Hi Brian,

I apologize for the delay. I had a busy week in which I ended up posting more content on the site daily. I did a thorough search for a suitable work bench for you but sadly wasn’t able to come up with anything that fit within your size requirements.

The closest thing I could find was this, which ended up being 8″ longer than you needed. The others were 40-some inches wide like the one you came across on my site.

Have you considered making your own using folding brackets? I’m not sure if that’s an option, but if it is this page might help if you haven’t already come across it yet.

I’m sorry I couldn’t be of much more help.

Have a wonderful day!

Warm Regards,
Tameka Norris

Hi,

I have some ideas ready for you. I think your main problem to start with is you likely have no strategy–no type of system that works seamlessly with what you do from day to day. Everything just appears to be there, but you haven’t coordinated your lifestyle.

And the best advice I can offer anyone who faces clutter is think of organization along the same terms as one would view an orchestra…

Everything should be working together toward a common goal. In an orchestra all instruments come together to create a one beautiful piece of music but each instrument has it’s time and place to contribute to the final product.

For you, of course it would be your daily routine. So what you want to do is orchestrate (i.e. delegate/assign) all items in your room (a specific spot/time and place) so daily tasks are seamless for you.

So before I get into making decorating recommendations, my first suggestion is that you…

Create an Organized System That Works for You

The big problem I see with how you’re handling things is that your miscellaneous items are taking over your room. To clarify, by that I mean, shampoos, lotions, books, DVDs and all of those other things you have sitting out on your shelves and on the shelves in your closet.

You’ll want to of course come up with a system of order and find a new way to arrange them (which we’ll talk about later in the decorating part of my advice to you) but before you do come up with a new system you should…

Assess Your Daily Routine

I would recommend you sit down, make a list (or mental list) of what you do from day to day. Or in short, an easier way to say it is sit down and look around your room and write down everything you use the most on a daily basis.

Surely, there are a lot of things you use everyday–but chances are good there are a lot of things you don’t use from day to day that are sitting out and taking up unnecessary/invaluable space.

Consider putting every item in the following category…

• items used daily
• items used frequently
• items used infrequently

 Let’s talk about it a little bit more in detail…

You said in your post that your friends come over a lot. Obviously, this is a good example of your daily routine and why you would want to keep your seating. Along the same lines the other items in your room can be assessed.

For instance, if you have DVDs lying out in the open. Say, you watch one or two every other day, whereas the others are watched less frequently. This will then quickly lead you to the conclusion that not all DVDs (items) are created equal when it comes to your living experience.

Some DVDs you may have on hand may need to be within easy reach whereas other DVDs may need to be stowed away in a place in which you can get to them, but not necessarily out in the open.

This is how you should assess everything in your room.

• Things that are used daily = items easily on hand.
• Things used frequently = items stowed away but within easy reach.
• Things used infrequently = items that should be stored but not quite as easy to get to as the above.

Now that that’s said and done, I will finish my recommendations to you. But I felt first it was best to help you assess your life so you can get things in order and under control.

Before we move into storage, decorating and so forth I’ve got a few more things to say…

Once you’ve coordinated everything according to your daily routine, I often also recommend doing a check-up every couple of months. You could make it 3, 6 or 12 but the gist would generally be to notate items you have around your home that you haven’t used for either 3, 6 or a 12 month period of time and putting them on “probation.”

This is how it works. It is taken from my article Organizing Small Spaces…

I guarantee if you make a good habit out of doing this then you’ll find yourself holding on to the right things as well as getting rid of things you no longer need.

Ask yourself…

• If you’re living in what-is land or what-if land.  Are you living in reality or are you currently taking a vacation on fantasy island?

• How you will manage if it turns out you need it and you don’t have it. If it’s going to be some major trouble to get it and it’s gone, then you’ve got your answer. Chances are good you should keep it. But if it’s easy to replace with a few bucks and a few minutes of your time, then chances are good you can get rid of it (donate it or sell it) without any trouble.

