Professional office furniture: where to purchase?

I spend a lot of time at my desk between gaming, neffing and doing homework, and the current desk I've got (a $29.99 special from OfficeMax) is just too small. My parents have offered to get me a new desk for my birthday, and I'd really like a corner desk so that I've got room to work on my computer and to do homework at another area and still have room to work.

I also want furniture that doesn't shake back and forth when I bump it, or have the finish start to crack because my mouse pad's rubber bottom has ruined it. I want high-quality, professional-quality stuff.

I've looked at Steelcase, but it's REALLY expensive, and it would require me to go to an authorized dealer, which would likely require a big purchase. I see a lot of potential in the professional-quality desking systems offered at OfficeMax - they have 1" tops and seem to be very modular and steady too.

Is there any place where I can get a professional-quality desk for around $700 or so? I'd love to build my own, but I simply don't have the expertise or tools to do so. I'd want an L-shaped desk (likely a corner unit and two straight desks) and one hutch on one of the straight desks.

Thanks.

 

[mikebb]

You may want to see if you have any used office furniture places in your area. Typically they will buy out entire offices of old furniture, commercial-grade, excellent quality stuff for good prices. My father bought a metal desk 20 years ago from one of these places, and it held up beatifully until he got rid of it when my parents moved a year ago. That's if you don't mind buying used.

 

[sonambulo]

Herman Miller makes nice stuff...

So do no be a miser! Shell out already, boyo!

 

[RagingBITCH]

I don't get why a high school kid with no real practical needs for a $700 desk wants one. Of course you're going to have a bad impression about the lower end laminate/compressed wood desks if you're current one was $30. For all practical purposes and intent, any $150-250 corner L desk from OMAX/Staples/Depot would do the trick. I put cold drinks, tools, car parts, etc on my desk all the time and I have no problems with the laminate cracking. Unless you're rubbing your mousepad like sandpaper that's not going to happen on a laminate top desk, especially one more than $100.

 

[HappyPuppy]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
I don't get why a high school kid with no real practical needs for a $700 desk wants one. Of course you're going to have a bad impression about the lower end laminate/compressed wood desks if you're current one was $30. For all practical purposes and intent, any $150-250 corner L desk from OMAX/Staples/Depot would do the trick. I put cold drinks, tools, car parts, etc on my desk all the time and I have no problems with the laminate cracking. Unless you're rubbing your mousepad like sandpaper that's not going to happen on a laminate top desk, especially one more than $100.

And, so, what's your point?

 

[RagingBITCH]

Originally posted by: HappyPuppy

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
I don't get why a high school kid with no real practical needs for a $700 desk wants one. Of course you're going to have a bad impression about the lower end laminate/compressed wood desks if you're current one was $30. For all practical purposes and intent, any $150-250 corner L desk from OMAX/Staples/Depot would do the trick. I put cold drinks, tools, car parts, etc on my desk all the time and I have no problems with the laminate cracking. Unless you're rubbing your mousepad like sandpaper that's not going to happen on a laminate top desk, especially one more than $100.

And, so, what's your point?

What's yours?

I'm trying to point out to the guy that he's wasting $500 of his parents money on something that he doesn't really need.

 

[DevilsAdvocate]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH

Originally posted by: HappyPuppy

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH I don't get why a high school kid with no real practical needs for a $700 desk wants one. Of course you're going to have a bad impression about the lower end laminate/compressed wood desks if you're current one was $30. For all practical purposes and intent, any $150-250 corner L desk from OMAX/Staples/Depot would do the trick. I put cold drinks, tools, car parts, etc on my desk all the time and I have no problems with the laminate cracking. Unless you're rubbing your mousepad like sandpaper that's not going to happen on a laminate top desk, especially one more than $100.

And, so, what's your point?

What's yours?

I'm trying to point out to the guy that he's wasting $500 of his parents money on something that he doesn't really need.

Agreed. I run a law office off of laminate. Some laminate stuff is great. Some sucks.

Check out officedepot.com or officemax.com. There is plenty of good stuff there that will fit your needs without breaking your parents.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Originally posted by: DevilsAdvocate

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH

Originally posted by: HappyPuppy

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH I don't get why a high school kid with no real practical needs for a $700 desk wants one. Of course you're going to have a bad impression about the lower end laminate/compressed wood desks if you're current one was $30. For all practical purposes and intent, any $150-250 corner L desk from OMAX/Staples/Depot would do the trick. I put cold drinks, tools, car parts, etc on my desk all the time and I have no problems with the laminate cracking. Unless you're rubbing your mousepad like sandpaper that's not going to happen on a laminate top desk, especially one more than $100.

And, so, what's your point?

What's yours?

I'm trying to point out to the guy that he's wasting $500 of his parents money on something that he doesn't really need.

Agreed. I run a law office off of laminate. Some laminate stuff is great. Some sucks.

Check out officedepot.com or officemax.com. There is plenty of good stuff there that will fit your needs without breaking your parents.

Precisely I sold those desks for almost 4 years at OMAX and Staples. I've worked at multiple offices. The laminate stuff for non-industrial use is more than good enough for general office work, much less gaming and neffing by a young teenager. You just have to take a look at the build quality at the store. If it's peeling at the store b/c jillions of people have touched it/abused it, don't buy it. (Generally applicable to the non-big laminate brands) Bush and O'sullivan make decent-good compressed wood desks.

 

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH

Originally posted by: DevilsAdvocate

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH

Originally posted by: HappyPuppy

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH I don't get why a high school kid with no real practical needs for a $700 desk wants one. Of course you're going to have a bad impression about the lower end laminate/compressed wood desks if you're current one was $30. For all practical purposes and intent, any $150-250 corner L desk from OMAX/Staples/Depot would do the trick. I put cold drinks, tools, car parts, etc on my desk all the time and I have no problems with the laminate cracking. Unless you're rubbing your mousepad like sandpaper that's not going to happen on a laminate top desk, especially one more than $100.

And, so, what's your point?

What's yours?

I'm trying to point out to the guy that he's wasting $500 of his parents money on something that he doesn't really need.

Agreed. I run a law office off of laminate. Some laminate stuff is great. Some sucks.

Check out officedepot.com or officemax.com. There is plenty of good stuff there that will fit your needs without breaking your parents.

Precisely I sold those desks for almost 4 years at OMAX and Staples. I've worked at multiple offices. The laminate stuff for non-industrial use is more than good enough for general office work, much less gaming and neffing by a young teenager. You just have to take a look at the build quality at the store. If it's peeling at the store b/c jillions of people have touched it/abused it, don't buy it. (Generally applicable to the non-big laminate brands) Bush and O'sullivan make decent-good compressed wood desks.

Thanks for the info. Truthfully I haven't been to OM or Staples to look at the non-commercial furniture they've got. My family's had a few such 'computer workstations' over the years and they've been rather cheap, but you may be right and quality may have improved much since we last bought. I'll look into it. Thanks.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Originally posted by: jumpr

Thanks for the info. Truthfully I haven't been to OM or Staples to look at the non-commercial furniture they've got. My family's had a few such 'computer workstations' over the years and they've been rather cheap, but you may be right and quality may have improved much since we last bought. I'll look into it. Thanks.

Hey - just so you know, this wasn't meant as a flame. Diff people prefer diff things. I just think IMO from my experiences that a basic $150-250 desk from OMAX might be what you're looking for. Sure the industrial $700 stuff is hella nice - I've seen some nice stuff, but you just have to ask does the use you have for it justify the cost?

But def. go check it out - if it seems like the same cheap crap then go for the good stuff - besides, you're not paying for it

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

When you go, look at the L shaped desks with glass on top.