For the consultants' places in a showroom of finishing materials we made industrial office desks: a top in an oak decor on A-shaped metal legs, and a mobile pedestal for each desk. The desks stand in a line along the windows, each in its own bay between them.
Each desk rests on two side supports: a pair of slanted legs in dark grey metal section spreads towards the floor and meets under the desktop. There are no long rails at floor level, so the space below is clear: feet hit nothing, the floor is easy to clean and the desk looks lighter than a framed one. The corners of the top are rounded, so there is no sharp edge in the aisle between desks. How to size a desk for the person and the task is explained under EN 527 standard. We used a similar pairing of wood and dark metal in a loft-style office furniture set.
Storage has moved into a separate mobile pedestal: a graphite carcass and three drawers with fronts in the same decor as the top. The top drawer locks. The pedestal is not tied to the desk: it can stand on the left or the right, or travel with its contents to another place. The fronts have no handles, so nothing catches clothing in a narrow aisle.
Separate desks instead of one long run keep the display visible: the stands with stone and tiles show between them, and a consultant can receive a client at their own desk. The black exposed ceiling and track lighting set the loft style, while the wood of the tops warms the work area. Another take on desks with metal frames is in an office with panoramic windows.
How metal and wood work together in furniture is covered in our guide to the industrial style. Desks like these suit a showroom, an agency or a small office where furniture is often rearranged. More on the custom furniture for business page.