Customer Reviews
Great Desk with a Few Assembly Hiccups
I was really pleased with how quickly both boxes for the Sauder Palladia L-Shaped Desk arrived at my home. However, my excitement turned to caution when I recalled some reviews mentioning that while it's not hard to put together, it does take some time. My wife helped me bring the heavy packages inside. Once I opened them, I got a little worried when I couldn't find the instruction booklet right away, but eventually located it hidden among the pieces. Most parts were labeled, though a few weren't, which was similar to what others said. Thankfully, the unlabeled pieces weren't a huge deal. I found the missing 'U' label on one of the front brackets. The instructions were fairly straightforward, but with so many parts and my limited DIY skills, it took me a few days to finish. After putting in several hours over three days, I finally got the desk set up! Considering the few unlabeled pieces, the final product is. I think the $405 I spent was worth it, plus it looks great in my space!
Verified Purchase
Great desk for setting up a home office
This desk showed up pretty quickly in two big boxes. They were quite heavy! My wife and I opened the first box and started carrying a few boards at a time up to my office on the second floor. There are a ton of pieces! After taking a breather from getting everything upstairs, we jumped into the task of assembling this thing. There are lots of steps, and not everything was labeled well. The manual even joked that it wasn't Rome, and it could be built in a day. Maybe for someone who puts these together all the time, but it took us the whole weekend, and I usually find this kind of stuff easy to handle. But in the end, it looked fantastic. I was upgrading my office, and this desk, along with the matching bookshelf and filing cabinet, brought the whole style together. Just a heads up: don’t use a cordless drill, as it can strip the compressed wood. A screwdriver works better. Having a friend help with the final steps is a must since connecting the two L pieces alone can be tricky. Overall, I’m happy with the quality, look, and price of this desk.
Verified Purchase
Great desk for my office!
I'm really happy with this desk. The setup was straightforward, taking me about 4-5 hours. It's sturdy and has plenty of storage space. I've actually bought this desk before in black 11 years ago, and recently I decided to refresh my office with the grey version. Honestly, I don't think other desks match the quality, style, or durability of the Sauder brand. I would recommend this for your home office.
Verified Purchase
Good experience overall
This is the third Sauder Palladia piece we've picked up. We also got two bookcases and an L-shaped desk. First, about shipping: the two bookcases came through UPS, the desk (which was in two boxes) via FedEx, and the hutch came by ABF. All of them were packed nicely in large boxes with sturdy edges and heavy plastic wrap, but the hutch arrived in perfect shape while the other boxes had some damage. I think ABF had fewer handling issues, while the UPS ones had some corner damage, and we found broken parts that needed replacing. The FedEx boxes were scratched a bit but thankfully nothing was broken on those. Next, the assembly instructions were clear. They had good images to help match up with the parts, which was helpful, especially for the desk with its many pieces. And a tip: after unpacking, check for broken parts and order replacements through Sauder's website. They arrived quickly for us, around 4 to 5 days. Also, sorting the screws into separate piles made assembly way easier. I set up a large space with carpet to cushion everything while putting it together, which helped avoid scratches. Just a heads up, make sure to handle everything carefully during assembly since it's not real wood and can flex a bit. Finally, while the materials are engineered wood, I think the quality is solid overall, better than some Ikea stuff. Sure, we’d prefer real wood, but the price and quality feel right for what we got.
Verified Purchase
Solid desk (assembly takes time)
I have to agree that putting this desk together is no quick task—plan on spending at least 8 hours on it. It’s not super tough, but there are a ton of pieces, and some aren't labeled. I found the manual pretty straightforward and actually had a good time assembling it, although I can see why some might find a whole day of assembly frustrating. Before you start, sort out all the parts and screws, or you might end up like others who think the manual is confusing. It’s actually quite clear if you stay organized. Make sure to set it up in the room where it will stay, as moving it afterward is a real chore. The desk itself is sturdy and looks great. I ended up taking one drawer out to fit my office chair better. I spent $399 plus shipping, which seemed like a steal compared to other places like Sears or Wayfair, where they sell the same desk for way more. Overall, for what I paid, I would recommend this desk to anyone in need of a large, sturdy workspace.
Verified Purchase
Great desk for the price
This desk showed up quickly in two hefty boxes. My wife and I opened the first one and lugged some boards up to my office on the second floor. There are a ton of pieces! We took a break after getting everything upstairs and then tackled the task of assembling it. There are quite a few steps, and not all the parts were labeled right. The manual even joked about it taking a day to build, but it took us all weekend, and I usually handle these things just fine. The final product looks really nice. I was redecorating my office, and this desk, along with the matching bookshelf and filing cabinet, nailed the vibe I wanted: functional and stylish. Just a heads-up: skip using a cordless drill because it can strip the wood. A screwdriver works better. Having a friend help at the end is also a good idea, especially for connecting the two sides of the L-shape. Overall, pretty happy with how it turned out and the price was fair.
Verified Purchase
Great desk with solid features
I checked out a ton of desks before deciding on this one, and I'm really impressed with two main things that set it apart: 1. The desktop is 30" deep, which is for my monitor and keyboard. A lot of desks in this price range look appealing but end up being too shallow—many are only 21" or even 19" deep, which just doesn't work for comfort. 2. This desk has a genuine laminate top that’s durable. Many others misrepresent themselves and just have a photo finish that’s too easy to damage. This laminate is the real deal. Other positives: 1. The height is just right; I had to adjust my chair up a notch to feel comfortable. I've seen other reviews complain about arm rests getting in the way, but that hasn't been a problem for me. 2. The color looks. 3. There are plenty of drawers, including a nice keyboard drawer. 4. It has several cable holes and reliefs at the bottom, which is great for managing wires. 5. Overall, it’s a nice product for what I paid. As for the downsides: 1. The boxes are heavy. I ended up rigging up a lifting strap to get it inside. A friend or partner would help. 2. Be ready for a serious assembly challenge! I’m pretty handy with this kind of stuff, but this desk took me the most effort of any furniture I've put together. It took me close to 5 hours to finish. 3. Some of the pieces do have that photo finish, but they're not noticeable unless you look closely. The bottom pieces might get scuffed when vacuuming, but it's not a big deal considering the price. Overall, I’m happy with this desk and I’d buy it again!
Verified Purchase
This is the third Sauder Palladia piece I've gotten. I've already purchased two bookcases and an L-shaped desk. First off, shipping was a bit of a mixed bag. The bookcases came through UPS, the desk arrived in two FedEx boxes, and the hutch came via ABF. Everything was packed well with heavy plastic and reinforcements, but only the hutch made it here without any damage. I think ABF had less handling, which helped. The UPS boxes showed some wear, and I had to replace a few broken parts. The FedEx boxes were a little banged up too, but nothing was broken, just a minor mark on the desk. As for putting it together, the instructions were pretty clear. They had great images that really helped me match parts up, especially with the desk since there are so many pieces. Once I unpacked, I checked for broken parts and got replacements through Sauder's website, which arrived in about four to five days. When it came to the screws, I emptied the bag and sorted them out before starting; it made everything a lot easier since some looked similar. Make sure to have a good space for assembly—I did it on carpet to avoid scratches, which worked out well. Just be careful when moving pieces around since they’re not sturdy before everything's set. About the quality, it’s engineered wood, so it’s not solid wood, but I think it’s better than Ikea stuff. We would’ve liked solid wood, but this is decent for the price. Overall, I think the quality's good, and the factory finish looks nice. Shipping could be better though.
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