Im talking like a family desk. Somewhere to store files, access a computer, etc.
If you do, do you like it and do you use it often? How big is it and where is it in your house?
If you don't, do you consider getting one?
Bonus Question - Do you think kids need a desk at home for homework?
persimmon / 1467 posts
Yep. It's in a walk-in closet turned office with a few book shelves and a filing cabinet. But honestly I hate working at a desk so it is mostly DH work space. I use a laptop around the house. He loves having an office with a door that is not in our bedroom.
I didn't use a desk for homework till I was in highschool. I think in elementary school you wind up doing their homework with them so might as well have them do it at the table where you can check in easily.
wonderful olive / 19353 posts
We have an office and a desk, but neither of us work on it. I'm currently renovating/re-designing my office so hopefully it'll get a lot more use out of it! Including the kiddos when they need to do homework, projects, etc. Guess we'll see!
pomegranate / 3779 posts
We have one and DH uses it often. I only use it if I'm works no from home and need to hide from LO. I think kids need to have a specific space to do homework, but a desk isn't necessary.
pomelo / 5129 posts
We have a small antique roll top desk that we only have because it was inherited from my grandparents. I didn't have one in my old house and used my laptop at the dining table and kept files in a closet.
I like that the desk is small, and it's in a room that we haven't found a purpose for (a big open room when you enter the house). And I like that it closes so stuff on the top is out of sight.
coconut / 8430 posts
Yup we turned one of the bedrooms into our office and we each have a desk.
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
I have a desk in my bedroom. I am in school, so I really needed one. My husband made it using an ana white plan and it turned out so beautifully.
I have a laptop I keep there, and school books/homework. I use file folders from target (gold or fabric ones that look a little nice) to store papers.
As for other documents, I keep them in one of those file folder bins and just store it.
pineapple / 12566 posts
I WAH, so I have a desk. Mine is approx. 4' x 2.5'. I keep papers organized in boxes and folders on the shelf behind my desk. I think it's important for kids to have a desk when they are old enough to need one to do homework or art on their own in their room.
cantaloupe / 6017 posts
I have small desk that was built into a closet in the main area of our house. I keep both work and personal files there, my computer and printer, and kids art supplies. It's convenient to have it located so centrally. My husband has an office, but it's mostly just a massive dumping ground for him, because I can close the door and not be bothered by his mess.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
Yes, i have a desk, but I want to change to a desk cabinet. I hate looking at my screen when I am not working and I want a place for all my papers.
I think kids should have the option to do homework where it suits them best. I always had a desk in my room and i always worked there. My son is 5 and he has a desk in his room. We originally used it as a bookshelf but he wanted it cleaned off so he could have a work space, lol.
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
We have a home office, DH uses it daily, me not so much. I can't remember the last time I turned on my laptop at home!
pomelo / 5573 posts
We just moved ours to the basement yesterday, because the "office" is in the process of becoming the nursery. It pretty much only gets used when my husband plays video games, otherwise we do everything on laptops.
apricot / 287 posts
We currently have a guest room/office, with an old desk that we'll probably replace soon. We both use it often - I do our finances/planning things there and DH uses it when he studies or writes papers. Whenever we have more kids we'll have to relocate the desk to the master or living room.
As for homework, the only time I ever usedthe family desk was for writing papers on the computer. I think the kitchen table works just fine for homework.
squash / 13208 posts
yes we have one in the office area of the bedroom.
My DS does his homework at the kitchen table so I can watch him/ help if needed while I make dinner.
pomegranate / 3272 posts
We have a guest room/office. When we bought the house, the 4th bedroom was set up as an office and had a HUGE built in desk with a giant shelving unit taking up an entire wall. We took it all out to combine the office with the guest room when I got pregnant with DS2. We had a borrowed desk from my parents until we found one that we liked. I bought one about a month ago and it's still in the box in the garage. It's heavy so we're just psyching ourselves up to move it! Plus it's difficult to get work done upstairs since DS1 now demands that his door be kept open at night. We really only use our office when one of us works from home. I envision that we'll keep our computer up there. But I plan on having the kids do their homework at the kitchen island that we use as our table or the dining room table.
pear / 1586 posts
We have one in our playroom which used to be our office. We don't work out of there regularly but use the desk for our printer, storing files, supplies like thank you cards, etc. It's the Bedford desk from Pottery Barn. We have enough space for that, a large ikea expedit, a kidkraft play kitchen, and a billion toys with a large playmat in the center of the room, which is not huge. It wouldn't be an ideal setup for working from home, though.
