might be red-brown. Although it is relatively strong, it is prone to staining. It also rots and decays easily when exposed to excess moisture. However, with proper care and maintenance, it makes great wood desk tops.

Walnut: Walnut wood color ranges between light brown and dark chocolate brown. It has an easily recognizable grain pattern and color – even with dark brown streaks. However, some walnut wood has an irregular, crotch, and burl pattern. It has a medium texture and a luster. It is moderately durable, rot and decay-resistant. It tends to be susceptible to insect attack but If you use an insect-resistant finish it enhances its durability.

Cherry: The American cherry wood is pink-brown in color when freshly cut, but it becomes medium red-brown over time. it darkens further with exposure to light. It has a straight grain pattern although some have curly grain. Its texture is fine. It is quite easy to work on, especially the ones with a straight grain. It is quite resistant to decaying and rotting, making it durable.

White Ash: Its color is light to medium brown. Its texture is close to that of oak. It mostly has a straight and regular pattern, but some are curly or figured. On the downside, it is not durable as it is susceptible to decay and has low density.

Cedar: Its color is red to violet-brown. Its wood grain is straight but may have knots. Its texture is extremely fine and even. It is durable and resists insects, rot, and decay. It is well-responsive to gluing and finishing. It is often used to make wooden closets and cloth chests but it can also be used to make desk tops.

Live Edge

Another consideration you have to make when choosing your authentic wood desk top for your office is whether it is made of live edge wood. Unlike machine processed wood or plywood which is crafted to be even on the edges, live edge wood retains its natural edges.

Typically, live edge wood desks are handcrafted so as to allow the woodworker to pay attention to the natural texture of the wood and the uneven edges. As such, live edge furniture tends to be more expensive than its solid wood counterparts. However, solid hardwood table tops can be a worthwhile investment for something unique and beautiful! We have some amazing life edge desks available here.

Type of Wooden Office Desks

You need to determine the type of wooden desk you want for your office. The most common types include standing desks, adjustable desks, computer desks, writing desks, and reception desks among others.

Size

The right size for your wood desk top depends on how much space you have available and its intended purpose. Most wood desks are one solid piece, but you can consider an L-shaped desk if you need more space. If you work with a great company like Brick Mill, you can get a desk in a custom size to suit your space.

Additional Desk Features

Consider if you need features such as drawers, a built-in cable organizer or cable organization holes, or an automatic height adjustment mechanism. Note that these features may come at an additional cost.

Budget

You can get an authentic wood desk for as low as $100 up to $10,00 dollars, depending on the quality of the wood slabs. Establish a realistic budget for the type of desk top you want. Then, shop extensively to identify one that delivers great value for its price.

Tips for Setting Up Your Desk Top for a Conducive Work Environment

1. Place the desk away from the entryway

 It creates an illusion of spaciousness and also allows easy access to your work area.

2. Personalize your space
   

Use colors and accessories within your office to create a space that you love.

3. Ensure adequate lighting
   

Poor lighting can significantly compromise your productivity. Place the table near a large window, otherwise, substitute with artificial lighting with the right intensity.

4. Ensure constant fresh airflow to your work area
   

Your brain needs an adequate supply of oxygen to function optimally. Therefore, place your desk near a window that opens and closes easily.

5. Keep your work area organized
   

Eliminate clutter and keep the workspace clean. It minimizes distractions and promotes productivity.

Conclusion

A wood desk top is a great addition to your work space. It is unique, versatile, durable, and promotes environmental sustainability. There are different types, sizes, and color options to choose from depending on your needs and preference. You can find the solid wood table top of your dreams in our wood desk collection here!