Can you have an electrician put a new plug under the desk, a hole in the desk top at one of the rear corners and send the cords down to the plug? I would think that is the easiest fix since everything is already installed.

We put in a 12" deep base cabinet on our high traffic wall. Above is a wine rack and a "message center" and 15" cab. For the backsplash we'll be doing corkboard. In the 12' base cab. each child has their own bin as does each parent. School papers, homework and "lost and found" items will go in there for the kids (aka small toys they leave laying around). For dh and I we store our keys, receipts that we need, computer wires, cell phones and chargers...etc. So far it has worked well and the kids like having their own space in the new kitchen. You could do something similar with a small console table and some pretty bins underneath for family members. Above it do a cork or chalk board framed (or half cork/half chalk) and maybe a letter box to the side.

Our Message Center: We were originally going to have 12" deep upper & base cabinets on the outside pantry wall b/w the FR & Kitchen for our Message Center...our garage door opens diagonally across from it & our Foyer entrance into the Kitchen is diagonally across from it on the other side. But, when several measuring errors by our KD reduced the doorway b/w the rooms from 5.5' to 4', there was no way the cabinets would fit. So, we now have a "Message Center Niche" recessed into the same outside pantry wall. The niche is only about 7" deep and was sized to fit the phone. It actually could have been an inch or so shallower, but since the studs for the wall gave us 7", we went with it. To us, the most critical elements were: Calendar to keep track of sports practices & games, school events, family happenings, project due dates, meetings, etc. [In this picture we had just put the calendar up & had not yet filled it in.] Land line phone & answering machine in a central location...in our case b/w the FR & Kitchen, which also put it central to the Garage entrance & Foyer/front door. This location is not only for answering the phone, but also so we can see if there are messages when we come into the house. During the remodel, the phone & answering machine were relocated to the Office/Library and we often forgot to check for messages. Keys since the Niche is across from the Garage entrance & a pretty straight shot from the Foyer/front door. We need a visible & easily accessible place! Message pads (sticky notes) & pens/pencils for taking messages/leaving messages. [Yellow sticky note pads are in the pocket at the bottom of the calendar frame.] Charging station for my phone since I will forget it if it's not w/the keys (unplugged when not in use BlueKitObsessed!) [DH's phone & DH/DS/DD's iPods are charged elsewhere since they don't have a problem w/remembering them...and also unplugged when not in use!] What wasn't a priority since we no longer had the cabinets: Magnetic board b/c over the years I've found the best places to leave a message that I want to be sure my DH or kids see are: bathroom mirror if it's for the next morning or TV in the kitchen (DH) or computer screen (kids) if it's for after school/work. B/c of these locations, we use sticky notes. Our garage door is metal so we do keep two "school bus" clip magnets for the various forms that come home from school. Each child has his/her magnet.

Hi Nansea, glad you like our message center. Our cabinets are made by Cabico and I guess you'd call them a semi custom line. I asked them to stack the wine cubbies horizontally on top of a 30" wide base cabinet only 12" deep. And what you see is the result. I wanted the valence to match two other valences going into the kitchen. They kinda messed up on this detail, but I still like the way it came out. I also wish that they made the ends look more like false doors instead of plain ends. Oh well. I didn't use a KD (or architect) so I guess I was bound to have a mistake or two in the remodel. We use the message center for mail, keys, cell phones, DH's wallet, note pads, DD's camera, etc. One basket holds tape, scissors, pencils, paper clips, elastic bands, etc. The other holds a few tools, the camera charger, tape measure, etc. We don't charge our cell phones there . . . we charge them in an appliance garage. There isn't a message board at the message center (which irks my husband, he's been wanting a message board for years) so we're going to put one in our mud room over the coat hooks. Even still, I find miscellaneous "stuff" left on the counter. Whatever I find (miscell. business cards, notes, coupons, etc.) all gets hidden into a cubby or basket and the culpret has to hunt for whatever "stuff" they left hanging around. That'll teach em.