 History
of the Desk Pad
Thirty
years ago there wasn't a lot
to choose from when it came to protecting fine quality furniture
like a boardroom table or executive desk. After investing a lot
of money in their quality crafted furniture, with special finishes
and coatings, people didn't just want to cover them with glass or
a desk pad from the local stationery company. What
they wanted was something that not only could function as a suitable
writing surface but could offer the protection that the table or
desk deserved.
The Idea
In the late 60s and early 70s a number of
companies starting working on the idea that a desk pad could be
much more than just a writing surface. What they had realized was
that the desk pad could protect the work surface as well as offer
a pleasant writing surface. But it was JKS Marketing who took this
idea one step further. Their desk pad would be able to fulfill both
criteria while at the same time complimenting the design integrity
of the surroundings and furniture. The idea being that the desk
pad should also be thought of a piece of furniture in its own right.
Protection was of prime importance, especially
to anyone who had paid the price of re-finishing a boardroom table.
The trick would be to provide a certain level of insurance without
compromising the idea that the desk pad is itself a piece of furniture
From the outset the desk pad seemed to be
the most practical way of protecting wood and veneer surfaces (even
laminated surfaces). Instead of covering the complete surface, the
individual desk pads could be easily stacked and stored when they
were not needed. Even in use they would still offer a nice landscape
of the wood table. Glass tops couldn't compete. They were unwieldy
and required spacers between the table surface and glass which only
created a space that collected dust, food particles, etc.
The Design and Material
In order to develop a pad that would not
only serve as a "friendly" writing surface but would also offer
a prestige appearance, the search began in earnest for a design
and a material that would be compatible with both contemporary and
traditional furniture. This turned out to be a long and time consuming
process. Ideas came and went, from aluminum to wood cores, from
the uninspired to the impractical design. Early attempts were tried
on kitchen tables or developed utilizing friends' furniture factories
long after the staff were gone for the day. Some of these experiments
lasted well into the wee hours of the morning.
After months of trial and error, it was finally
decided that the pad should have a transitional design with a soft
upholstered edge detail and stitched edge detailing which harmonized
with any contemporary or traditional seating. In time it was also
determined that they would use an upholstery-weight vinyl which
would give the pads a distinct "leather-like " appearance. Only
the finest leathers were used for the all-leather pads. Since these
pads were usually used in prestige environments, JKS felt it couldn't
afford to compromise this quality.
Having chosen a design and material that
seemed hard to beat, JKS began to seriously consider manufacturing
the new desk pad on a much larger scale. By 1976 they were manufacturing
the new desk pad for many large corporations world-wide. Their clients
included the United Nations, Canada's leading financial institutions
and Canadian embassies from Thailand to England. Naturally, the
original product is somewhat different than today's pad. Design
changes were made over the years to maintain relevancy to changing
tastes and design but the basic philosophy has never changed. The
JKS desk pad still is one of the finest and most practical solutions
available for insuring that your desk and boardroom table will maintain
its new appearance for a long long time.
|
