The saga of the desk
When we moved we got rid of our computer desk. It had been sitting in a corner of our bedroom, and in our new place we wanted to set the computer up in the living room.
It was so beat up and falling apart. (You can see it in the background of this picture.)It had been a hand me down from my mother. Her husband had painted it before they gave it to us. Except, I don't think he actually used paint, I think he used white-out, because if you even touched it with your fingernail the paint would scratch off.
Needless to say, it was time to get rid of it.
I started to look for a desk.
First of all I had no idea how expensive desks were. It seemed that there were two categories of desks- the $200 and less desks, which were pieces of shit made from particle board- then there were the $800 and up desks made of real wood. It was very hard to find anything in between.
My mother-in-law offered to buy us a desk, which we were really happy about it because we are super broke. (We moved to SAVE money, and instead it COST us money. FUCK.)
Now, even though someone else was buying it for us we still didn't want to spend $1,000 on a desk.
And so began the search for a well constructed desk that cost $500, or less.
Other requirements-
It had to be a dark wood- preferably a mahogany stain.
It had to have a drawer for our keyboard.
It had to have space either in it or under it for our CPU
Places we looked:
Target
Pottery Barn (which I wasn't thrilled about because we've had bad experiences with them.)
Staples
Office Max
West Elm
Raymour and Flanigan
Ikea
Finally we found a desk we liked in Crate and Barrel. It wasn't exactly what I wanted- I would love a desk with a hutch and drawers for storage, but I was willing to settle.
So we went and picked it up and they put it in our car. It was in a box and needed to be assembled.
We waited until Willa went to sleep, and then we went to get it out of the car. It was so heavy that we figured that I would destroy my back if we tried to carry the box up the stairs. So, we decided to open the box in the driveway and bring it in piece by piece.
Once we opened the box we saw that one of the corners was pretty damaged. We called the store and they told us it was the only one in stock and that it would take about 10 business days to get a new one, and that they wouldn't order the new one until we returned the old one. We had a long debate about whether or not to keep it. The husband was pissed and wanted to return it. I was so sick of not being able to set up my PC- we've been here for a month and I've been without my PC for the whole time. I only have photoshop on the PC, so I haven't been able to edit any pictures for a month. A big problem considering I'm a photographer. Also, the damage was on the back left corner which would be against the wall, so I argued that no one would see it.
So, we decided to keep it. We started putting it together- it was very complicated and had a ton of screws. We were already tired and annoyed, and about 45 minutes into it we had to remove the key board drawer to put the front legs on- and that's when we noticed that the drawer was completely fucked up. the hinges had been ripped off, and it was not something that we could fix.
At this point the husband was furious.
We were tired and frustrated. We now had to take apart the desk and get it back into the box, and back into the car.
I returned it the next day.
So, we are still without a desk.
Yesterday, we went to our local Salvation Army store and we didn't find anything there either.
We REALLY need a desk. I have hundreds of pictures that need to be edited.
I don't know why finding a desk is so difficult. I'm so frustrated.
Can anyone suggest a good place to find the kind of desk we are looking for in our price range?
Comments
try going on craigslist and seeing what people have on there for sell. You can usually find good "recycables" for really good prices.
Posted by: Melissa Field | July 6, 2008 08:23 PM
what about Ikea? I don't know where you are, if there's one nearby or not; they also have a website. (ikea.com)
Posted by: me7c7v | July 6, 2008 08:39 PM
Shit- I forgot to mention that I also looked at Ikea!
Posted by: torrie | July 6, 2008 08:45 PM
Craigslist, for sure.
Posted by: Nicole | July 6, 2008 09:14 PM
Try westelm.com.
Posted by: heidi | July 6, 2008 09:24 PM
What about Sauder?
http://www.sauder.com/furniture/subcategory.asp?sc=5&p=2
Posted by: Colleen | July 6, 2008 09:30 PM
Do you have Cost Plus / World Market out there?
http://www.worldmarket.com
Pretty sure it's all solid wood. Not the highest quality, but not terrible either.
