White Wooden Pedestal Desk

A white pedestal desk is the hardest-working piece in a small home office: drawers swallow the clutter while the pale finish keeps a bedroom corner feeling airy. Position it side-on to the window so daylight falls across the work surface without screen glare.

Pair it with an upholstered chair in a contrasting texture — rattan, bouclé or smooth leather — and keep the styling above the desk to one framed print and a small vase. In the apartment shown here, a single stem of yellow blooms is all the colour the corner needs.

Staged rooms sell faster — and a single well-chosen piece often does most of the work.

When staging a home for sale, a dressed desk like this photographs beautifully and tells buyers the second bedroom works as an office. It is one of the cheapest rooms to style and one of the most persuasive.