Beautiful Fold Away Desk Ideas for a Stylish Home

The best fold away desk ideas for small spaces are a wall-mounted fold-down desk, a desk hidden inside a cabinet or dresser, and a slim secretary-style unit. All three give you a real work surface when you need it and give the floor back when you don't.

Which one suits you depends on how you work. A laptop and a few hours a week need very little depth. A monitor, a keyboard and daily use call for more planning. The ideas below start with the simplest and move toward the more built-in options.

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What is a Murphy desk?

A Murphy desk is a desk that folds up or down against a wall or into a cabinet, the way a Murphy bed does. Closed, it looks like a panel, a shelf or a cabinet door. Open, the surface drops down on hinges and is held by a fold-out leg or support brackets.

It's a good fit for hallways, bedroom corners, living room walls and the end of a kitchen run, anywhere you need a work surface for a few hours but don't want a desk in view the rest of the day.

Wall-mounted fold-down desks

A wall mounted fold away desk is the simplest option. A hinged board attaches to the wall studs and drops down to a horizontal position. Depth of about 16-24 inches is enough for a laptop and a notebook. Go deeper only if you use a separate monitor.

Fix it into studs or use rated anchors, since a leaning elbow and a laptop add up. If the wall is masonry or you're unsure what's behind the drywall, ask a licensed professional to mount it.

Renters can pick a version that mounts to a single rail, or a leaning unit that needs no drilling at all. A floating shelf with a folding bracket works the same way and is easy to patch when you move.

Hidden desk ideas for small spaces

Hidden desks are for people who want the room to look like a bedroom or living room first. Common versions include:

• A cabinet with doors that open onto a pull-out or fold-down desktop
• A dresser or sideboard with a drop-front panel that becomes the writing surface
• A bookcase wall with one section that folds out
• A closet with the doors removed and a shallow desk built in

For a closet desk, add a light inside the closet and a power source before you decide anything else. A dark, cord-tangled desk is one you'll stop using.

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Fold away desk ideas with drawers

If you keep paperwork, chargers and pens close at hand, look for fold away desk ideas with drawers. Secretary desks and drop-front cabinets have shallow drawers or cubbies behind the panel. Wall units can add a shallow drawer under the desktop or a narrow cabinet beside it.

Keep drawers shallow, around 2-3 inches deep, so the unit stays slim. For everything else, use vertical storage above the desk: a pegboard, narrow shelves or a rail with small containers. Closed, a tidy box on a shelf holds the supplies and looks like decor.

DIY fold away desk ideas

DIY fold away desk ideas work well because the parts are simple: a board, two heavy-duty folding brackets or a piano hinge, and a way to hold the surface up. A butcher block or a sanded and sealed plywood panel makes a sturdy top.

1. Measure the wall and mark your desk height. Standard desk height is about 28-30 inches.
2. Find the studs and mark them.
3. Attach a cleat or the hinge rail to the studs with screws sized for the load.
4. Attach the desktop and fit folding brackets or a fold-out leg.
5. Add a latch so the closed panel doesn't swing open.

Leave a gap of an inch or two for cables behind the panel, and don't hide mains wiring in the wall yourself. That's a job for an electrician.

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Fold down wall mount floating desk or ladder-style desk?

A fold down wall mount floating desk has no legs, so the floor stays clear. It's the best choice when you want to vacuum underneath or when a dog's bed lives in that corner. A ladder or leaning desk uses shelves that lean against the wall and a work surface at mid-height. It's movable and renter-friendly, though it needs a bit more floor space.

Set it up so it's comfortable

A desk you can't sit at comfortably won't last. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration lists the top of the monitor at or just below eye level as part of a good workstation setup. OSHA also notes that elbows stay in close to the body and are bent between 90 and 120 degrees when you type.

For a fold-down desk, that means three things. Check the height of the surface against your chair. Put a laptop on a riser and use a separate keyboard if you work for more than a short stretch. Leave about 36 inches of clear floor in front so you can pull the chair out and walk past it.

How to make a fold-out table look nice

How to make a fold-out table look nice comes down to how it looks in both positions.

• Closed: paint or finish the panel to match the wall or the cabinets around it, or frame it like a piece of art. Match the hardware finish to nearby door handles or light fixtures.
• Open: a small lamp, a plant and one object are enough. A pinboard or a narrow shelf above holds the rest.
• Edges: soft-close hinges and a rounded edge feel better to use and are easier on shins.
• Cords: a cable channel or a clip along the wall edge keeps the wiring tidy.

Color matters less than contrast. A slightly lighter or deeper shade inside the open panel gives the nook some depth. As an architect, I'd pick a matte finish for the desktop, since it reduces glare from a window or lamp.

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Which fold away desk is right for you?

If you want more ideas for styling a desk that folds away, see our fold down desk styling guide and modern fold out desk inspiration. If the desk will live in a hobby room, these home art studio ideas may help with layout. And if your fold-down desk is going near a screen wall, these small TV room ideas show how to share the space.

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If you share the room with a dog, check that the open desk leaves a clear path and that cords are out of reach of chewing. Folding legs and hinges can also pinch a curious paw, so a latch is worth the few extra dollars.

Frequently asked questions