Like many people during lockdown, my client for this project was working from home, spending long hours with a laptop on a dining table and needed a dedicated workspace. An underutilised area off a large hallway provided a great space, but as this was a prominent area near the entrance to the house, the client wanted something with a bit of wow factor, rather than a boring rectangular desk and shelving unit.

The length of wall and optimum corner situation for the desk led me to this stretched organic design. The desk itself is thick, with a continually variable edge profile that gives it a beautiful look and feel to your hands, not least because it’s been hand-finished smooth as glass. I didn’t want conventional legs to spoil the lines or comfort, so the main support acts for the desk and the double shelf. The space is overlooked by an open staircase, so I wanted the whole thing to look like one flowing design with some visual interest from above, and although it’s probably a marmite design, I love what I came up with, and thankfully so did the client.

There’s almost a musical instrument look to the design, the feature 5 bowed strips being the strings, something I will incorporate into future projects, as they not only look good but also have a lot of strength. The client had a brass lampshade and light switches, so I incorporated some brass into the design which really pops in the right light. For an aesthetic and practical touch, I created a recessed LED strip channel within the edge of the lower shelf, adding a dramatic effect to the space at night.

This project inspired a lot of design ideas for variations on the theme, so if you’re bored with rectangular desks and want a feature piece to motivate your home working… get in touch! This kind of project will now be part of my Kobay Studio offering.