Office desks are usually referred to as armoire desks or a desk built within a large cabinet that can be closed so that it looks tidy as well as keeps dust away.



Small or home offices or SOHO often prefer armoire desks as they suit smaller spaces. On the other hand, government-related offices usually prefer pedestal desks within cubicles as they give a "secured" sense of privacy.

Armoire desks are sometimes called computer desks as they are often used to house computers and many have special areas or "drawers" for the keyboards.

Some armoire desks have fixed surfaced, meaning they cannot be moved whatsoever. The type of armoire desks is more widely used as it allows the users to quickly "hide" their works by just closing the doors instead of having to wrap everything up before closing the doors. This type of armoire desks is said to be the direct descendant of 18th century rolltop desks, which were common in the government offices at that time.

Other types of armoire desks may have hinged movable surface which must be cleared of items on the surface before the doors can be closed. This type, although may not be as convenient as the fixed surface type, it is usually lighter and easier to relocate as they are also likely to be made of lighter materials such as plastic.

Some modern armoire desks now have slant top which are suitable for people in design industry. Most of the new armoire desks are distinctively different from the older ones as most of them do not have locks.

Cubicle derived from the Latin word cubiculum which literally means bed chamber.

Office cubicle as we know it today was introduced in the 20th century. There are two types of office cubicles: a preset type and an adjustable type. The pre-set type has a permanent shape that cannot be altered. This is the stronger and durable of the two types and can be made of many materials ranging from wood to plastic. The adjustable type is far more convenient as the user can reshape and relocate them to wherever they wish. However, the material used for this type is normally plastic which is likely to be less durable than the pre-set type.

Office chair is another very important component in office furniture. Good chairs are necessary for the users to feel comfortable and therefore become more proactive in their daily works.

Office chairs were mainly introduced around mid-1800s, the same time as the invention of railroads as business grew rapidly at that time and people were required to sit for hours at a time in order to conduct their businesses.

Movable office chairs with castle wheels were introduced in the 20th century in order to aid the workers to move more rapidly and comfortable between desks, thus eliminating time and energy otherwise needed for walking from one location to another.

1970s became a pivotal period for the development of office chairs as the concept of ergonomics was introduced. Ergonomic chairs have adjustable arms, legs, heights, backs and back supports to prevent workers from injuring themselves as a result of long hours of sitting in one place.

Furthermore, alternatives such as kneeling chair and exercise ball were introduced to allow workers to sit more straight and avoid them from slouching in the office chairs. Many do not sit on these alternative so-called "chairs" for working, but they are used as temporary equipment to help them restore balance and relieve stress during breaks and after long hours on the office chairs.