Design Your Credenza

Are you purchasing a credenza for your office or home office? Here are a few questions to consider in designing your credenza:

What height should the credenza be? If you intend to use the credenza as a work surface, it should be the same height as your desk (typically 29" high, but measure your desk to be sure). If not, we recommend a height of 34" for credenzas. This breaks up the static height of the tables, and makes the room design more interesting than if all desks and tables were the same height.

How will the credenza be used? There are many storage options including shelves, drawers and lateral files. The options you choose will depend on what will be stored in your credenza.

Will there be electronics inside your credenza? Be sure to measure the components and make sure they will fit inside. You may need special options for the credenza like wiring access or ventilation in the rear panel.

Ventilation is often overlooked when designing a credenza, but it is critically important. Electronic equipment outputs a surprising amount of heat. In an enclosed space the heat can build up to such a level that it can crash or even permanently damage your electronics. Proper ventilation will ensure that eletronic components stored inside your credenza do not overheat.

The simplest form of ventilation is air holes or vents cut into the back panel. Your furniture designer will work with you to make sure the vents are correctly placed to provide airflow to your electronics. If the credenza will contain many components with high power output, simple air vents may not be enough and you may need to have fans installed in the back of the credenza. Either way, make sure to leave a gap of at least a couple of inches between the credenza and the wall; if the back is pressed up against the wall this will block airflow and defeat the purpose of venting.