$500 - Danish Teak Floating Top Desk

Jackpot.

Floating top desks are one of my true obsessions. Mine (which I am sitting at right now!) was scavenged from, you guessed it, Craigslist. In fact, it's almost identical to today's find, except that the 'back' of my desk has three compartments rather than the one large and long space you see on this one. Here's mine with the Erik Buck chair that it miraculously came with...

If you're in the market for a simple yet functional desk, this may be perfect for you. The simple lines, tapered legs, and space between the top surface and the drawers (thus 'floating') make these desks seem lighter and less bulky than most desk options, making it great for small and simple spaces. Mine is placed against a wall, but imagine if you had the space to place yours in an area that made the back compartment visible (as it was meant to be) - think of the display opportunities!

From experience, I know the drawer space isn't huge, but the surface area on top is ample and inviting. Another thing to consider when looking to purchase these desks is their size - my desk fits me nicely (I'm 5'8"), but G (who is 6'4") can't even fit his legs all the way underneath! He looks like a clown in a clown car when trying to do any work at it.

Also, if this desk is like mine, its assembly is unique. Believe it or not, IKEA wasn't the first to come up with compartmentalized assembly. All of the pieces are separate - each drawer box will be attached separately to two legs, the back compartment is probably separate, and the top will be what holds it all together (which means you should NEVER pick this desk up by the top! Always move by holding the drawer boxes). Over time, after many times of assembly and disassembly, all of the connections can be damaged and worn. If you go take a look, ask about the connections (do they even know how it comes together?) and examine the desk for random holes where they might not belong. On mine, someone along the way got confused and drilled two new holes on the bottom!

If this desk is in good shape (can you believe that it still has the keys?!), I'd say this is a fairly good price. I've seen the same desk at Millennium retailing for $700. Buy this desk knowing that it will be a centerpiece of your furniture collection, something that you plan on keeping and cherishing for a long time...

Let me know what you think!!

28" W x 57" L x 29" H

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/fuo/2931764486.html