Are you looking for a way to spruce up your home office without breaking the bank or trying to add some personality to a shared home office? Or maybe you’re looking to upcycle a thrifted desk that needs some serious TLC or glass tabletop replacement, but you don’t know exactly how to go about it or which glass shop to contact. Enter the glass desktop. Glass desktops are compatible with any home office décor—they’re practical, sleek, and versatile, and they provide a few opportunities to get creative, too. Whether you craft a new desk with a glass top or cover an existing desk surface with a sheet of glass, a glass desktop can elevate your home office space to a new level of modernity and sophistication.
Why a Glass Desktop?
Although glass desktops are simple, they’re practical accent pieces that can transform your office space. Whether you’re looking to elevate your space or preserve your antique writing desk, a glass desktop may be the solution you’re looking for. So why should you spruce up your home office with a glass desktop?
They Add a Modern Touch to Your Space
When you think of modern décor, what comes to mind? Perhaps sleek metal surfaces, contrasting colors, and clean minimalism. Glass desktops are a ubiquitous feature of modern office spaces. Glass-only desktops showcase clean lines and can make small offices look bigger. Since they often don’t feature drawers, there’s nowhere to hide clutter either.
Additionally, you can top a traditional desk made of wood, Formica, or particleboard with a glass top to add a modern sheen and a professional flair to even the drabbest or tired desk. Reflections in the glass easily hide scratches, rings from drink condensation, and stains, breathing new life into surfaces that have seen better days. If you’re looking to add a touch of modern design to your home office space, a glass desktop could be the missing piece you’ve been looking for.
They Protect Desk Surfaces
Furniture is expensive, especially if it’s made out of 100% real wood. If you recently bought a desk that costs more than a few car payments, protecting it from spills, stains, and drink condensation is a top priority. A glass desktop makes it even easier to protect valuable furniture pieces that you intend to keep forever. By adding a sturdy layer of protection to the most highly-trafficked part of your desk, you can protect the surface for years to come.
Particularly for wood furniture, which is usually stained or painted, stains and stain removal practices can permanently damage your desktop:
- Non-polar solvents – Using non-polar solvents like acetone to remove nail polish stains or pen ink can dissolve paint and wood stain, leaving ugly splotches on your desktop.
- Condensation – Condensation rings from cold drinks can leave long-lasting stains or cause water damage, which can diminish the integrity of your desk.
- All-purpose cleaners – Some all-purpose cleaners can partially remove a wood stain, degrading the coating that protects the desk’s natural wood grain.
With a glass desktop, spills and long-lasting stains are a non-issue. With a bit of glass cleaner and a paper towel, you can restore your desk surface to its shiny, like-new glory without worrying about damaging the materials underneath.
They Offer Desk Collage Opportunities
Glass desktops don’t only offer aesthetic and practical benefits, they also provide a potential outlet for creativity. When you place a sheet of glass over an existing desktop, you create a blank canvas. You can press photos, movie ticket stubs, dried flowers, greeting cards, and any flat object between the desk surface and the glass, turning your desktop into a scrapbook page, a mega-photo frame, or an abstract collage.
If you’re one of the 36% of people currently working from home, you have an opportunity to curate a workspace that inspires productivity, embodies your personality, and gives you the freedom to express yourself. Suppose you’re one of the 36% of people currently working from home. In that case, you have an opportunity to curate a workspace that inspires productivity, embodies your personality and gives you the freedom to express yourself.
But, most people who work from home have to share their office space with someone else in their household. Even if that’s the case for you, a glass desktop placed on top of a traditional desk surface allows you to infuse your and your partner’s or roommate’s style into your workspace.
Glass-Only Desktops
If you’re considering adding a bit of utilitarian, modern, and creative flair to your workspace with a glass desktop, you have two options for incorporating it into your desk space:
- You can use a glass-only desktop.
- You can add a sheet of glass to an existing wood, Formica, or particleboard desk.
While glass-only desktops are available on the market, they’re also quite simple to DIY. Some possibilities include:
- Industrial – Make four stacks of cinder blocks (using the broader side) and place the glass on top of the blocks for a sleek, industrial look that’s timeless.
- Boho – Use stacked, spray-painted milk crates for legs and secure the glass on top to achieve a boho-style desk that’s relaxed, bold, and eclectic.
- Mid-century – Stain four 8×8-inch wood legs in a dark shade to create a rustic mid-century modern desk topped in a sleek glass slate.
As long as your desk is well-balanced on a few sturdy, wide legs, you can create a glass-only desktop out of just about anything. However, if you’re looking for longevity, you may want to hire local glass professionals to help you construct a durable and beautiful office centerpiece.
Glass Over a Traditional Desktop Surface
The easiest way to incorporate a glass desktop into your home office is to place a sheet of glass over an existing traditional desktop. Using this method provides numerous benefits:
- The surface of your desk is protected by a sheet of glass.
- You can collage photos and other items between the glass and the desk surface.
- The existing desk provides a structural basis for the glass top.
If you’re working on a DIY budget, you can purchase a desk secondhand from a thrift store or online marketplace and add a glass top for an affordable, modern work surface. Or, if you already have a desk in need of repair, simply add a glass top to elevate your workspace.
Elevate Your Home Office with Glass Guru
Whether you create a DIY art piece out of salvaged materials or repurpose an existing desk, glass desktops can elevate your work surface and the feel of your entire home office. With a modern but versatile look, a sheet of glass is practical, durable, and multifaceted.
At Glass Guru, we love transforming home offices, dining rooms, patios, and conference rooms with custom glass tabletops. Our experts can help you choose an ideal size, thickness, and edge for your glass surfaces while working within your budget.
If you’re already envisioning your new glass desktop, reach out to us today for a free estimate on your next home office renovation project.
Sources:
US Census Bureau. Working from Home During the Pandemic. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/03/working-from-home-during-the-pandemic.html
Bloomberg. What Happened When the Office Came Home. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-11/the-rise-fall-and-rise-of-the-home-office
