Calligraphy Desk Inspiration & The Possible Benefits of a Glass Top Desk for Calligraphy

Pilsen Desk in "Salt"

A new Crate & Barrel catalog arrived in the mail over the weekend.  As I flipped through the pages, a picture of the Pilsen Desk in Salt caught my eye almost immediately. When I imagine my ideal craft room, it includes a dedicated spot for writing and calligraphy, and a desk similar to this would be perfect.

My "craft room" is still in the "Cave of Wonders" stage (i.e. it contains numerous piles of mysterious crap), so I'm a long way from creating a dedicated space for for writing and calligraphy, let alone purchasing a desk.  But when I am, I'll probably be looking for a desk like this, because:

1. Size: the Pilsen desk is 48"W x 24"D x 30"H.  This is large enough to be comfortable for writing, even with a small storage cabinet sitting at one end. No hutch means that there isn't anything preventing you from resting your elbows on the table as you write.  On the other hand, it isn't gigantic.  If you want to create "stations" in your craft room dedicated to specific hobbies, but you have numerous hobbies, then you are going to need to keep those stations small and space efficient.
2. The Glass Top:  Wouldn't a glass top be perfect for tracing?  Just put a bright light underneath, and voila! Your entire desk has become a light box!
3. Again, The Glass Top: I'm assuming that it's easier to clean calligraphy ink off of glass than off of wood, real or man made.  (Please note that this theory has never been tested.  If you spill your ink and end up with a stained glass desk top, I am hereby resolved from all liability.)

Image sources: 1) Crate & Barrel Pilsen Paprika Desk, 2) Crate & Barrel Pilsen Salt Desk, and 3) Crate & Barrel Pilsen Graphite Desk

Item #3 on the list (ease of cleaning) is particularly important for me because I prefer using a dip pen (also known as a nib pen) to using a calligraphy marker or a fountain pen.  Using a dip pen requires having an open pot of ink on your desk, which inevitably spills at some point. Even if the ink pot doesn't spill, it would require major skill to use a dip pen without getting ink all over your fingers, and ink that's on your fingers is ink that destined to end up in many, many other places, including on your desk.

To be fair, I have successfully used calligraphy pen cleaner to successfully remove A LOT of ink off of a variety of surfaces. The time I somehow threw at least a full ounce of ink at a painted wall comes to mind (no clue how I managed to make that mess).  My old desk (which I had to leave behind when I got married) and my dining room table have suffered similar injuries.  The pen nib cleaner (usually Speedball Pen Cleaner) has removed the ink every time.  And yet...an easier-to-clean surface still seems like the path of wisdom to me. 

Also, in case you missed the links above, the Pilsen Desk is $199 at Crate and Barrel.