Yes, there is a way to do this.
Start with a workspace that has the panels to the right.
Important: do not have any files open.
Also important: Open the panels you want showing by default, such as layers and swatches.
Now, as shown in the screenshot, drag the panels as a group by placing your mouse pointer where the red box is, then drag it to the toolbox until you see a blue line. This means the panels will be docked instead of floating, and will not allow your open documents under it.
Save the workspace, then open your files.
Gene
You should see this. "test" is what I called the workspace.
