Finding a new desk

November 14, 2021 1:26 PM

A few years ago I had desk I really liked but had to get rid of. I'm love to try and find something similar but really don't know how to describe it so I'm able to what I'm looking for. It was an all wood desk with dovetail joints, but the thing that I loved about it was the front of the desk didn't end is a sharp edge but rolled forward down into the rest of the desk.

Any time I search 'rolled' or 'rounded' desk I get either desks that curve in the middle or rolltop desks which isn't what I'm looking for. How can I best describe this term to search for it?

The best way to describe it is too look at this photo, I've circled the type of edge I'm talking about. Imagine that on the front of a desk rather than the side of a dresser.

posted by Carillon to Home & Garden (7 answers total)

Like a bullnose?
posted by primethyme at 1:29 PM on November 14, 2021

Best answer: I wonder if the term "waterfall" might help. I usually see it used in terms of a kitchen island, but "rounded waterfall desk" is showing some similar styles to your example on Google Images (link).
posted by past unusual at 1:34 PM on November 14, 2021 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Oh, to add on, you might want to search for "art deco vanity" as well. There is a particular style of vanity that looks like a desk, but with a removable back mirror that might fit your description as well. (Example found from google images.)
posted by past unusual at 1:38 PM on November 14, 2021

The woodworking term is “roundover” (i.e. made with a roundover router bit). I’ve seen desk makers in particular tout this as “contoured” or “ergo edge”
posted by supercres at 1:38 PM on November 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks all, to be clear I want I guess that waterfall desk but in front where the drawers are and the person would sit. That vanity past unusual is pretty spot on!
posted by Carillon at 1:55 PM on November 14, 2021

Best answer: Are these the the sort of thing you are looking for? I searched for "waterfall front veneer desk" to find those.
posted by Mitheral at 2:29 PM on November 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

In commercial office furniture, the HON 10700 series has a gentle radius on all top corners. It is available in a wide variety of finishes and configurations, from a single freestanding desk to a complete U-shaped desk suite with matching bookcases and lateral files. It is not natural wood; it is high-pressure laminate over particle board, but it is well built and durable.
posted by xedrik at 7:55 AM on November 17, 2021