The contract furniture manufacturer’s first line built specifically for learning environments debuts with modular classroom storage and a teacher’s workstation designed for rooms that change by the hour.
DeskMakers on Aug. 17 introduced its Education Collection, the company’s first furniture line designed specifically for learning environments. Designed by Ryan Mora, the collection debuts with Orbit, a mobile and modular classroom storage system, and the ERA Teacher’s Desk, and is available now through DeskMakers dealers and representatives serving K-12 schools, higher education, libraries, and learning commons.
Schools have specified DeskMakers furniture for years, but the Education Collection marks the first time the company has developed a line around how classrooms actually work. Rather than furniture adapted from the office, Orbit and ERA were engineered for rooms that reconfigure several times a day, for surfaces that take daily abuse, and for the budget and timeline realities of school procurement.
“DeskMakers has been in classrooms for a long time without ever fully claiming it,” said Phil Polishook, CEO of DeskMakers. “Educators give so much every day, often with furniture that wasn’t really designed around how they teach. We wanted to change that, and to do it right, with the same level of thought and craft we put into every collection we build. This is the first time we’ve gone all in on education, and it shows.”
Orbit: mobile, modular classroom storage
Orbit is a comprehensive classroom storage system built around a consistent family of three widths and scaling from bench-height seating to full-height storage. It is offered in open cubby, closed, mixed, and hanging configurations, along with cushioned storage benches, double-sided islands, and hanging units with cubbies or cabinets. Quiet-rolling locking swivel casters allow units to be repositioned in moments, so a room can shift from individual work to group collaboration to presentation without a facilities request. Locking and non-locking options let schools set the right level of security space by space, and every classroom item has a place, from books, games, and learning materials to backpacks, coats, and personal belongings.
ERA: the teacher’s workstation, reconsidered
The ERA Teacher’s Desk brings the collection’s soft, organic design language to the everyday teacher workstation through tapered end panels, radius corners, and balanced proportions. ERA is available in six sizes, with 60″, 66″, and 72″ lengths in 24″ or 30″ depths. Every desk includes a locking storage cabinet and wide center drawer as standard, giving teachers a secure place for personal belongings, and an ADA-compliant model maintains full knee clearance. All models ship fully assembled.
“When I started thinking about classrooms, I kept picturing how much motion happens in a single day,” said Ryan Mora, who designed the collection. “Teachers moving from the front of the room to a student’s side, kids shifting between focus and collaboration. I wanted the furniture to feel like part of that rhythm instead of standing outside of it. Every detail, from the shape of a desk to how easily a storage unit moves, comes back to that idea. Furniture that supports the energy of the room instead of getting in its way.”
Built for the way classrooms use furniture
Materials were selected to balance durability and value, combining TFL and HPL surfaces with a curated selection of solid-color HPL finishes that bring energy and personality into the classroom while complementing DeskMakers’ standard and premium woodgrains. Throughout the collection, soft corners and tuned proportions reflect design considerations unique to the classroom: child safety, increased durability, and comfortable use by both children and adults.
Orbit and the ERA Teacher’s Desk are GREENGUARD Gold certified for low chemical emissions, the indoor air quality standard developed for schools and other spaces where children spend their days. Both products are backed by DeskMakers’ standard warranty and ship in 3-4 weeks, a lead time short enough for a district to order over summer break and have classrooms furnished before the first day. The collection is manufactured at the company’s facility in Commerce, California, and is available through GSA, TIPS, and state contract vehicles.
More of the collection to come
Orbit and ERA are the first of several products planned for the Education Collection. Two additional teacher’s desks, Pilot and Co-Pilot, are in development and will be introduced in a separate announcement, extending the collection with a greater sense of privacy and permanence at the front of the room. DeskMakers plans to continue adding products built for the education market.
Orbit and the ERA Teacher’s Desk are available now through DeskMakers dealers and representatives. Product specifications, finish options, and CET Designer symbols are available at www.deskmakers.com.
About DeskMakers
DeskMakers is a contract furniture manufacturer producing case goods, tables, and workspace solutions at its facility in Commerce, California. DeskMakers is known for fast lead times, flexible customization, and warm, well-crafted design, and serves commercial, education, and public-sector interiors through a national dealer and representative network. DeskMakers is the parent company of Peter Pepper Products and Scale 1:1. Visit www.deskmakers.com.