• How long you’ve currently had it and not used it. Do you use it at all? Or is it just pretty to look at? Are you keeping it because it just “feels good” to know you have it? Have days, months, or years gone by since you’ve last used it? If it’s only been a few months, and you suspect it might be very necessary to keep it, then stow it away and return in several months and go through the same question asking process.

Give It a Mental Grace Period

Take a mental inventory of an item you’re not sure you need and put it on a 3 month probation. Once 3 months goes by, you can say “yae” or “nae” about whether to keep it or not (by going over the questions above and considering things carefully).

If once you’ve gone over everything and you’re still not sure, give it another 3 months probation. Once that time has gone by, ask yourself the same questions if you’re still not sure. However, usually it’s safe to get rid of something, if you haven’t used it or needed it, once half a year has passed by.

As for storage/decorating… this may or may not help. If not, it may at least put you on the right path, but in your cirumstance, I would recommend creating a shelving center if once you’ve cleaned up you are still left with a load of miscellaneous items.

Find Your Idiosyncrasies

I can’t tell you exactly how to coordinate your lifestyle, which sometimes has a lot to do with how you can reduce clutter. You’re the only one who is aware of all of your idiosyncrasies.

I’ll use myself an example in order to clarify…

For instance, I know how I like to store things. I know how I operate on a mechanical level or methodical level. I know items I hate to use. I know how I like to reach for things, what process of reaching and grabbing for things turns me off.

This in turn leads me to understanding what items I need to buy in order to create the organizational system I need to apply to my life. This also allows me to understand what items to stay away from buying.

For example, I know that I don’t like storage containers. My mother loves using things like storage containers to store items in the bathroom, kitchen and so forth but over the years I’ve learned I hate storage containers of almost any kind. I find that they aggitate me and get in the way more than they help.

I don’t like extra stuff to help me take care of extra stuff. To me, I feel if I need a heap of containers to take care of my stuff then I usually have too much of what I’m trying to take care of. This off course isn’t always the case, I do use storage containers but on a general level, it gives you an idea of my approach.

In the same way, you have a thought process you’ll want to become aware of. A way you like to reach and grab for things, approaches that turn you off from grabbing things and so forth.

For example, you may hate storing specific items in particular places because they require you to work too hard to get to them–like pulling out a step stool and reaching for them–which ultimately will contribute to the chaos/clutter in a long-term basis. If you have to do it too much, you may end up not doing it at all.

In short, if part of the organization process you’re currently using or end up using has you doing things you absolutely hate or processes you don’t agree with–you need to find out what those things are and get rid of them or change them.

Creating a Shelving Center

I apologize if this isn’t the best advice but in your case–only from what I can tell, I would say a shelving center would do wonders for you. You almost have one, but the furniture you use to store your items doesn’t appear to be very efficient.

I’m going to show you several pictures which speak volumes. Keep in mind, that you’ll be storing different items if you use a shelving system (lotions, etc.) and also take note that this is a wall-mounted shelving system and only an example.

And although this may not be something you can use, it will give you an idea of what I’m suggesting as I continue on…

[Note: The top two photos above are Elfa's shelving system and the other is from Wallperfect]

This is the type of system that I think would work for you. Basically it’s like built-in wall shelving you see in some homes except without the built-in factor.

If you take a quick look, you’ll notice there’s a large amount of shelving being used. And there are miscellaneous items stored on the shelves. Since you have a lot of miscellenous products, it would likely work well with your daily routine.

In the case of the photos it’s wall-mounted shelving, but in your case you could…

• Use (2-3) cheap tall bookcases (stacked side-by-side) to create your own shelving center
• Use the current shelving in your room and build on it
• Use wall-mounted shelving as your shelving center
• Combine all three methods above–use a bookcase, wall mounted shelving and various shelving you own.

