Office Side Table – Is It Needed?
Side tables have the air to transform any corner of your room into a utilitarian space. These tiny furniture pieces can elevate any home decor style with their simple and elegant structure.
But will these side tables be an ideal match in your home office? Find out as we explain the various features, functions, and alternatives of side tables in detail.
What Is A Side Table And What Is Its Use?
As the name suggests, a side table is a small table placed beside any piece of furniture for utility and aesthetic purposes. The versatility of side tables makes it a perfect functional decor accent in any seating area of a house.
The most convenient way of placing a side table is establishing a safe spot near a loveseat or couch in the living room or beside a bed in the bedroom.
Most people use side tables to keep coffee mugs, snacks, and keys while resting in their living room. Apart from functionality, a side table also works as a great corner piece to showcase picture frames, plants, and medium-sized statues.
The primary purpose of any side table is to ensure that all the essential things and knick-knacks are within easy reach. It also works well to seamlessly fill up space or odd plain corners of a house.
Many people consider side tables a functional element, while others prefer it as a purely feature design element.
Can I Use A Side Table In My Home Office?
Yes, one can easily make a side table a practical part of their home office. These side tables can be a perfect furniture item to create order in your home workspace.
The compact dimensions allow the tables to position themselves without disturbing anything in the space around them. Moreover, a proper side table with under-desk storage can work in your favor to store all the essential yet valuable equipment or appliances for your work.
Even a simple narrow side table in your office or under your desk can clear away excessive clutter and make your tiny sanctuary more inviting.
That being said, a side table in your office can directly improve your focus and concentration as a clutter-free home office often encourages productivity and peace.
To ensure your side table complements your home office:
- Pay great attention to the material of the item.
- Be extra particular about the material as you don’t want it to stand out like an eyesore.
- Try to pair wooden desks with wooden side tables and glass desks with glass side tables. If you plan to put your side table under your desk, make sure you still have ample legroom to move your legs comfortably.
As mentioned earlier, styling a side table can be a purely functional aspect, or you can use it to showcase your unique or most prized possessions. The same goes with home offices too.
Use them to store your stationery and office supplies or important files that you need for constant reference. You can also use it to deck up your new set home office.
Showcase your fanciest stack of books or put a catch-all to keep little office-related knick-knacks in place. If your home office lacks visual symmetry, a side table can help you balance the whole room within minutes.
Consider Setting Up A Side Table In Your Office If:
- You have lots of clutter: Consider an office side table if you constantly find it difficult to keep the place tidy. You can easily store away the clutter on top and even under the item to make your office look more clean, organized, and spacious. Additionally, you can always find your most needed items in that same place every single time.
- You love showcasing your decor: An office side table can also work as a lovely platform to showcase and highlight any unique decor or accent piece you have curated in your house. A classic piece of history, an expensive artifact, sports memorabilia, awards, or handmade gifts made by your family or friends can get their deserving spotlight when placed on an office side table.
- Have a huge space: If your office seems quite empty or has an awkward empty corner, consider enhancing it with a solid and sturdy side table. Side tables also make the room look more functional and ready for some severe workload!
How To Select A Side Table For Your Home Office?
With a myriad of styles available on the market, choosing an ideal piece can instead feel like a daunting task.
To ensure you end up with a perfect side table that stays by your side for years, consider following a few tips before you start your side table hunt.
- Mockups or inspiration: We highly recommend creating a mockup to see what type of side table fits your home office perfectly. Such mockups also give you a realistic concept of the actual size and shape of the unit in your workspace. You can also browse the never-ending inspiration library to find great pieces that work with your space. Skipping this step may result in an office side table that clashes with your entire workspace style.
- Sizing: Measuring your space in your home office or under your desk should be your natural next step. It is practical to situate your office side table within a 5 cm range of your desk. We recommend keeping minimum width as a table with a vast surface area can meddle and come in your way every time you wish to move.
- Height: The most important aspect of a side table is its height. It is the only essential feature between a useful or useless unit. Ideally, your table should have the exact size of your work desk; this allows you to grab all the essential things without the need to stand up. Similarly, you can even decide to purchase a side table with a smaller height than your desk. However, avoid buying side tables that are longer than your desk.
Trendy Styles That Go With Any Home Office
The following styles are excellent to merge with your existing home office theme. Moreover, you can also use these foolproof designs to style an office with no particular theme.
- Modern Side Tables: Modern side tables are known for their simple designs and crisp edges. They are typically constructed using acrylic, glass, metal, or plastic, while the designs mostly gravitate towards geometric or minimalist styles.
- Industrial Side Tables: These tables are a perfect balance of modern and traditional side tables. They mostly use materials like wood and metal while showcasing a very sturdy body.
- French Country Side Tables: These side tables are exceptionally well suited for home offices with feminine energy. The materials are mainly wood of various textures and shades. Typically these side tables are painted in light colors with distressed ends for a modern touch.
Site Table Alternatives
Don’t feel like splurging a lot on an office side table? We have a few fantastic alternatives that work precisely like side tables without the need to spend an extra dime!
- Floating Wall Shelves: Floating wall shelves can be an excellent alternative if you wish to keep your floor empty and spacious. These floating shelves might have less storage than your regular side tables, but they look perfect in a minimalistic home office. Don’t forget to attach your shelves corresponding to the similar height of your desk.
- Suitcase Side Table: A suitcase side table is ideal if you do not want to spend a lot on new furniture. Hunt your storage and find a few old trunks or suitcases that are sturdy enough to work as a side table. Attach a few units on top of each other and enjoy your storage abound side table.
- Filing cabinet side table: This filing cabinet idea is excellent when you are starved for space. Consider placing your tall file cabinet near your desk and utilize the top surface as a side table. You can even deck up the file cabinet by attaching a glass sheet or wooden plank to make it look unique while adding a personality.
- Bar Cart Side Table: We highly recommend a bar cart side table if you have a masculine theme going on in your home office. These bar carts have enough space to store a bunch of office stationeries, and the compartments below work perfectly as file cubbies.
- Basket Organizer Side Tables: Basket organizer side tables are perfect if you have a farmhouse theme across your home office. One can stack these baskets on top of each other till they reach the desired height. Additionally, the texture of the basket also makes the place look inviting and warm.
- L-Shaped Desk: An L-shaped desk can be a great side table if you do not want multiple furniture pieces across the office desk. These long desks create a flowing design while giving remote workers ample space to store every big-little item in their office.
Conclusion
We hope our comprehensive side table guide gave you enough reasons to add a functional and stunning side table in your home office.
Even if you do not incline towards spending your hard-earned money on a side table, consider opting for various side table alternatives mentioned above!
