Cardboard desk offers quick fix for those now working from home

A team in Denmark has designed a temporary cardboard workstation that can help people work from home more comfortably

Spotted: As tens of millions of quarantined people continue working from home, many are finding it difficult to find space in crowded quarters. People are working from kitchen tables, couches, tucked in corners and under stairs. But some of these ad hoc arrangements can be bad for the back and posture, and lead to joint and nerve problems. Danish furniture start-up Stykka has a solution — a cardboard desk.

The team at Stykka designed the desk in just 24 hours. After Denmark announced a national lock-down, some of the team at Stykka realised they didn’t have enough desk space to work from home. So, they designed the desk in just 24 hours, using only a laser cutter, cardboard and zip ties, and dubbing it the StayTheF***Home Desk. The completed desk measures 120 centimetres wide, 62 centimetres deep and 82 centimetres high and can be assembled in minutes.

The desk can be ordered online, for £75 plus shipping fees, for delivery to select countries in Europe. Alternatively, those with access to cardboard and a laser cutter can download the template and print it out themselves. The desk is made from certified recycled cardboard, so once life returns to normal and people are able to go back to work, the desk can go into the recycling. 

The Stykka desk is one of many practical ways spotted by Springwise that people are coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. Others include an app that warns users when they are near those who may be infected, and the use of a 3D-printing to replace ventilator parts.

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