Depending on where you live and how you live, if you can’t create the shelving center along one full wall, split them up along several walls. Just be sure to group your supplies according to how you operate.

Example…

• Items used daily on middle shelves–easily reached shelves
• Items used less frequently on bottom shelves
• Items used infrequently on top shelves.

Wall-Mounted Shelving Center

If you decide to use wall-mounted shelving, you can create your own. It will cost you a bit of money. You’ll need…

• Hang Track
• Wall Standards
• Mounting Kit (screws and anchors)
• particle board shelving or wood

All of this is available at Lowes and most hardware stores but will cost you probably no less than $100. It will likely cost more than that but if you really want something like that… split the costs each month.

Start by getting the standards, mounting kit and hang track first, then get a shelf and the right amount of brackets to go with it every month. You can get Elfa kits and so forth (like above) but they cost much more and you could cut costs by getting the standards and other supplies yourself.

Cheap Bookcase Shelving Center

If you want to use cheap bookcase… try checking out thrift stores for them first or places like craigslist and freecycle in order to get them even cheaper. If you can’t find them there, most only run about $30 each. Get one a month if you can’t afford them all at once.

Using What You Currently Have

The shelving you have your TV on could be used if you could build on it. I think you have similar shelving in your closet, so I would recommend using both of those together, if you can. Stack it tall if you can’t stack it wide. Tall stacking will help you conserve width-space which is often more effective when you’re short on space.

Various Suggestions…

I would recommend you keep the storage bin between your bed and loveseat. If you use wall-mounted shelving, you would place the bin beneath the shelving system like in one of the photos above, but if not consider putting the bin in your closet (if you have one at your new location) and using it to store your undergarments, if need be.

You have miscellaneous items spread throughout your room–stored on miscellaneous stands. If possible, combine those things together as part of the shelving center. If not, get rid of them (unless you find some other purpose for them)–but a lot of the little stands in your room are taking up unnecessary space when you could use one central shelving system to store almost all of those miscellaneous items.

Since the shelving system would be along your wall it would free up a lot of walking space once you rid yourself of the miscellaneous stands spread throughout your room.

Lastly, I have a compilation of miscellaneous suggestions at the risk of repeating myself–but some may be of use to you…

Other Suggestions…

Here are some other suggestions that came to mind. Note that some suggestions may conflict with the other suggestions. So use what ideas you think will suit you best when you move. I tried to be as accurate as possible but since I’m human I’m prone to mistakes …

• Put your fan in the closet–stow it away in the winter and pull it out in the summer when needed. That is assuming you only use it during the warmer months. (I usually do this one.)
• Stow your bean bag seat away in the closet until it is needed. Pull it out when necessary, put it back in when it’s not in use.
• Pull the closet shelving out and use it as part of your shelving center.
• Put the storage bin that’s between your loveseat and bed (in photo 3) in your closet and store your undergarments in it. Pull out media items such as CDs, etc and store them on your shelving center.
• Use the storage bin (in photo 3) as the lower part of your shelving center if you go with the idea of using wall-mounted shelving.
• Get rid of the stand beside your loveseat or use it as the lower part of your shelving center if you go with the idea of using wall-mounted shelving.
• Put posters on your wall last. Make sure you’ve arranged all of the shelving and so forth in your room and then put up the posters you like best.
• Get rid of the long drape in your room. If you like it dark, consider replacing the drape with a dark mini blind or dark shade and then using a simple  valance to add a decorative touch.
• Get rid of that little stand (with the tissues on it) in between your bean bag and floor chair (in photo 4).

I hope some of that helped. I know all of it might not but it might lead you on the right path nonetheless!

Feel free to write if you need anymore help!

