No desktop icons

Delete icons. You can start applications in Start Menu.

Start menu perhaps? You start typing the name of what you need, it presents you with the options.
You could use that together with voice recognition (which is included in Windows, despite not being advertised).

The start button?

The quicklaunch icons on the taskbar?

3 things you can do after removing icons off your desktop to still start things up

1. Pin programs to your task bar

2. Set programs to begin on start up

3. Get a program like RocketDock (what I use) to have a quick bar to access programs

Rainmeter. There are some really nice skins out there you'd like :P

These are options to keep them but hide them better:
1 : Have 1 folder tucked in the corner with all your shortcuts and icons.
1a: Make the folder invisible by changing the .ico to a blank one and name it to something like ' so its hardly noticeable.
2 : Right click and under view make them a different size or uncheck show desktop icons and recheck it when you need them.

Check out a program called Stardock Fences. Double click your desktop your icons disappear. Double click your desktop again and your icons show up again. Or look into Rocketdock (free) and Objectdock (not free).

Launchy?

Umm am I missing something?

I just right click the background --> View --> unclick "Show Desktop Icons"

Use Rainmeter , Personalize it .