I have two cats and a studio with no door, but the cats were taught from 'day one' that they are not allowed to be on elevated hard, flat surfaces like tables of any height, desks, dressers, counter tops, or ironing boards and they're fine with that. They've never touched anything on my work table and I'm confident they never will. They're really not all that much different than dogs with soft furniture and indoor toilet priveledges.
ETA: I don't use pin cushions, they look too much like cat toys and that would just be asking for trouble. I much prefer them loose in a small dish anyway.