Dezeen Magazine

Fading Desk by Thijmen van der Steen

Fading Desk by Thijmen van der Steen

Work at home with fewer distractions behind the misty screen of this desk by Design Academy Eindhoven graduate Thijmen van der Steen.

Fading Desk by Thijmen van der Steen

"More and more people work within their living space nowadays," Thijmen van der Steen told Dezeen. "The desk I designed offers the possibility to do this in a more pleasant and focused way."

Fading Desk by Thijmen van der Steen

The screen folds out to create a defined workspace for the user that minimises distractions.

Fading Desk by Thijmen van der Steen

The semi-transparent voile screen is printed with a graduated blue that fades to white towards the top.

Fading Desk by Thijmen van der Steen

When work is done, the screen folds around the desktop to hide the computer, files or other objects. The desk can then be used as a source of soft light by placing a lamp inside.

Fading Desk by Thijmen van der Steen

We reported from Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven earlier this year where we picked our top ten graduate projects from Design Academy Eindhoven, including a toy pig farm based on industrial farming methods and a collection of modular clothes to show off different parts of the body.

Fading Desk by Thijmen van der Steen

Other workspaces we've featured on Dezeen include a desk with a fabric cover inspired by aeroplane cabins and a boxy desk that looks more like a doll's house.

Fading Desk by Thijmen van der Steen

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Here's some more information from Design Academy Eindhoven:


Fading Desk

The computer has established itself as part of the living room without being a conscious part of it. The division between living and working is fading. Fading desk plays with this phenomenon and gives the computer a place of its own that is very worthwhile. Not a boring workspace hiding in an unobtrusive corner, but an elegant piece of furniture that engages with the interior.

The semi-transparent cover does not close off the workspace from its surroundings, but aids concentration. Vice versa, you can see the computer, but details disappear behind the misty print. When work is done, the screen is closed. Put a lamp in it and it becomes a special light object in your home.