I spent several hours yesterday with my ideas and produced a rough model in Rhino representing the concept. I have taken a few screenshots for future reference, here they are:

This particular design would be in three parts. The primary structure will be similar to a book-shelving system (purple in the images above). The second part will be the desk (red in the images above) which can be moved independently if required, you should notice the rounded corners on the base which allow the object to be dragged across the carpet much easier. The final touch will be the foot rest disguised as a drawer (brown in the images above) which also moves independently. All the objects are designed to be made from 30mm thick Australian timbers found locally, the extra thickness should make up for the unpredictable grain which is not found in plantation grown trees.