Hi,

It depends on what type of space saving clothes hangers you’re looking for, but I’ll assume you’re looking for (tiered) cascading hangers. Some that might solve your problem and help you save space in your closet are…

• Kascade Hangers – Stacks and Stacks sells these. They’re made out of wood and you can get them as a set of 18, 30 or 50.
• Cedar Hangers – You can get these from Get Organized, but at the moment since they are not in stock there, I’ll recommend you get them at Taylor Gifts.
• Hanger Cascader – These you can also get at Get Organized, but currently they are also out of stock, so try getting them at QVC.

I hope that helped!

Hi Deborah,

I am definitely no expert but I will take a shot at answering your questions. I don’t think I’ll be able to answer them all as you would like, as I’m afraid I wouldn’t lead you in the appropriate direction. However, I’d be more than happy to help to the best of my ability.

Are you able to send in any photos of what your home looks like? If so, I think I’d be able to help you a lot better.

As for the wall colors, I think off-white and cream work great, but you may also want to consider giving pale or light green a try. Not necessarily for your entire house. But perhaps for one room. And of course, that’s only if you feel it would not clash with your carpet. If you feel that it would a light blue might work well as an alternative.

However, as for green, in my opinion it really makes a lot of rooms stand out. If you don’t want to paint all of your walls that color or if you don’t want to paint them all cream or off-white, consider painting one wall a pale or light green and the others off-white or cream. Since green is a cool color it is also said to make rooms look and feel a lot bigger while giving your room a calming affect.

As for your living room and dining room combo… we also have the same situation. At the moment we have our sofa against the wall which opens the space a lot but I have found it doesn’t really compliment the living room. Sometimes a cozier, smaller approach works better. So instead, we plan to use our loveseat to section off one room from the other. In your situation, you might want to do the same thing. It’s nice to make a room look bigger but sometimes it’s important to realize that by trying to optimize space it can reduce a sense of warmth if not done correctly.

I think with your windows you could consider several things: you could keep it simple and decorate your windows with valances and/or swags… this often lets light in and opens up space but the downside is sometimes it can be a very plain approach. It is a good idea only if you want a minimalist effect and you can balance out the simplicity with warmth.

Generally, I believe drapes tend to offer a cozier feeling. However, if you stick with drapes you may need to switch the type of drapes you have (the style). Or if you find drapes to be too heavy and valances/swags to be too simple… you could go with sheers.

It’s light and airy and still provides you with a nice warm, cozy look and feel. The green and white really balance things out.

But again, all of this is like shooting in the dark and it would be hard to tell you what to do personally… as each home is different.

Concerning your walls, assuming I understand what you mean by “bad spots” — have you considered using the bad spots to your benefit by sponge painting your walls? If I was in your situation I might consider doing something like that. Here is a set of directions on how to go about it if you like this idea:

How to Faux Paint by Sponging

I think that’s all I can offer for now. But again, if you would like to send photos… I’d be glad to do my best to help you out more.

I’ve currently found 2 wall mounted shelves you may be interested in. In which you can place numerous 3-4 electronics/audio/video equipment on them. The first is made by Peerless and has multiple reviews.

In the end it seems to be well received and might be what you’re looking for: Peerless PM 610G – Wall-Mounted Electronics Tower with 4 Arms

The second has no reviews and holds one audio/video equipment less than the other but it may be more suitable for you, depending on your interests so I will provide you with the link as well: Omni Mount 3 Shelf Wall System

I’m sure there are others but those two are a good place to start.

I did check on wall fans, but I’m sure you already know there are some out there but very few that protrude from the wall. I’m guessing that you’re specifically looking for something like that and that the average fan doesn’t work.

If you’re looking for something simplistic then this one might do. It’s a regular wall fan but I can’t vouch for how good it is.

I hope that helped. Thanks again for writing, Lynda.

Have a nice day and good luck on finding the fan you’re looking for!

Hi Beth,

I used to be overcome with a clutter of paper myself. I used to hold on to everything and not know what to get rid of at all. I’d go through a time in which I’d clean up and then the cirumstance would continue all over again. I’d end up with a room full of papers and wonder what the heck happened.

