A Desk That’s Two Kinds of Modern

Sens’s Fattie desk is a time-travel piece: it’s designed to fit right in with mid-century Modern furniture, but it also accommodates the modern office, with space for a computer keypad, monitor, mouse, and all the cords that inevitably come with them. The inspiration for the desk came from one of David Goldenberg’s clients, a lawyer, who wanted to be able to look at several books, files, and other documents while he was typing at his computer.

Goldenberg’s solution was to use glass pieces in the walnut desk to cover the keyboard area, so that a book could be placed directly over the hands, but if moved, the user could see the keyboard without obstruction. The Fattie also comes with a standing file that pops up out of the desk corner, but can be neatly hidden away, as well as has its left-hand drawer under glass, so the space’s contents can be readily observed.

Coming up with such versatile design for a demanding client is great practice for Goldenberg, whose company, Sens, is based in San Francisco. “A lot of my design ideas come from clients who are really picky,” he says. “But that’s good. If I can please that person, everybody else will like it, too.”