Selecting an UPLIFT Desk: A Designer’s Guide

Are you finally ready to set up a proper home office space for your side hustle or work-from-home business? If you are at a point when working from your bed or kitchen table is no longer serving you, then one of the primary investment pieces for your home office is obtaining the best possible desk for your space and use needs. Many people desire a large desk with a maximum working surface, but some folks are also interested in alternative desk configurations or specific styles for their space. As a designer who specializes in home office design, I have experienced a handful of clients that have unique needs when it comes to their choice of desk – and I have identified one that is suitable and customizable for most scenarios!

An important consideration for the modern home office is creating a space that will support one’s health and productivity. Traditional office desks are limited to the fixed position requiring one to sit throughout the entire workday. However, there are many adjustable height desks on the market now, but one of the first and most enduring adjustable height desk brands is UPLIFT Desk. I have specified this desk for a handful of projects, and my clients always enjoy the UPLIFT Desk selection process because of the ease of website interface for customization options. I recently had the opportunity to select an UPLIFT Desk for my own workspace and want to share my experience of the customization process.

First of all, I am still residing in an Airbnb that is pre-furnished, so in my circumstances I prioritized selecting a design that would be relatively neutral and adaptable to future spaces when I move. I’ve mentioned in past blog posts how I utilize an open living space for my home office, which already has three desks each for specific purposes (I am currently in the ‘satellite’ category if you adhere to the Astro-Twins human design implications for workspace archetypes). However, one of the crucial issues that I deal with on a weekly basis is getting a proper setup for video calls and filming content from a nice desk setting. I often move a collapsible worktable to a different space in the room when I want to achieve better quality video meetings and recordings. But this is time-consuming and quite burdensome and having a more permanent set-up for these activities would be beneficial.

So, I already have the open space that will best accommodate the UPLIFT Standing Desk and support my filming activities while also providing a more substantial work setup. First, I measured the space to assess the optimal desk size that would best fit the area and decided upon a 60”x30” surface area. This is one of the first steps that everyone should take, as well as deciding whether an L-shaped desk or wall-mounted is desired. Once the type is determined, you want to know the style that will work best with your office design scheme. Many of the desk types have numerous design options for the desktop surfaces including solid wood, bamboo, butcher block, standard and custom laminates, as well as a whiteboard option. All of the tabletop options are beautiful, and you can’t go wrong with any choice as the environmental impact for the wood selections are carefully assessed while all of the laminate options meet Greenguard-Gold Certification ensuring low-VOC content and adherence to several intensive international environmental standards.

The solid woods will obviously be heavier and experience natural surface wear over time but hold up beautifully and have longevity. The laminates provide alternative colors and patterns that can be fun, but in my opinion could be a little distracting for a focused workspace design. However, if you are seeking more energy and motivation in your workday, then a fun color and pattern for the desktop surface can be enlivening. The wonderful thing is that if you are unsure of the specific tabletop surface you want, you can order samples of the options to hold in your hands and review in your space before making a final decision online. In my case, because of the neutrality that I am seeking, I selected a basic white laminate desktop design. I love basic white in the home office furnishings because it provides a neutral palette that you can design around with other elements and accents that create personality. The color white also has high light reflectance value providing a brighter workspace and thus increased alertness and cognitive function.

After establishing your desk type, tabletop material, and size, you will get to customize a series of details for the overall desk design. From a designer’s perspective, this is absolutely wonderful because “design is in the details” and there are no other adjustable height desks on the market that allow for the level of customization that UPLIFT Desk provides. The final tabletop design selection relates to the grommet covers that allow for electrical connections, cord pass-through, or even storage. The desktops are made with two grommet holes symmetrically placed along the far edge of the depth of the desk. I selected white grommet covers to match the white laminate, but there are nice metals that could also work well if you want to match the metal of your tech objects. In my case, I picked one wire pass-through grommet and one USB/power bank grommet.

When you get to the frame that supports the tabletop, you have options for color, type, and style. I prefer a more open feeling with minimal frame components if possible, so I selected the V-frame without crossbar, which also gives more space for legroom swing on the front side of the desk. Depending on the size of tabletop you choose, you may have to select a more substantial frame style to support the desk load. I maintained the white color palette with my frame selection and finally a white keypad to match! I also selected caster wheels for my desk frame because I like the option for mobility in my workspace, such as rotating the desk orientation to face windows with natural light or rotating the desk to have a different backdrop when filming. 

The great thing about the customization process on the UPLIFT Desk website is that you get fully detailed guidance on each step of the selections. For example, with the keypads, there are numerous options for the functionality you might be seeking, and you can review a detailed pop-up description to understand the differences in functionality to make the best choice for your needs. Once the desk design is complete, UPLIFT Desk offers their customers some super fun accessories for free! I love this because it enhances the overall experience, and the accessories are designed to further support your health and wellbeing.

You can also choose other workspace accessories, such as file drawers or under desk shelves and storage, computer screen and keyboard mounts, microphone arms, and my all-time favorite – cable management systems! I selected several accessories to try out with my new desk setup and cannot wait to share with you how everything is coming together once my order arrives at my rural Airbnb. Stay tuned for my next blog post when I will cover the assembly, setup, and functionality of the new UPLIFT Standing Desk and accessories and how these products are enhancing my workday performance.

If you are interested in receiving some guidance on selecting the best standing desk for your home office, reach out to AIDA, LLC today for a consultation. In addition, you can always find more information and healthy home resources at Aletheia Ida Design and Architecture, LLC (AIDA, LLC) at www.aletheiaida.com.