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Alternatives to "Mom Desk" in kitchen?

GigiNC
9 years ago

We are just about to kick off a kitchen renovation, and I've gotten so many great ideas from this site! There is one design feature that I still do not have any good ideas how to address. We currently have a (hideous) "mom desk" in our kitchen, which remains perpetually cluttered with papers and random junk. I'm planning to get rid of it, however, I realize that I do need some kind of space for the phone, kleenex box, mail, random office-type supplies, etc. It would be great if I could build a new desk elsewhere in the house, like in the laundry room, but unfortunately that's not an option. Plus, I do think we will want to keep some of these things handy since the kitchen is the room we use most. I would appreciate any suggestions on how others have incorporated these non-cooking-related requirements into an elegant kitchen design!

Comments (20)

  • nightowlrn
    9 years ago

    I so can't stand the mom desk name. That said -- I could live with this desk area in a kitchen

    {{gwi:2141928}}

    [Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by North Bay Kitchen & Bath Designers Kitchen Gallery

    {{gwi:2141929}}

    [Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by North Bay Kitchen & Bath Designers Kitchen Gallery

  • palimpsest
    9 years ago

    They call them something like "Communication Stations" now, and they are smaller, built in sort of like coffee stations, or appliance garages with lots of outlets for chargers, space for a laptop and a bulletin board or white board and places for keys and such. They may or may not have a pocket door or tambour door to close the whole thing off.

  • funkycamper
    9 years ago

    Do you really need a whole desk for things like "the phone, kleenex box, mail, random office-type supplies, etc." It seems like most of this can just be put in a drawer except the phone.

    Does your home have a landing spot? A place where you put your keys, purse, etc., when you come home? If so, is there space there for those items?

    I do like the slide out desk pictured above with the ability to close it off. If you have the space, that would be a great idea.

    With most of us using laptops or tablets these days, I really don't see the need for a dedicated laptop station. I usually sit on the couch or a comfy chair when using mine. I can't remember the last time I sat at anything resembling a desk.

  • nhbaskets
    9 years ago

    In our previous house we had a raised peninsula that had a file cabinet on the end along with a drawer (for DH) and a cabinet to house our printer. Our laptop sat on the peninsula and was easily put away when company came over. It was an area that was unique and served us well.

  • Teehee1984
    9 years ago

    We filled ours in with drawers and dressed it up with glass doors. But we use it as a communication center. The big drawers hold china and other kitchen things. The smaller drawers have desk items (pens, envelopes, etc)

    So kinda a blend of both.

  • MizLizzie
    9 years ago

    We did a drop down standing desk with a shredder underneath. Lots of outlets and shelves for charging. Maybe it would be enough for your needs? When shut up, it is just a 12" deep cab flanking our CD fridge.

  • annkh_nd
    9 years ago

    I got rid of a desk in my kitchen remodel. Mine is enclosed - a cabinet with shelves for envelopes, receipts, outlets, calendar and white board; drawers for office supplies; two file drawers. I sit at the nearby table to do bills (even when I had a desk), so I don't even need a drop table.

  • GigiNC
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for all the great ideas! I definitely like "Command" or "Communication" Center better than "Mom Desk", lol! We built lockers by our garage door entrance earlier this year, which include charging stations and great storage, but due to space limitations we could only do one for each kid (so my husband and I are SOL).

    I love these ideas above. I'm meeting w/my kitchen designer for the first time tomorrow and will be sure to include this in my list of requirements. I totally agree that we don't need a place to sit with my laptop per se, as I usually end up doing everything at the kitchen table, but will be good to accommodate everything else in a little more organized fashion than just a big junk drawer. :)

  • suzanne_sl
    9 years ago

    We did this with the phone, but as many have pointed out, who needs a land line anymore?


  • fourkids4us
    9 years ago

    Suzanne, to answer your question, many people need landlines. While I have a cell phone, not all of my kids do. For safety reasons, they need to have a phone when they are home alone. My parents don't use cell phones so they still need a land line too. Love your phone niche, BTW!

  • funkycamper
    9 years ago

    I know quite a few people who have no cell phone service at their house or get service but it's lousy with lots of dropped calls and background noise.

