Straight Desk Bases Explained: Post Legs, Panel Gables and Modesty Panels for GTA Offices (2026)

Two straight desks can share the same top, the same finish, and the same price range — and feel completely different to work at. The difference is underneath: the base. Post legs, panel gables, T-end gables, and modesty panels each change stability, legroom, privacy, and how tidy a desk looks on camera and in person. At Ufficio Furniture, our brand-new white-label line offers the same straight top on several base styles, and this guide helps GTA buyers choose deliberately instead of by default.

The cover photo shows a mahogany-finish straight desk from our own line (buro-products/desk/arc-top-t-end-gable.jpg) — a round post leg at one end and a T-end panel gable at the other, a combination many buyers choose without knowing it has a name.

Post Legs: Maximum Legroom, Minimum Visual Weight

Round or square post legs open the whole underside of the desk. Chairs roll freely, two people can sit at one desk in a pinch, and cleaning is effortless. The trade-off is privacy and cable hiding: there is nothing to block the view under the desk, and cords need a cable tray or spine added separately. Post legs suit open team areas and modern, light-looking offices.

Panel and T-End Gables: The Finished, Furniture Look

A panel gable is a full end panel from top to floor; a T-end gable, like the one in the cover photo, pairs that panel with a stabilizing foot profile. Gables make a desk feel like furniture rather than equipment — they hide knees and bags, give the desk a substantial presence in a private office, and help screen under-desk items from a visitor's view. The cost is a little legroom at the ends and a heavier piece to move.

Modesty Panels: The Privacy Layer, Independent of the Base

A modesty panel hangs below the back edge of the top, and it can be full-height, half-height (19.5-inch is common in our line), or skipped entirely. It is the single biggest factor in how a desk photographs and how it feels to sit across from: with one, a visitor sees a clean panel; without one, they see knees, shoes, and cables. In glass-walled offices and client-facing rooms, we recommend at least a half modesty on every desk — it is inexpensive and changes the whole impression.

Stability, Floors and Other Practical Details

On uneven floors, gable ends with adjustable glides forgive more than four individual legs. For sit-stand use, none of these fixed bases apply — an electric frame is its own base, and our Workspace48 sit-stand desks start from about $695 CAD. For fixed desks, brand-new straight desks in our line run about $295–$695 CAD depending on size, base style, modesty, and finish. Full options are on our straight desk page.

Whatever base you choose, decide the cable plan at the same time: a grommet position, a tray under the top, and one floor outlet per row keeps a new office looking new.

See the Bases Side by Side

Bases are hard to judge from photos — come compare them in person at Ufficio Furniture, 1215 Meyerside Drive Unit 7, Mississauga ON, open Mon-Sat 10am-7pm / Sun 11am-6pm. Sit at each style, cross your legs, roll the chair in. Then browse the full range at Ufficio Furniture and call 647-885-8642 for desk inquiries — we will price the exact top, base, and finish combination you pick, in CAD.