I tried to figure out a way in which I could come up with a system to get rid of all the clutter yet have them on hand if I needed the papers. So to solve my problems, I decided to use my computer as an electronic file cabinet.

I scanned all the papers that I didn’t need in physical form and put them on CD. To be certain that they wouldn’t be lost, I made back-up CDs for every disc I created.

I know you said you run an animal rescue group, so if this idea appeals to you, a wonderful way to go about it for you would be to sort your papers by year.

If your papers are piling up and backing up several years, you might want to put the last several years on CD and keep the most recent 1-2 years in physical paper form.

If you have a scanner (like I did) that has an auto feed, it would be best to use it because you can just put the papers in it and let the scanner scan them in. Otherwise, it will be a lot of work for you.

You just want to be certain as you scan them that you organize them in appropriate folders. You can categorize them by group or file them under an A-Z older system and then burn them on CD (your choice of CD-R or CD-RW). And then whenever you need them you can pull them up on your computer (and print them off).

Just make sure that when you scan the papers you can read them clearly on screen before you get rid of the physical paper(s). It’s worth the extra space it takes up.

Take it from me. I scanned them on draft once and didn’t bother to look and ended up losing papers that were important to me later because I couldn’t see them clearly.

Also, if filing your papers (electronically) by year doesn’t work for you, then another good idea is to file them from least important to most important.

You said you have a whole bunch of papers. However, there’s probably only a small selection of papers that you absolutely have to have on hand (most important). A good thing to do is go through your papers like you would organize (or get rid of) other items in your house…

Ask yourself how you would survive without them?

How would each record/paper affect your life if you didn’t have it on hand in physical form? If you would be okay printing it off and it would not affect your life in a detrimental way, then those papers are the ones you can electronically file away on disc without risk of trouble in the future.

Once you’ve got your electronic file cabinet set up, a good place to store your CDs is in a CD organizer. I use a CD drum to organize my CDs, because they are compact, hold a lot of CDs and are stackable.

You can buy more than one and they are made to stack on top of each other. As well, they come with a wallet and you can pull out the CD pockets from the drum and put them in the wallet in case you need some of the information on CD when you travel.

Here’s a link to the CD drum I use. You can also get these locally at Staples.

The best place to begin, is sorting the most important from the least important papers. What papers do you have to have on hand no matter what (most important)? What papers are you keeping “just in case” (possible least important papers)?

Once you’ve sorted through them and separated them, you’ll probably end up throwing some things away that you don’t need in the process.

Once you’ve gotten down to a stack of papers you’re unsure about getting rid of those are your definite least important papers and can be filed away electronically.

But let me mention, if you’re ever unsure of whether you need something or not, filing them away electronically will not hurt you because you can always return to them in a year or even half a year and get rid of them. Or keep them if you choose. The extra space they take up won’t be much or worth the extra trouble of getting rid of something you may need later.

So okay, to summarize…

Your most important papers could go on file in a “real” file cabinet in your home so that they’re always on hand. And papers that date back some time or
least important papers can go on file in an “electronic” file cabinet.

And you can always keep your most recent 1-2 years on file (in physical form) and continue to file away dated material electronically as time goes on.

To handle your “active” papers—the ones you can’t do without on a daily basis, Sally Allen recommends putting them in an active file box.

Since I’m not as well educated on organization as Sally, I’m going to refer you to her article because she has some good pointers. You might want to follow her advice on “Building and Effective Paperwork System” in this article.

I think it might help you a lot.

Here’s the link:
Get Organized! Organizing the Paper Crisis

Anyway, I hope that helped, Beth. If you have any other questions or concerns at anytime, please don’t hesitate to write me back. I’m always happy to respond. Have a wonderful day!

Hi Mary,

I do have a suggestion, if you’re up for thinking outside of the box a little.