apricot / 443 posts
We do but it's one that we got for free and my husband hates it. 80% of the time we just use the dining room table if we want a desk area. i had a desk growing up but I always did my homework on the floor. My younger sisters just use the dining room table.
bananas / 9227 posts
Our computer nook is situated alongside a shed dormer window. We have 2 Ikea desks side by side with a desktop on one end, and my laptop on the other. I'm not happy with the desks, but they fit the dimensions perfectly and narrow (like how I wanted them), but I'd like to eventually replace them with something more sturdy (and nice). We also have a larger desk in the den, but we're hardly ever in there.
As for LO, she has an Ikea Sansad table, which seems to be very sturdy. She uses it for crafts. I think a desk would be nice to have for homework, but it's not a necessity - a tall stool on a kitchen table would do. I think the important thing is being comfy.
wonderful pea / 17279 posts
I work from home so one of our spare rooms is set up as a home office. My desk is large, 48" long. My printer is housed on a separate credenza. Even with all this, the most comfortable place to work when not on the phone or in the middle of printing/copying is a couch.
I think a family computer area is a great idea. We had one growing up, it was housed in an extra space. One PC for all of us to share required cooperation and meant that no one could hog the PC.
I don't think kids need a desk in their room, but they need a flat surface somewhere that can be used as a go to homework spot.
pomegranate / 3580 posts
Our third bedroom (small!) is an office with two desks in it, but in the spring it will get turned into the new nursery so I'll probably move my work desk into our bedroom 
I love having a separate room for work so I'm bummed that we have to let go of it.
I don't think kids need a desk for homework until their older. I always did mine at the kitchen table! 
pomegranate / 3658 posts
Not sure what a family desk is? DH and I each have our own desks in our home office. They are both pretty standard size desks. We don't keep our important files in there though; we have a separate accordion folder for that stuff.
I do think kids need their own desks to do homework but not sure how early I think that's needed. I believe when I was little, I got my first desk when I was about 7 or so.
pear / 1930 posts
There is one built into the cabinetry of the kitchen. Our laptops float between it and the family room, but it is where the printer, mail supplies, and to-do list lives.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
@PawPrints: family desk meaning not assigned to one person. In a common living space maybe.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
Here is why I ask. In the middle of our open concept living room we have this. Basically a giant junk drawer.
We file stuff but who really needs hard copies anymore.
We store art supplies there but it's not really conducive. I would rather get plastic bins or something.
And it's an eye sore that just doesn't get used. But I'm thinking maybe keep it for older homework days?
pomelo / 5607 posts
We have one just big enough for our desktop computer. We're both gamers so we wanted a really good desktop rather than a laptop.
grapefruit / 4355 posts
We have a large L–shaped desk in our office. DH works from home every Friday so it gets used a lot. I think we got it from Office Depot 5or 6 years ago.
I fully intend to have small desks in each of our kids rooms when they are older for homework.
hostess / papaya / 10540 posts
@T.H.O.U.: That looks like the perfect spot for a built-in! Then you can store what you actually need there. We have a desk for us, but for kids plan to do homework at the kitchen table. If they did need a desk, I feel like it wouldn't be until they were older.
hostess / wonderful apple seed / 16729 posts
Yes, we have a mail desk in our family room. It was my office desk but I needed a more narrower desk when we moved. We have two desks in our office area with our computers.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
@T.H.O.U.: Honestly, that would bug me. I'd be fine with a desk in a cabinet where you can close the whole thing up and not see it, but right next to the fireplace, it's a distraction.
Can you put it in a bedroom or something, for older homework days?
GOLD / wonderful coffee bean / 18478 posts
That looks like a great homework desk! I would move it out of the common area, but definitely keep it!
pomelo / 5678 posts
We have a desk in the playroom with the family desktop mac. It is in constant use!
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
No. Both my husband and I have desks, but they aren't family desks. And mine is just getting dusty since I never use it. Hubs uses his daily.
But I don't think the kids will need desks. As a kid, I did my homework at the kitchen table, so I just assume my kids will probably do the same. If they eventually get their own computers when they are in high school, maybe then they would need a desk, but I doubt they'd need one before that.
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