Van Mardian at Declutter Your Desk has sparked inspiration with a really clever way to deal with all the cables, connections and peripherals that make your desk a mess. He attached a pegboard to the underside of his desk and tied all those boxes and wires into a clean layout hidden from view. I especially like how he made the pegboard removable, so you don’t need to crawl around on your back to add or remove components. Total cost of the materials is $33.42 Canadian and around 2 hours of work. Awesome.
Ryan wrote this on Jan 09 2008 There are 26 comments.
Scott Smith 09 Jan 08
I wish my father were alive to see this. He would’ve re-done his home office in an afternoon.
I remember my father’s workshops and garages always had two things: baby jars for nuts/screws/bolts and peg boards.
Esteban A. Maringolo 09 Jan 08
There is a inherent problem with this: heat dissipation.
If your desk has a backside, that’s the best place to place it.
I’m using this layout since many years and it’s very effective.
Regards,
Aaron Alexander 09 Jan 08
That’s amazing…
“A cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind.”
Justin Watt 09 Jan 08
Ouch, my knees hurt just looking at that.
linkerjpatrick 09 Jan 08
I love seeing how something so simple can be so innovative. I will be passing along this idea to others.
EH 09 Jan 08
Yep Justin, I can picture the bruises from upside down wall-warts falling out or getting knocked to the side.
Dennis Frank 09 Jan 08
Yeah. This is very clever. Like to see more of such inventive talent.
I fought against messy desks a long time too and found a smart desk with cable channel and a flap to the upper side:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/freshmango/sets/72157603394221711/
Michael Zuschlag 09 Jan 08
I wish CPUs came in pizza boxes like the old SPARC stations. I’d hang the whole thing under the desk. Footprint? What footprint? I’d have the CD drive, USB ports, and power button right my finger tips just under the lip of the desk. There’d be relatively easy access if I ever have to add or replace hardware, and no more fear of dropping a screw and having it roll under the motherboard.
Dave 09 Jan 08
This doesn’t really declutter your desk. It just moves the clutter from the top of your desk to the bottom.
Peter Cooper 09 Jan 08
“A cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind.”
Nah, it’s a sign of a perfectionist who never quite gets anything done. If you look at the desks of many of the most successful people in the world, they’re not particularly tidy. Al Gore is one particularly prominent example!
That said, this post is about under the desk, not the desktop itself ;-)
Steve McDonald 09 Jan 08
Oh my gosh! You’ve got to be kidding me. Al Gore made a movie people! Get over it!
Do you realize that Al Gore, the pseudo-figure head for conservatism, lives in a state/city that doesn’t recycle, consumes more power in his TN home in two months that the average american family consumes in one year and didn’t actually invent the internet?
Where exactly is his success? If success is measured by trophies for making a movie then I feel sorry for people who are actually doing things that make a difference in this world.
bananaranha 09 Jan 08
Which is the whole point of decluttering a desk?
I mean, everyone wants to have his say, but doh!
Ugur Gundogmus 09 Jan 08
“Al Gore made a movie people! Get over it!”
That movie won 2 Oscars (Best documentary, Best Original song).
He is also the co-winner of 2007`s Nobel Peace Prize. He has pledged to donate all his prizemoney to an organisation dedicated to tackling climate change.
By the way, “Declutter Your Desk” is a great solution to messy desks.
Douglas F Shearer 09 Jan 08
Neat idea, I feel I may be getting some pegboard for our services cupboard!
About a year ago I mounted my electric outlet bars on the side of my desk, where it meets the wall.
Keeps the cables out for the way, and it’s still easy to get to them.
Unfortunately the rest of my desk is always covered in notes, various dismantled things, and cups of tea.
LessMor 09 Jan 08
That would look real nice under my glass desktop! I did something similar, albeit a lot more finished looking, on the wall with a short umbilical so the desk or computer can be moved about some.
KevinB 09 Jan 08
Let’s stop being lazy and use Google Currency Conversion™ already. :)
$33.25 in good ole US of A greenbacks
P.S. The hours convert 1 to 1.
Ross Brown 10 Jan 08
@KevinB – and stop being so US-centric.
It’s also £16.90 for those of us in the UK.
:-)
Frank 10 Jan 08
Is it just me? I think it’s ugly. Clever, yes. But even trying to hide that stuff behind the desk it still looks ugly to me. I don’t like cables on my desk, and I don’t like them black. But I like the certain chaotic quality they seem to spread on the floor. Anyway, nice hack there.
ricky 10 Jan 08
My desk has the tray for cables built in and it folds down for easy access. Not cheap but nice http://www.wilkhahn.co.jp/products/minamo/desk/spec.html
Chris Shepherd 10 Jan 08
uh oh, I have a glass desk – this isn’t going to work…I’m gonna see that mess all the time!
Ryan 10 Jan 08
I like it, but I don’t think I’d be too comfortable with all those power sources inches above my crotch.
drivingsoth 10 Jan 08
Maybe too much electromagnetic radiation next to your balls??
Brad 10 Jan 08
As others have mentioned, it’s an awesome idea, but I’d like it on the backside of the desk rather than the underside. Both for heat and safety reasons. Neat implementation though.
Joel 11 Jan 08
It’s not behind the desk, it’s under it. So unless you’ve got some spectacular backproblem that won’t allow you to sit up straight in front of the computer, you won’t see the mess at all. Black cables or no.
Pete 14 Jan 08
It’s all good until you need to move it.
The Ben 14 Jan 08
Oh, Aaron Alexander!
“A clean desk is a sure sign of an empty mind”.
So say all of us messy desk brilliant people.
;-)
This discussion is closed.