Posted by: Mike | July 6, 2008 09:35 PM
Heidi, I already tried West Elm. :(
Posted by: torrie | July 6, 2008 09:44 PM
I will second or third or whatever Craig's List.
Or estate sales.
Posted by: Sarah | July 6, 2008 09:51 PM
I found your site from a link off Smitten's. I just wanted to say how refreshing your honesty is. Keep sticking it to the Man.
Also -- I am a huge fan of Craigslist. But I live in the Bay Area, where Craigslist is huge, so I'm not sure ... try it though. Sometimes old people want to sell good furniture for a couple hundred bucks. You might be in luck.
Posted by: Alinna | July 6, 2008 10:16 PM
I know you already listed West Elm but I got my desk there and I love it. And it comes with a hutch too and will all cost you less than $500.
here
Posted by: Tabitha | July 6, 2008 10:44 PM
Cost Plus World Market has some really nice desks. Pier One might also be worth a try.
Craigslist is great if you are REALLY SUPER PATIENT. I am not, and therefore the only thing I have ever bought through Craigslist was a potty, which I was in no big hurry about.
Posted by: Annika | July 6, 2008 10:56 PM
We had the SAME problem looking for a desk. I don't have any solution though - we just ended up getting lucky when a friend was getting rid of theirs and it happened to be what we were looking for.
Posted by: Jenn | July 6, 2008 11:14 PM
I was recently searching for a dresser for our baby nursery and found the EXACT thing I wanted for $9 on craigslist. Definitely give it a try...
Posted by: Heather | July 6, 2008 11:26 PM
I got my desk when the school I work for was cleaning out an old building. My college did the same thing, but I neglected getting one way back then. You can call the physical plants or facility warehouses of nearby schools/colleges to see if they have any desks that they'd like to have. Also, my desk is definitely real wood, and has everything I need plus some. A few touch ups here and there, but definitely a project I'm willing to tackle one day.
Posted by: Andrea | July 7, 2008 12:13 AM
I'm not sure what suburb you live in, but I have a Sauder computer desk, with a hutch, that has just been a place to keep junk in the three years I bought my laptop. It is light wood, though, but I would be willing to give it away if you picked it up.
Posted by: Diana | July 7, 2008 12:55 AM
I know it's not exactly what you want, but we got a good deal by purchasing a desk top and legs at The Container Store. It's pretty minimal, but it would work. We put up a shelf and replaced two legs with a file cabinet and it works fine. We have laptops and don't have to deal with the CPU issue; could you, perhaps, use a small stool or a low, wheeled indoor plant dolly?
Posted by: Sara | July 7, 2008 01:17 AM
You could try Ikea, if there is one near you. I love their stuff, and they always have a range of items from solid wood to particle-board. You can mix and match at will :)
Posted by: Kirsten | July 7, 2008 09:12 AM
I know where you can get a beautiful roll top desk for free! My mom's friend was getting rid of her armoir, dresser and roll top dark wood (possibly mahogany) desk. We took the armoir and the dresser but we didn't have room for the beautiful roll top desk. If you're interested in it for free, let me know (I think we kind of live near each other.
Posted by: lilfootsmommy | July 7, 2008 09:28 AM
omg, I just went through the same thing back in April, trying to find just a simple writing desk that I could use for my laptop and maybe a notebook in our living room. You are so right- either $200 for a piece of crap cardboard desk, or $1000 for real wood and way more fancy than I needed. So incredibly frustrating.
I ended up finding a great one at WALMART! of all places. It was $150 and the legs are solid wood and it came mostly assembled- just had to put the legs on and that was it! I was very surprised.
Good luck in your hunt...
Posted by: Jen | July 7, 2008 10:53 AM
not to hijack your comments :) but here's a picture of the desk I got: http://flickr.com/photos/jayesel/2406846808/
Posted by: Jen | July 7, 2008 10:55 AM
My wife and I both have Ikea desks. GALANT legs screwed into one of their solid-pine desk tops means we both have very sturdy, adjustable height desks. Ikea sells a paint on varnish/finish to give it mahogany color (so does Ace or any other hardware store). Ikea also has a under-desk cable management rack and keyboard tray.
