The West Elm parsons desk. Search for it on Pinterest. We dare you. It is with great confidence that we state this is the most popular desk on the market… bloggers, creatives, students, business owners, and freelancers sit down and get to work on the glossy platform day after day. Both Danielle and I have them in our home offices (shown here and here), and we’ve seen the parsons pop up in the offices of many career features here on The Everygirl (Emily Schuman, Abby Larson, Melanie Pace, and Taylor Sterling, to name a few). It’s not too big or too small. It’s not too contemporary or too traditional. It’s not too girly or too masculine. It’s juuust right.

Our favorite characteristic of the parsons is its versatility: the fact that you can place it in almost any design or size room and make it work depending on how you style it. Here I’ve created three disparate looks–feminine and pink, neutral and sleek, and colorful and fun–to exemplify that as long as you have the basic desk essentials, you can style a workspace that best suits you.

Ingredients to Style a Parsons Desk
1. Lamp: to keep the harsh lighting of the monitor at bay during those late work nights
2. Tray: to corral the knick-knacks that can typically clutter a desktop
3. Scented candle: to help create a relaxing work environment
4. Coaster: to prevent your favorite beverage from seeping onto papers and your keyboard
5. Notepad: to track your to do list
6. Pencil cup: to store your prettiest Le Pens, Sharpies, cheeky pencils, gold scissors, et al.
7. Natural elements: to brighten your day and bring life into the tech-heavy space

Simple enough! Just keep the colors and materials of the accents similar (lucite vs nickel vs glass, gold vs silver, natural woods vs painted ceramic, etc). If you find yourself in need of additional storage, the parsons filing cabinet is ideal for printer or laptop storage and piles of paperwork. Keep cords tied up and out of sight with reusable ties. Follow these tips and you’ll have a well-composed workspace, ready to inspire and serve you.

View other styling features here:
How to Style an Entryway
How to Style a Nightstand
How to Style a Coffee Table
How to Style Kitchen Counter Tops
How to Style Flowers
How to Style a Bed
How to Style Sale on Joss and Main

alaina kaczmarski danielle moss west elm parsons desk