Casegood Terminology

Terminology can be a difficult thing.  Every industry has their own terms and some of them are not known by the end user.  This is no different in the furniture world, especially when talking about desks.  In fact, the word desk is often used to describe a number of furniture products that are technically classified as case-goods.  Below you will see some technical phrases used in the office furniture world and what they actually mean.

Desks

Most people refer to any standalone work station as a desk.  While this is true in most cases, the word desk often does not give the piece of furniture credit.  From an industry standpoint a desk is just one component of a work station.  To be more specific, a desk is usually the front part of a work station and typically has a 30” depth.  However, this is not a strict rule.  For example, a bow front desk is a unit that has a rounded front to provide more work surface area and can be as deep as 36”.  Additionally, there is no required measurement to be considered a desk.  We are presenting this information for what is typical from most manufacturers.

Credenza

Some people have smaller work stations that are as wide as a desk but aren’t as deep.  These units are typically classified as credenzas.  A credenza looks very similar to a desk but typically features a smaller 24” depth.  These units are great for adding a work area in smaller spaces but also serve another purpose.  A traditional executive office is commonly made up of a desk with a credenza behind it.  The two pieces work hand in hand in a room to create a formal executive look.  Furthermore, a desk and credenza are components of any U-Shaped desk by adding a bridge and a key piece in L-Shaped Desks as well.

Bridge

The term bridge in the case-good world is used to refer to the piece that creates U-Shaped Desks.  Most major manufacturers offer bridges that connect credenza and desks together to form typical U-Shaped desks.  Now this is where case-good lines can get confusing.  Bridges come in a number of widths and depths that dictate how large of a work station is being created.  You can make any desk larger by getting a bigger bridge and can make a more compact work station by using a smaller one.  Just be careful to make sure you have enough space between your desk and credenza to work comfortably.

Corner Extension

This is a term that is not used as frequently as some of the others but is still worth mentioning.  A desk or credenza can be designed with a corner extension.  This means that instead of having a typical rectangular design, one side extends out a bit further.  This side is meant to connect to a bridge to form a U-shaped desk with more work surface area or a return to form a larger L-shaped desk.  It is important to be careful when working with units with a corner extensions because they can only be configured one way.  So the bridge or return must be attached to the elongated side to form a proper workstation. 

Return

A return is another simple, yet important, piece of any modular case-good series.  A return is the piece that gets connected to either a desk or a credenza to form an L-shaped unit.  Like with bridges, returns can be ordered in a variety of sized that change the overall size of the desk.  Additionally, returns work great with corner extension desks and credenzas.  They often create an L-shaped desk with a bit more work surface area and can be used in tight spaces.

Pedestal

One of the most overlooked pieces of any furniture line is the bank of drawers, commonly know as pedestals.  This is a key component not only for function but also style.  We all need some storage space and we all want our workstations to look nice.  Having the right type of pedestal is a key to success.  Pedestals can be full sized, meaning they reach from the desk top to the floor or can be hanging which means they hang from the desk and do not touch the floor.  Neither style is better than the other, they are just different.  A hanging pedestal offers less storage but allows you more leg room under a desk or credenza while a full to floor pedestal trades leg space for storage.  Finally, most case-good series offer a few types of full length pedestals.   Meaning that they offer different types of drawers.  Most common are pedestals that offer two file drawers or two box drawers and one file drawer; however, some other variants do exists. 

Hutch

Desks, L-shaped desks, and U-shaped desks often do not offer us enough storage for the space we have and sometimes do not have the executive look we are going for.  In these cases a hutch is usually the best solution.  A hutch is a storage unit that is designed to sit on top of a desk or credenza, in just about any configuration, that provides extra storage.  Additionally, certain hutches have doors while some do not.  This again is preference oriented.  Doors are great to hide files and other reference materials.  In contrast, having an open hutch allows us to display book collections, pieces of art, or just about anything else we want people to see when they enter our office.  Hutches are available in most case-good series and provide a great alternative to larger storage units like bookcases or lateral files.

Whenever you are in the need of a new work station spend a few minutes to think about what you are looking for.  Measure your room and see if a desk or a credenza is the right fit.  If you are trying to furnish a corner, consider a corner extension unit and remember to think about the different pedestal and hutch options.  If you are every confused about what you need feel free to reach out to us at sales@furniturewholesalers.com.  We are the experts and are happy to share our knowledge with you, especially now that you will understand some of the terms we use.