My wife's computer is a Mac mini, so her computer doesn't impact her desk space. To hide my PC tower, I bought 4 pipe fitting brackets, some wood screws, and some adjustable straps. My computer is now side-mounted beneath my desk, out of view, off the floor, and out of the way. It's a little DIY, but it's a great solution.
Posted by: Ryan | July 7, 2008 12:33 PM
I bought a super nice one at Target a couple years ago, and it has stood the test of time AND it looks great.
Posted by: Snickrsnack Katie | July 7, 2008 12:38 PM
We got ours at Best Buy several years ago on sale. We are currently looking at moving and the house we're looking at has a desk built in...oooh! Good luck. I haven't tried Craigslist but have heard many people have had good luck with it.
Posted by: jana | July 7, 2008 12:46 PM
am i the only one who doesnt need a desk anymore because I sit with my laptop in bed?
or the couch, or the deck, or wherever?
Posted by: diana | July 7, 2008 02:36 PM
We bought some gorgeous pieces from this place:
http://www.laflat.com/co800203-p-622.html
Posted by: heidi | July 7, 2008 03:06 PM
Try Levenger?
Posted by: Kate | July 7, 2008 03:17 PM
Walmart has some really nice looking stuff which you should avoid like the plague. The S.O. and I got our desks there and though they look good, they're complete crap.
I seventyith craigslist (or maybe try ebay?). It takes patience, but the internet has a much broader selection. I got my dresser from craigslist for $50, originally a $600 dresser. Only one teensy scratch on the back and the dresser that I always hoped to have. Hopefully you'll get as lucky.
Posted by: JMB | July 7, 2008 11:04 PM
It would be nice to get everything you want but for the interim, are there any cheap second hand places where you could just buy a table, and the I found a little drawer thingy you can stash your keyboard in for about $30. It fits under the monitor. I'm guessing Officeworks doesn't have a store there...
Posted by: Jen | July 7, 2008 11:06 PM
I am not sure if you have one in your area, but I just bought a houseful of furniture from Ashley's Furniture Homestore and they have some nice looking desks which you can view online at: http://www.ashleyfurniturehomestore.com Price are usually pretty good, though each store sets its own so they don't show prices online.
Posted by: Jenn | July 8, 2008 12:45 AM
Do you have a Home Goods near you? I've heard great things about them.
Posted by: Lisa | July 8, 2008 10:14 AM
Please, PLEASE check out Freecycle.org -- it's a fantastic way to find good-quality things that others just don't want or need. I have gotten free baby clothes, baby food jars, toys & games, books, housewares, and even a compost bin from my local site. I'm sure there's one in your area, and it doesn't cost anything to post a request.
I hate spending money too. This is a great way to not spend but get good stuff from others (and give things away you don't need!)
Posted by: Grace L. | July 8, 2008 01:22 PM
I also found you via smittenkitchen....
I will third (or fourth, whatever) the recommendation for World Market. Their stuff is reasonably priced and holds up well. We have a desk similar to the C&B one in your saga from World Market and lucked into finding a hutch in the same color, marked down, at Pottery Barn a month after we got the desk.
Also, Home Decorators Collection (catalog/website).
good luck!
Posted by: ann | July 8, 2008 01:47 PM
I got my last two desks at Ikea -- It's sturdy -- they both have been -- and meet my storage needs mostly. But I would LOVE a nice desk.
How about looking at antique shops in your area? You might find something there. i would also troll the tag sales. And is there a wood furniture store in your area? There are two near where I live that have unfinished wood pieces. You choose stains, finishes, etc and they will for a fee make your dream piece . . . I priced it out and it would have been about $350 for my dream desk.
Posted by: Sarah | July 8, 2008 04:02 PM
Hi
Came to your site via SmittenKitchen. Have u tried the whole sale stores like Costco ,BJ's and Sam's Club. These days they carry furntiure made out of wood not particle board. Recently a friend bought one. Absolutely beautiful.
Good Luck !
Posted by: Alpa | July 8, 2008 04:34 PM
Oooh! I can help! I got my desk from JCPenney about a year ago - and its very sturdy, let's you choose the pieces, and I think I ended up with mine for under $500. Also, if you want to save shipping, they'll ship it to a nearby store for you to pickup.