It sounds like your desk is very narrow which got me thinking it’s possible you have a writing desk (as opposed to a basic computer desk). I realize I could be wrong but during my search I noticed that those are the measurements that seemed consistent with a lot of writing desks.

Nonetheless it led me to thinking about console and sofa tables. They provide the exact type of measurements that you’re looking for (46″L x 15″D).

So you could easily use those as a desk if you’re up for it. I also notated the height of most sofa tables and they seem to be around desk height as well. A nice standard height for a lot of writing desks seems to be 29″. You’ll find that a lot of sofa and console tables are also around this height.

If you like this idea and want to use a sofa/console table as a desk, of course it’s best to look for some that look as much like regular desks as possible.

If you decide you don’t mind this slight difference in appearence and you want to get one online, I would recommend you first go to a local store and check some out there. It will help you be sure that this idea isn’t too awkward for your tastes.

If it does suit your tastes, be certain to avoid sofa or console tables with second/bottom shelves—as those look like they won’t work as desks because the shelves will get in the way when you’re trying to sit at them.

Good luck in your search!

Typically, it is a good idea to decorate your small space with a light color since they reflect light much better and open your space up.

It is often said it’s best to stay away from darker colors for the exact opposite reason—they absorb the light and tend to make your space look smaller.

It’s also commonly said that pale, pastel, neutral or cool colors provide your space with an open feeling. So, to answer your question, cool colors are typically said to be best to use to make your space feel larger in comparison to warm colors.

Cool colors (i.e. [light] blue) tend to trick your eyes into thinking the walls are further away which is why they are said to be best. Whereas, warm colors make the walls feel like they are moving toward you which can make your small space feel smaller.

Summarily, you may wish to go with a light cool color for best results of making your space look as large as possible. Don’t forget you can also combine different cool colors to keep it lively and not so boring, like blue and green. That is, you can paint one wall one color and another wall another color. Also keep in mind adding mirrors will give you even more of an advantage with providing your home with a feeling of open space.

You can view a nice palette of cool and warm colors to get an idea of them both and to confirm what you want to do in the end.

With that said, if you prefer warm colors it still may be best for you to paint your walls that way if enjoy that cozy feeling above all else. In the end you may find it worth the sacrifice.

With warm colors, remember there’s also a compromise available. Make a slight compromise by choosing light warm colors to ensure the room will feel fairly bright to you while offering you the intimacy you enjoy.

Also consider using a gloss finish since it reflects light and can aid you further in expanding space.

Lastly, monochromatic colors are also said to be a good choice. Why? Because using colors that are close in tone tricks the eye into believing there’s more space since the eye remains uninterrupted when scanning the room.

When sorting through all of the advice, always remember you’ll be the one living in your home day in and day out. You want to be certain that the colors you pick are colors you enjoy. Your desires should always be your number one choice. Forget about what everyone else says. What do you want?

Got a small space question? Send in a general question or get decorating advice by sending in a photo or two and we’ll see if we can come up with a good answer to help you out.

Hi Amy,

I have checked around and kept your preferences in mind. I have two suggestions that you may or may not work for you. You said you tried having a desk in your room but didn’t want it to look like an office. And I also recall you saying that the desk was too big.

Assuming you haven’t already thought of this yourself in your search for the perfect item, have you considered getting a computer armoire or secretary’s desk? Both offer you the opportunity to hide your computer behind a door or drawer.

Choosing Computer Armoires

The essential con with computer armoires is that they are moderately tall and the more you want from them, the bigger they are. If you go with a compact armoire, you’ll likely either have to get a fairly creative by using the compartments that are meant for the CPU unit, etc. as the storing place for your books if you need additional room.

If you do that, you’ll likely have to store some of your books vertically (on top of each other) as well as horizontally (side by side). Also, if you use a computer armoire, you’ll want to plug in an extra keyboard in order to use your laptop.

