Desks: Buying Guide

Every solid wood desk in this collection starts as solid hardwood and stays that way from surface to core. Each piece is a solid wood top on a joined frame, no particle board core under the writing surface, joined by hand and finished to bring out the wood’s natural warmth, so it wears in over the years instead of wearing out.

How to choose the right solid wood desk

The 29 inch standard

Desk height around 29 to 30 inches suits most chairs and most people. Pair it with a chair you can adjust, and your wrists sit flat while you type.

Depth buys eye distance

A desk 24 inches deep or more puts the monitor at arm\u2019s length, which is where your eyes want it after hour two.

A surface that survives work

Solid wood takes the coffee cup, the laptop heat and the years of elbow traffic, then sands back to new when you finally care about the marks.

Styles in this collection

The designs run from with drawers to writing desk and corner-fit pieces, all cut from the same solid stock. If you are building the whole room around wood, the same grain and construction run through our wood storage benches and wood shoe benches, so the space can carry one idea from wall to wall.

Modern Solid Wood Office Desk with Sculptural Base in solid wood

Tropical Solid Wood Work Desk with Storage Drawers in solid wood

What solid wood gives you that veneer cannot

A veneer piece is a photograph of wood glued over particle board. It looks right for a year or two, then an edge lifts and there is nothing underneath worth repairing. Solid wood is the same material at the surface and at the core:

Scratches and rings sand or buff out, because the grain continues below the surface.
Joinery is cut into the wood itself, so the structure tightens with care instead of loosening with age.
The piece can be refinished decades from now and come back looking new.

Why buy from Burl

Every piece is made to order and built by hand, with free protected delivery and tracking emailed the moment it ships. Delivery is free worldwide, and tracking is emailed the moment your piece ships. You get 30 days to live with the piece and return it in full if it does not sit right, and the structure carries a 10 year warranty. No veneer, no MDF, no particle board.