Editor's Desk

DELRAY BEACH, FL · November 21, 2006 - Go into the office of Steve Leveen, the CEO and co-founder of Levenger, and you're likely to find him at his desk. But don't expect him to be sitting. For a good portion of the day, he works at his desk standing up.

Sit-to-stand is the new way of working for office workers, and perhaps the ultimate in an ergonomic environment. By alternating the time you spend sitting at your computer with time spent standing at your computer, you give your circulation a boost, your eyes a break, your knees a flex—and quite possibly, your mind a good stretch. "I could never go back to a conventional office environment," says Leveen.

No retrofit needed

He led the charge for his company, a high-end retailer of products for reading, writing and working with ideas, to design workable pieces for segueing from sitting to standing and back again.

This fall the company unveils its Sit-to-Stand (STS) line, which includes an STS Desk, a Laptop Lifter and a Book Riser. You can set all three pieces on your existing desk or credenza so that there's no retrofitting required. Drawers and shelves offer storage and more work space.

The desk has the added advantage of an inclined work surface, a well-known secret to boosting productivity that dates back to the medieval scribes.

Emails and phone calls

"We've been testing different designs for several years," says Leveen. "What we've created are pieces that work well together or by themselves." Leveen uses all three, in a horseshoe configuration that includes a traditional sitting desk.

"I stand when doing email, talking on the phone and editing. It's perfect for these tasks because you do them in short bursts. When I have more than 10 minutes for a task, I'll usually sit," he says.

Some ergonomic experts recommend taking a five-minute standing break every hour. Whatever your cadence, says Leveen, "think of it as hitting the refresh button on your creative powers."

Churchill proved its powers

Leveen has been intrigued with the notion of a stand-up desk ever since he saw a photograph of Winston Churchill working at a homemade version of one at his country home of Chartwell. The Levenger STS line works from this basic idea, with pieces designed to easily rest atop nearly any desk-height surface.

The desk is solid American alder; the other pieces are alder and cherry veneer. All come in a natural or dark cherry finish.

As Leveen observes, the workforce today is being constantly challenged to be more productive. Electronics are only part of the solution—and sometimes the problem. "Electronics play a huge part in productivity but so does taking care of ourselves," says Leveen. Sit-to-stand is both a new and already proven way for workers to expand their creative capacities.

"It's a way to find some balance in the busy-ness and to recharge throughout the day," says Leveen. "That's an easy thing to get hooked on."