What’s great about armoires is they blend into the look and feel of your room without making your room look like a home office. Remember, you can also put a plant on top of them, photos, etc. to personalize and beautify your room even more.

Some Computer Armoires worth considering are…

• Burnham Standard Computer Armoire
  
• French Country Standard Computer Armoire
  

All of these are nice choices if they are not considered too big for your room. If so, then maybe a corner option would work. For example, the Burnham Standard Computer Armoire offers a link from its page to a corner version of its style.

Home Decorator’s Collection also offers more of these type of armoires, so you’ll want to be certain to check them out. It also never hurts to also see what people are saying about them on Amazon.

Now for the second option–secretary desks.

Choosing Secretary Desks

Most secretary desks are compact so that you can fit them in a small space and they look a lot like armoires or chests. This also gives you the opportunity to also decorate them so that they mesh into the look and feel of your room even more.

You can add a bit of personality to them with a silk plant, photo of a family member, a knickknack or two or whatever you so wish.

If you make the right choice by getting one with doors on the bottom and/or a top hutch, you can also store your books in it as well. One with a hutch typically adds a lot more height.

Generally speaking, the secretary desks without hutches, or the ones that aren’t too tall will keep your room feeling more open. However, sometimes a taller item is worth the compromise for ease of use and comfort.

You’ll see below that there are several choices of secretary desks. They’re categorized under “Short Secretary Desks” and “Tall Secretary Desks.”

In your situation, I would be tempted to choose the short secretary desks because the height of them would work best in a small room as opposed to a tall one. However, the short ones are the least safe option because it would require you to move things around a bit and they don’t appear to be made specifically for personal computers.

On the otherhand, the tall secretary desks are made with computers in mind. They are the safest option but the only con is that they are tall if you don’t want something that high in your room.

Personally, I would likely go with the short one but only if I was certain everything would work out, such as the lid being deep enough to hold the laptop properly. The ability to adjust the laptop so that I could view the screen appropriately without the top compartment of the secretary desk hindering adjustability.

So if you decided to go with one of those, you’d likely have to maneuver your laptop around a bit and depend on the top lid as a way to use it when you needed it. Once you were done, you then you could simply close your laptop and slide it all the way back when it wasn’t in use. However, if you decided to do that, chances are you would never be able to close the lid on the desk.

Another option is, if the secretary desk comes with a drawer, and the drawer is deep, wide and high enough, you could place your laptop in it when it’s not in use. That way you wouldn’t always have to keep the lid open on the secretary desk.

If you go with one of the short secretary desks, I would recommend contacting the company that sells it and asking them if there’s a way they could give you the exact measurements of the top drop lid and the top compartment on the desk you’re interested in.

This would just gaurantee that the top lid on it would be long and wide enough for you to place your laptop on it when it was in use and that you could adjust your laptop without the top compartment hindering you from doing that.

Also, if you have some local stores in your area, it’s suggested you buy one from them. That way you can look at them up close and see the pros and cons of each without taking a risk of being dissatisfied with something in particular.

:: Short Secretary Desks ::

• Amalia Golden Floral Secretary Desk
  
• Hampton Bay Office Center

  This one is an exception to the rule. However it is quite wide. It works for PCs but may be too large for you. This one also brings up a good thought. If you get something like this, and you want to shelve your books in the compartment where you see the CPU unit in the picture, if you aren’t able to shelve them side by side, consider shelving them vertically. One book on top of the other. The bottom compartment will also likely allow you shelving space.
  

:: Tall Secretary Desks ::

• Chesterfield Secretary Desk
  
• Secretary Flip Down Computer Desk And Chair
  Expensive but if you have the money, you may want to consider it. Shipping is also free for this one.
  

Again, Home Decorator’s Collection has more Secretary Deks available. You may want to check them out. I only listed a few that I thought would be most helpful to you.

Anyway, I hope that helped or at least aided in getting your creative juices going so that perhaps it might give you another idea that would be useful to you.