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Is your desk cluttered and unorganized? That’s how mine has been foryears. I finally decided to get my desk together and build a shelf for it so I could have more space. The shelf I made gave me so much more room than I ever expected it to, and I wish I had built it sooner.
A Desk Shelf Adds More Space Than It Takes Up
While I’ve wanted a desk shelf for a while, but never picked one up. One of the reasons was that I thought it would take up more space than it added—but it did the exact opposite.
When I added a desk shelf to my office, I was surprised by just how much more space I gained. Even though there was now a massive piece of wood on the desk, there was somehow more room.
The shelf does stick out about six inches or so, but it actually perfectly straddles my monitor’s stand, which means the space that I had lost from the monitor stand I now have back.
Desk Organization Is Easier With a Shelf
I’ll be honest, I’m not the most organized person in the world. My office typically resembles that, but a desk shelf has helped me to be much more organized lately.
The organization comes from having more room and extra places to put stuff. Before, my Bible, label printer, pen organizer, and Thunderbolt dock all sat on my desk, and nothing could really sit on top of those items.
Now, I can slide those items under the shelf and still have room to set things on top. Since adding the desk shelf, I have added two lamps, a headphone holder, and a place to hold my mic. My iPhone even sits on the shelf with a MagSafe charging mount now instead of sitting on my desk.
WESTREE Monitor Stand / Desk Shelf
The WESTREE monitor stand/desk shelf is designed to elevate your office setup. Using a desk shelf like this will provide additional space to your setup and also has the ability to bring your monitors closer to eye-level.
One of my favorite additions is pulling out my old Awair air quality monitor—not to use it to monitor my air quality, but to use it as a pretty clock on my desk. I love the dot-matrix display, and the walnut casing matches the walnut shelf perfectly.
Overall, I’m just able to organize and keep things tidier with the desk shelf thanks to the additional space and clearance for items it has given me.
My Speakers Are Closer to Ear Level Now
My speakers used to sit on the desk, which is fine, but not optimal. Now that they’re on the shelf, they are closer to ear level.
Having your speakers at ear levelprovides a better listening experiencethan having them sitting below your head. While I could definitely make them a little taller to get them to be properly at ear level, this is still better than it used to be.
Also, as with the other items on my desk, I love that my speakers can sitaboveother items now. Before, they were on the desk itself, and it was hard to position them where I wanted them.
amesoba White Oak Dual-Tier Desk Shelf
The amesoba white oak desk shelf is designed to bring organization and elegance to your desk. It offers a dual-tier design and a top made from white oak. It also comes in various other wood types, and is sure to help you organize your desk setup.
It was mainly hard to position the speakers because I have a desk grommet (which is actually a plug), which sits right where I want my speaker to. Now, with the desk shelf, I can have my speaker in the right position without covering the plug.
My Setup Looks Better With a Desk Shelf Than It Did Before
I’ve wanted an aesthetically pleasing desk setup for quite a while, and the desk shelf gets me one step closer to where I want to be.
I love the look of walnut, and eventually plan to have a solid walnut desk top too. This desk shelf was a way for me to trial walnut in the office to see how I would like it, and Iloveit. While walnut is definitely on the darker side of wood hues, I think it goes perfectly with the aesthetic I’m aiming for in my office.
Also, with the way that I’m able to organize my desk now, the office just looks more put together than it ever has.
I’m thinking about building some small drawer units to go under the shelf in some areas to give me additional storage for things like pens, SSDs, flash drives, and other odds and ends that are normally sitting on my desk.
One thing I do want to note is that I did design the desk shelf and build it myself. This allowed me to take measurements and make it fit exactly what I needed. I was also able to pick the specific piece of wood out and finish it how I wanted. I opted for an oil finish for more of a matte look.
However, don’t let my building a shelf dissuade you from getting a desk shelf. There are many pre-made shelves out there if you’re not the woodworking type.
I was inspired to make this shelf by theGrovemade Desk Shelf.Since I do woodworking, I opted not to pay the lofty $500 price tag for Grovemade’s shelf, but it’s definitely an option if you want a solid hardwood shelf with some extra organization.
While I don’t have the extra mini shelves that Grovemade’s offering has, that is something I plan to add in the future as well.
I’m constantly trying to find new ways to make my office feel more cozy and inviting. Since I spend eight or more hours a day sitting at my desk, there’s always something else that I’m thinking about doing.
The next adventure I’ll be going on is painting my office and building a custom server rack for my homelab.
Really, I want you to remember that your office is a place that should be comfortable and cozy. And to remember that it’s a long process, not a sprint. I’ve wanted a desk shelf for years, and only recently built one for my office.
If there’s something you’ve been putting off in your office, why not do it this week? The shelf I built only took me a few hours start to finish, and it’s so nice to finally have it.
Grovemade Desk Shelf
Grovemade’s solid walnut desk shelf offers a premium upgrade to your office space. With three legs and a split-level design, there’s plenty of organizational space here to tidy up your office while delivering a mid-century modern aesthetic.
