There aren't many things I have missed about our big houses past, but having a desk was one of them.
So, when we got the itch to build again, a desk was always in the plan. We started by thinking about the things we wanted: easy access to supplies and a printer, plenty of plugs, book shelves, a spot for art supplies. All of this in a compact space, where we could stash the trunk we use as a coffee table when we want to open the sofa bed. And with space for people to pull up a chair and eat.
Eventually, we decided on a butcher block top that we would stain the color of the floor. While at IKEA to buy that, we took a look at their desk drawer units and decided rather than building our own drawers, we would just assemble theirs. The base of the desk evolved, as well. At first, we thought we'd just put the top on the drawers at one end and attach two legs at the other—but the desk didn't feel sturdy, and we realized we wanted to be able to pull the drawers out of the way. Bill figured out dimensions, and we built a base out of 2x2" lumber painted black. After adding some simple shelves up the wall, we had ourselves a workspace. And I love it.