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I purchased the West Elm Mid Century Desk in Acorn a few months ago and have gathered my thoughts on it after using it daily in my office.
It’s always super hard to find reviews on West Elm products, and I get nervous to buy furniture online without reading reviews, so here’s a brief review for you with my thoughts on this desk!
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PROS
This West Elm desk really encompasses the mid-century modern look I was going for and truly anchors the whole office.
I love the large amount of desktop workspace it offers with 52″w x 24″d of space to use.
One of my favorite aspects of this desk are its two deep drawers on the sides, enabling me to keep extra pens, paper clips, stapler, notebooks, and other office supplies hidden out of the way.
The center thinner drawer is really unique too and I love how I can tuck away my planner and my most reached-for items neatly hidden away until I need to pull them out.
These drawers are the main reason why I can maintain a very minimal and tidy workspace.
The acorn color is really beautiful and adds the perfect amount of warmth to the otherwise neutral space.
CONS
This desk was definitely more money than I wanted to spend on a desk, and I really debated for months whether to pull the trigger or not.
There are many more affordable desk options out there, so I really struggled with the price.
At this price point, it would have been nice for the drawers to have a more sturdy feel to them (is it too much to ask for soft-close drawers too?), but it’s definitely not a deal breaker.
Other than the drawers, the desk itself is sturdy and pretty well-built.
The shipping cost from West Elm is always a little painful, but at least it does come fully assembled and delivered to the exact room you need it.
If you can catch it during a sale (which thankfully happens pretty often), your wallet will thank you!
Overall, I really love this midcentury modern desk and it’s been one of my all-time favorite purchases from West Elm!
I’ve found it to be a worthy investment piece for my home and it pulls my whole office look together, so for me, it was well worth it.
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I’ve had this desk for a few years. It’s a piece of junk. The frame has chipped terribly over time from the inevitable chair bumping it, leaving splinters all along the edge of the frame. Meanwhile the drawers do not open and close well.
My friend has the same desk and reports the same issues.
It’s a beautiful looking piece and I’ll say it’s very heavy / sturdy — but it’s garbage quality for the price. I wanted to buy the matching bookcase but don’t think I will ever bring myself to get another West Elm product.
Can you share how the finish has held up now that you’ve owned this desk for a while? I’m considering buying a console from the mid century acorn-finish line and am curious how durable it will be.
Hi there! The finish has been great and still looks as good as new. I haven’t had any issues with chipping or peeling or anything. I’m very happy with the desk still!
What is the chair you have in the photo?
I’ve had this desk for four years now. I have to say it is the worst furniture purchase I’ve ever made. We hit our knees constantly on the very sharp bottom corners of the drawers and it’s super painful. The fake veneer is flaking off from slight bumps from our chair when we push it in. Huge regrets.
Hey Viv & Tim, thanks for the review. Can you comment on the finish of the back of the desk? Is the back just as presentable as the rest? I ordered the Living Spaces copycat version of this desk recently, and it turned out the shape of the back of the desk did not match the online photos. Also they seemed to use cheaper materials and the finish was not as nice as we expected. I’m just curious what the West Elm version is like
Hi! Yes I would say the back of the west elm midcentury desk is just as presentable as the rest 🙂
Thank you for the review. I’m looking at one of their desks too and it’s hard to find reviews.
You’re welcome! Yes I agree it’s so hard to find reviews. Thank for stopping by!
I have this desk and will be returning it in favor of the Tate desk at Crate and Barrell (even more painful pricewise). I found that as a taller-ish person, I keep knocking my knees into the corners of the drawers while sitting on this desk. A few times it’s been quite painful. I have found that changing the height of my chair does not help. The Tate desk is linear and not as pretty but likely won’t hurt to sit at 🙂
Thanks for reviewing this, West Elm product reviews are few and far between.
You’re very welcome! The Tate desk is super pretty too!
hi, i am interested in this desk but im wondering is the top of the table a veneer or solid wood? i ask because i bought a nice desk from made.com that has a veneer top and its starting to damage at the edges.
Hi! I looked on the website, which says the desk is “Kiln-dried solid eucalyptus wood and engineered wood with an acacia wood veneer.” I’ve had a different table before with a veneer that peeled also, so I know what you mean, but I think that one was constructed differently. I’ve only had my west elm desk for few months and no issues with any peeling so far. I don’t think this west elm one will peel though – I feel like it’s constructed really well actually! Hope this helps 🙂
Hi! I’m wondering how the clearance is under the desk. I tend to shift around a lot – do you find that it’s right between the drawers?
The clearance is fine for me and is comfortable enough. But if you shift around a lot I feel like you might get a little claustrophobic in between the drawers, so maybe it might be better for you to get a desk that has a lot more space under and in between the drawers 🙂 Hope this helps!
Thanks! I did end up going with another style. I truly appreciate the feedback.