임스 데스크 유닛 EDU

Having endured an office-like standing desk for two years I decided to take the plunge and go for something a little more uplifting. I'd long wanted one of these and RWM had a little offer going on it.

A few things stand out. Firstly, it's delivered on a pallet, so it was in pristine condition. Secondly, you could be forgiven for thinking the desktop and shelves are melamine, such is the smoothness of the polish and finish (they are veneered plywood immaculately polished). The desktop obviously has its veneers taken from a single trunk since it looks like one single veneer the whole way across and they've tried to align them as far as possible - impressive workmanship.

Beneath the veneer you of course have birch plywood which is very strong and hardy. I'm expecting this desk to get a little wear over the years, but it's good to know that underneath the veneer you've got something that's practically indestructible.

The frame is metal legs and sides, while the supports for the plywood are, I think hardwood. It all feels very robust and it's easy to use some adhesive cable clips along the back to hide monitor cables. Also, it's possible to feed cables into either of the two storage compartments.

One thing I might have wanted (and paid a lot more for) would be drawers, but I realise the storage area is very deep, too deep perhaps for drawers, and as it is, it encourages me to be a little creative. I wanted the Bisley desktop drawers for it but they are a little large, so I'm on the lookout for ways of using the space in a way that suits the look of the desk.

Colour-wise it's spot on, a little muted, which is good when a piece has several colours going at once. Colourful without being stark. I would imagine this would fit into many room colour schemes with ease. I can't fault this desk and it matches the shelving units perfectly if you have those (I don't... ...yet). It is industrial without being too industrial, and the combination of veneers, metal rods, and steel panels (both solid and perforated) give a pleasing array of textures which really sets this apart from other desks on the market.