When it comes to diving headfirst into a project for work, there's a delicate balance to be kept between the privacy needed to maintain concentration and the openness required to stave of a feeling of utter isolation. The Fading Desk, a product of Design Academy Eindhoven student Thijmen Van Der Steen, strikes that balance perfectly, providing a modern workspace that looks equally cool in an open-concept professional setting or a home office. The cool white desk is minimalist in nature, with a tri-fold glass screen that opens up to the degree of the worker's choosing and closes up, perfectly encasing the desktop and its components as soon as the task is complete. Perfect for hiding unsightly computer equipment, files and reminder notes, the translucent screens provide both a figurative and literal separation between the task at hand and life outside of it. In a world in which we're tethered to technology 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and so on, the satisfaction that comes with physically closing the door on work for the day isn't something to be overlooked. For that reason, along with the cool, crisp lines of the piece, we're fans of both the concept and the execution.