AND the system is on sale right now.
You can find it here:
Posted by: Susan | July 8, 2008 07:03 PM
Have you tried shopping on-line?
Posted by: Jonathan | July 8, 2008 07:31 PM
I don't know if you'd think they're crappy, for what you're looking for, but I got my desk via Staples, and it's mega sturdy and doesn't look shabby at all. I could probably have sex on that desk (you know, if I found a conscious, willing partner).
Posted by: Bucky Four-Eyes | July 8, 2008 09:48 PM
Maybe Gothic Cabinet Craft? I haven't bought a desk from there, but I have another piece of furniture from them that's weathered the years well. You can get mahogany finish in almost everything they have, like this:
http://www.gothiccabinetcraft.com/computer-desk-door-drawer-p-483.html?cPath=7_85
or this:
http://www.gothiccabinetcraft.com/hardwood-computer-desk-p-2938.html?cPath=7_85
or (more expensive, but also nicer), this:
http://www.gothiccabinetcraft.com/writing-desk-antiqued-mahogany-finish-p-2798.html?cPath=7_85
Posted by: Amber | July 8, 2008 10:50 PM
try computerdesks.com. we just moved as well and ditched the desk we've had since I was 6. they have a range of desks with matching hutches and file cabinets, lots in your price point. warning: you must assemble yourself the millions of pieces. good luck!
Posted by: sonia | July 9, 2008 04:34 PM
If you are up for a staining project, you may want to try some unfinished wood furniture sites. All of the pieces are real wood and a lot of the sites have free shipping.
I also found you via Smitten Kitchen. So nice of you to help her!
Posted by: mickey | July 9, 2008 06:26 PM
Resoration Hardware has an outlet store where they discount lots of great furniture...I am new to the site so I don't know where you are. I know of one in Vacaville and another in Camarillo California. You can call and see if they have anything. Good Luck!
Posted by: Mary | July 10, 2008 12:10 AM
I bajillionth Craigslist as well. Have you tried asking your neighbours? They might know some good local places that are not chain stores.
Posted by: Moshizzle | July 10, 2008 12:38 PM
Have you tried http://www.homedecorators.com/ ?
Posted by: Plunger Girl | July 10, 2008 05:25 PM
Also, Sears is having their Warehouse Clearance sale right now.
I don't know if these links will work for you but here are three that appear to match your listed criteria.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00823754000P?mv=vf&vName=For+the+Home
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00897516000P?mv=rr
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00822888000P?mv=vf&vName=For+the+Home
Posted by: Moshizzle | July 11, 2008 12:34 AM
overstock.com
homedecoratorsoutlet.com
good luck!
Posted by: dana | July 11, 2008 03:19 AM
Couldn't you set up your PC on the kitchen table to edit your photos - just until you find what you want?
Posted by: Mari | July 11, 2008 09:38 PM
Mari, we don't have a kitchen table, we only have a dining room table which was expensive and scratches easily (hence the above mentioned problems with Pottery Barn).
Would you believe that I have looked at every place you guys mentioned and still found nothing?
I found a couple I liked, but they were out of stock. FIGURES.
I think my next step is to look at unfinished wood desks and stain it myself. (as one of the commenters suggested.)
Thank you for all of your help.
Posted by: torrie | July 11, 2008 10:24 PM
We just got an incredible tv stand at Raymour & Flanigan. I know it sounds like your parents furniture, but they do have really nice, reasonable stuff.
Posted by: Ange | July 14, 2008 11:44 AM
Torrie, don't know if you're still looking...but I bought mine at World Market (Cost Plus). It's dark (espresso), has a fold-down pull out drawer for keyboard, and two small drawers for pens, clips, etc. It is pretty narrow, but I love it b/c it doesn't take up a ton of room. Good luck!
Posted by: Kate | August 5, 2008 04:43 PM
LISTEN UP!
diana IS WRONG!
google Laflat+reviews
AVOID AT ALL COST!
Posted by: Arnold | September 2, 2008 09:16 PM