This Find in IKEA’s Kitchen Section Became the Most Gorgeous Desk
When product and interior designer Shiva Farrokhi and her husband, Hakhamanesh Mashayekhi, were redesigning their industrial-style apartment in Brooklyn’s Dumbo neighborhood, the space needed to cater to all aspects of their life — including working.
Shiva thought one bare wall in their home would be perfect for a custom two-person desk area, but she couldn’t find a traditional desk tabletop that would fit their budget and the wall’s measurements — until she thought outside the box.
“I realized the measurements for the depth of the table matched the depth of standard countertops,” Shiva writes via email. “So, I looked at the most affordable wooden countertops and IKEA was on top of the list.”
Shiva chose IKEA’s KARLBY kitchen countertopfor her desk slab, which cost around $300. It comes in three shades: birch, oak, and walnut, but she chose the walnut finish, which the brand boasts is super durable. To build out her office space, she also purchased two IKEA ALEX cabinets for extra storage ($150 each). (It’s not confirmed, but Shiva might’ve read these 19 IKEA desk hacks for making the perfect work space.)
“It’s quite heavy and sturdy, has a beautiful wood block look, is easy to clean, and is very affordable. It also has a 25-year warranty, so I was reassured about its quality, and finally, it is a sustainable choice (IKEA website has a complete description of their manufacturing process and the type of woods they use to build it),” Shiva explains.
While using a kitchen countertop as a desk might not be an immediate go-to, Shiva’s solution proves that it looks natural and not like it should be in the kitchen. When Shiva and Hakhamanesh are writing or typing on their keyboards, they don’t have to worry too much about damaging the desk because of its durability. Plus, they have enough room to have two separate work spaces.
This isn’t the only hack in their apartment, though — if you want to see more, visit the full home tour.