  • suzanne_sl
    9 years ago

    It's true, funkycamper. Our son rented a basement in Vienna, VA a number of years ago where not only didn't your cell phone work to speak of, but the juice just got sucked out of it while it "searched" for a signal.

    Having said that, an awful lot of people don't have land lines anymore. Two of our 3 kids don't. We're planning a move sometime soon and are debating whether to have one at our new address (presuming we ever find a house we want). One reason to skip it would be to avoid the 3 zillion calls we get from various solicitors. The "do not call" list hasn't been a hugely helpful in this regard.

  • schicksal
    9 years ago

    Ours is the second shelf in the pantry. Things can go hide in there where we won't see the mess.

    We have a land line phone without an actual land line. Our place is big enough so that someone's phone can ring and no one will hear it, or we can't get to it in time without running. The solution was to get an adapter that will ring land line phones when someone calls one of our mobiles. They're really cheap and work great - totally worth it.

  • funkycamper
    9 years ago

    We decided to keep our landline because our area has limited options for cable/internet connections and we actually pay less for a bundled package with phone than we would if we eliminated the phone. Odd, I know. We also have excellent cell phone service. We've told all friends/family to call the cells. I kinda love having that landline as we just ignore it. Every few days I go through the caller ID and, once in awhile, someone who doesn't have our cell numbers calls it that we do want to speak with and we call them back. The rest are solicitations so most voicemails are simply deleted. Having it also gives us a number to give out to places that we really don't want to talk to anyway. I think it took my DH about a year to learn to not jump when the phone rings. Since I never did that, not since getting our first answering machine back in the old days, it was an easier transition for me.

  • fourkids4us
    9 years ago

    Funkycamper, that's how we use our landline phone also. We get occasional personal calls on that line, but the bulk of it is solicitors and sometimes, my kids' friends if they haven't called my cell phone first. I sometimes go days without checking voicemail which annoys my mother b/c she occasionally will call me on that line. I keep it mainly for emergencies but I also prefer using the landline to make/receive calls when I'm home b/c I can balance it on my shoulder and can't do that with my cell phone!

  • funkycamper
    9 years ago

    Oh, I know we're thread-jacking about the phone but, yes, emergencies! We've also kept it for that, fourkids4us. Our area has enhanced 911 so if you dial 911 but can't speak for some reason, police, fire and ambulance are all dispatched so any kind of emergency can be dealt with. The first responder to arrive will alert dispatch to what services are really needed so if they haven't arrived yet and aren't needed, they can go back. Or if it's a big issue, like a huge fire, they can call for additional crews.

    Cellphones still can't alert to location that quickly.

  • bpath
    9 years ago

    To be honest, I kind of want my landline back. Why? No one around here answers their darn phone! The phone is in a backpack, or on an upstairs desk when owner,is downstairs, ringers are off or set to vibrate, and I don't often have pockets to carry my phone in. So, when I'm out and need to call to find out how much milk is in the fridge, do we need more, or what kind if battery does that meat thermometer take, THREE people don't answer THREE phones. I'm better off sending an email...if they ever checked their email.

    Whew, that felt good.

    I'd turn my desk into a martini bar.

  • bpath
    9 years ago

    To be honest, I kind of want my landline back. Why? No one around here answers their darn phone! The phone is in a backpack, or on an upstairs desk when owner,is downstairs, ringers are off or set to vibrate, and I don't often have pockets to carry my phone in. So, when I'm out and need to call to find out how much milk is in the fridge, do we need more, or what kind if battery does that meat thermometer take, THREE people don't answer THREE phones. I'm better off sending an email...if they ever checked their email.

    Whew, that felt good.

    I'd turn my desk into a martini bar.

  • annkh_nd
    9 years ago

    I'm glad I'm not the only one who misses landlines.

    Our neighbors solved the problem - the parents each have their own cell phone, and they ditched their land line for a third cell - the "house phone". It is in one location, the ringer is on - and anyone in the family can answer it.

    I much prefer to make calls on a land line - the sound is a lot clearer, and, as fourkids pointed out, I can tuck it into my shoulder and use both hands.