Sit across a desk from someone and you notice more than you expect: crossed legs, a handbag on the floor, a tangle of chargers. A modesty panel is the board or metal sheet fixed across the front of a desk, under the top, that hides all of that from the other side. It is a small part that makes a desk look finished, especially where visitors or colleagues sit opposite.
This guide explains what the panel screens, the heights and materials on offer, desks that include one and panels you can add later. Panels sold on their own are in our desk frames and returns range.
What a modesty panel does
The panel does three jobs. It screens the space under the desk from anyone facing it, it hides cables running down to the floor, and on some frames it adds rigidity. It also gives an open frame a solid, tidy front edge.
The Rapid Span Metal Modesty Panel (from $50) shows the rigidity side well. Made from perforated metal with a powder coated finish, it bolts into the Rapid Span and Rapid Span Electric legs and corner pole, adding extra rigidity and privacy. It comes 957mm, 1280mm or 1557mm wide, each 300mm high, in silver, white or black, with a 5 year warranty.
Desks and workstations that include one
The simplest route is a desk that comes with the panel. The Axis Straight Desk with Melamine Modesty (from $359) has a 300mm panel that mounts from the rail and matches the worktop colour. The panel is 25mm board with a matching 2mm ABS edge, and the desk comes in five worktop sizes from 1500mm x 600mm to 1800mm x 900mm.
Metal panels suit a more utilitarian look. The C Leg Desks (Silver Frame) (from $249) have a perforated metal modesty panel across the front of a silver C leg frame. The frame makes it easy to run soft wiring cables between workstations. Choose 1200mm, 1500mm or 1800mm wide, all 700mm deep and 730mm high, with a white or beech top.
On a manager's or executive desk, the panel is part of the look. The Casnan Potenza Rectangular Desk (from $1,110) pairs a melamine top with shark nose edging and a white modesty panel at the front. A cable access cover keeps cords tidy, and the desk comes 1600mm or 1800mm wide by 800mm deep.
Some one-person workstations include a panel too; compare them in our 1 person workstations. For more freestanding desks, see our straight office desks.
Heights and materials compared
Most panels are partial height, stopping well above the floor. A 300mm panel hides cables and the gap under the top, while a deeper panel screens more of the legs. Material changes the look and the sound: melamine matches the worktop, perforated metal reads as lighter, and acoustic panels add some sound absorption.
The SANA Serenity Modesty Below Desk (Without Brackets) (from $79) is an acoustic panel that sits 400mm or 600mm below the desk. Widths run from 740mm up to 2400mm, in 12mm or 24mm thickness. It is made to order, and the clamps that attach it are sold separately.
| Product | Type | Material | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid Span Metal Modesty Panel | Separate panel for Rapid Span frames | Perforated metal, powder coated | 957, 1280 or 1557mm wide, 300mm high |
| Axis Straight Desk with Melamine Modesty | Desk with panel included | 25mm board, 2mm ABS edge | Panel 300mm high; desks 1500 x 600mm to 1800 x 900mm |
| C Leg Desks (Silver Frame) | Desk with panel included | Perforated metal | Desks 1200, 1500 or 1800mm x 700mm |
| Casnan Potenza Rectangular Desk | Desk with panel included | Not stated (white panel) | Desks 1600 or 1800mm x 800mm |
| SANA Serenity Modesty Below Desk | Separate acoustic panel | Acoustic, 12 or 24mm thick | 740 to 2400mm wide, 400 or 600mm high |
| Melamine Modesty | Separate panel for Axis desks | Melamine | 300mm high, to suit W1500mm or W1800mm desks |
Adding a modesty panel to a desk you already own
Separate panels are usually made for one desk system, so match the panel to your frame. The Melamine Modesty (from $66) is made for the Axis range of desking, in sizes to suit W1500mm and W1800mm desks. It is 300mm high and comes in rail mounted and worktop hung options. The four finishes can be matched to your existing worktop.
Check how the panel mounts before you order it. A rail-mounted panel sits on the frame, while a worktop-hung or clamped panel fixes to the top, so plan it around any under-desk cable tray, power rail or monitor arm clamp. If you are building a desk from a frame and a separate top, our guide to building a desk around your own top covers the frame side.
When a desk needs one, and when it does not
A desk pushed against a wall or under a window does not need one, because nobody sees under it. A desk that faces a walkway, a meeting chair or the public does. In Australian workplaces, that means reception desks, customer service counters, real estate and travel agency desks, and school and clinic front offices.
Training rooms and open-plan floors where desks face each other benefit too. Deliveries go to the ground-floor entrance, and goods arrive flat-packed. Each product page has a Delivery line naming its metro cities: the Axis desk is not available for delivery in WA, and the Potenza is not available in SA.
Modesty panel — frequently asked questions
What is a modesty panel on a desk?
A modesty panel is a panel fixed across the front of a desk, below the top, that screens the legs and the space under the desk from people on the other side. It also hides cables and gives the desk a finished front.
How high should a modesty panel be?
Most of the panels in this guide with a stated height are 300mm high, which hides cables and the gap under the top. The SANA acoustic panel sits 400mm or 600mm below the desk for more cover.
Can you add a modesty panel to an existing desk?
Yes, if a panel is made for your frame or can be fixed to the top. The Melamine Modesty suits Axis desks, the Rapid Span panel bolts into Rapid Span legs, and the SANA panel attaches with clamps sold separately.
Does a desk against a wall need a modesty panel?
No, a desk against a wall does not need one, because nobody can see under it. Add one only where the front of the desk faces people or a walkway.
Shop the range
Every product in this guide is listed below in the order it appears. Our desk frames and returns range holds more panels and parts.
- Rapid Span Metal Modesty Panel (from $50): a perforated metal panel that adds rigidity and privacy to Rapid Span desks
- Axis Straight Desk with Melamine Modesty (from $359): a straight desk with a colour-matched 300mm melamine panel included
- C Leg Desks (Silver Frame) (from $249): a practical silver-framed desk with a perforated metal panel across the front
- Casnan Potenza Rectangular Desk (from $1,110): a manager's desk with a white modesty panel and cable access cover
- SANA Serenity Modesty Below Desk (Without Brackets) (from $79): an acoustic panel that sits 400mm or 600mm below shared desks
- Melamine Modesty (from $66): a 300mm melamine panel that adds privacy to an existing Axis desk
Metro delivery is a flat $75 per order, and prices include GST.
