How to Choose the Right Desk Size for Your Home Office
How to Choose the Right Desk Size for Your Home Office
Published: 6 April 2026 • Reading time: 7 minutes
You know you need a desk. You've cleared the spare room, bought a decent chair, maybe even treated yourself to a proper monitor. But then comes the question that stops most people in their tracks: what size should the desk actually be?
Get it wrong and you're either cramped up against a wall or drowning in a surface you can't fill. Get it right and your home office just works — everything within reach, nothing in the way, and enough space to actually think.
This guide walks you through how to measure your space, choose the right width and depth, and match your desk dimensions to the way you actually work.
Start With the Room, Not the Desk
The most common mistake people make is browsing desks first and measuring second. Do it the other way around.
Grab a tape measure and note down three things:
1. The available wall width. Measure the wall or alcove where the desk will sit. If it's going against a flat wall with space either side, measure the maximum width you'd be comfortable filling. Leave at least 10cm either side for breathing room — you don't want the desk jammed corner to corner.
2. The depth from wall to chair. Measure from the wall to the point where your chair will sit when you're working. You need enough depth for the desk surface itself (typically 50–80cm) plus room to push your chair back without hitting anything behind you. A good rule of thumb: desk depth plus 75cm for the chair.
3. Any obstacles. Radiators, plug sockets, windowsills, door swings. Note where they are. A desk that covers a radiator in winter is a desk you'll regret. A plug socket hidden behind the desk is actually useful — mark that as a positive.
Width: How Much Surface Do You Actually Need?
Desk width is the dimension most people focus on, and for good reason. It determines how much you can spread out and how the desk looks in the room.
Here's a practical breakdown:
80–100cm: Compact. Suits a laptop-only setup or a very tight space. You'll have room for a laptop, a notebook, and not much else. Good for a hallway nook or a bedroom corner where the desk needs to disappear visually.
100–120cm: The standard home office size. Room for a single monitor, keyboard, and a few items on the surface. This works for most people who aren't running dual screens or spreading out paperwork.
120–150cm: Comfortable. Space for a monitor, keyboard, a desk lamp, and some personal items without feeling cluttered. If your room allows it, this is the sweet spot for most home workers.
150–200cm: Generous. Built for dual monitors, wide tasks, or people who like space to think. If you work with physical documents, art supplies, or multiple screens, this is where you want to be. Our Large Desk with Monitor Shelf is popular in this range for a reason — at 160cm wide with an integrated monitor shelf, it gives dual-screen users everything they need without the clutter.
Depth: The Dimension People Forget
Width gets all the attention, but depth is what separates a comfortable desk from one that never quite feels right.
50cm: The minimum for a laptop setup. There's no room for a monitor at a comfortable distance, but it works for occasional use — a console-table-style desk for checking emails or paying bills.
60cm: Workable for a single monitor if you're not fussy about the viewing distance. This is the standard depth for most flat-pack desks, and it's adequate for light use.
70cm: The comfort zone. Enough depth to push a monitor back to a healthy viewing distance (roughly an arm's length) while keeping the keyboard and mouse at a natural position. For most home office setups, 70cm is the depth to aim for.
80cm: Spacious. Ideal if you use a large monitor (27 inches or above), need room for a drawing tablet in front of your screen, or simply like having extra surface to work with. If you have the room for it, you won't regret the extra depth.
Matching the Desk to Your Setup
Beyond raw dimensions, think about what goes on your desk. Different setups need different things:
Laptop only: Almost any size works. A Home Office Desk at 100cm × 60cm gives you a clean, minimal surface with room for a coffee and a notepad. If you dock your laptop and use an external monitor occasionally, go to 120cm wide.
Single monitor + keyboard: Aim for at least 120cm × 70cm. You need the width to offset the keyboard from centre, and the depth to keep the monitor at a comfortable distance.
Dual monitors: 150cm minimum width, ideally 160cm or more. Two 27-inch monitors side by side span about 120cm, and you need elbow room either side. Our Large Desk with Monitor Shelf was designed specifically for this setup — the shelf raises your screens to eye level and frees up the main surface underneath.
Creative work (drawing, crafts, paperwork): Go as wide and deep as the room allows. Depth matters more here than in a screen-based setup, because you need surface area in front of you for physical work. 80cm depth is worth the extra space.
The Custom Sizing Advantage
Here's the thing most furniture websites don't tell you: standard desk sizes are based on standard rooms, and most rooms aren't standard.
Alcoves, chimney breasts, sloped ceilings, bay windows, under-stairs nooks — British homes are full of spaces that don't fit a 120cm × 60cm rectangle. If your space is one of those, you have two options: buy a standard desk and live with the gap, or get one built to your exact measurements.
Every desk we build at The Somerset Workshop is made to order. That means you tell us the width and depth you need — down to the centimetre — and we build it to fit. A 124cm × 67cm desk for a tricky alcove? No problem. A 190cm × 75cm desk that spans a full wall? Done.
There's no premium for custom dimensions. The price is based on size, not on whether the measurements are round numbers. That's one of the advantages of handmade furniture from a one-person workshop — there's no production line to disrupt.
A Quick Formula
If you want a shortcut, here's a simple formula that works for most people:
Width: Measure your available wall space and subtract 20cm (for clearance). That's your maximum desk width. If it's over 150cm, lucky you — go with 150cm unless you need more.
Depth: If you use a monitor, go with 70cm. If laptop only, 60cm is fine. If you have the room and do anything physical at your desk, go with 80cm.
Height: Standard desk height is 75cm, which suits most people between 5'6" and 6'0". All our desks are built to this height, but if you're notably taller or shorter, we can adjust — just let us know when you order.
Ready to Find Your Fit?
Measure your space, decide what goes on the surface, and let the numbers guide you. If you end up with an awkward dimension that no off-the-shelf desk will fit, that's exactly what we're here for.
Browse our Home Office Desk from £194.92, or our Large Desk with Monitor Shelf from £320 — both available in 15 Osmo stain colours and built to your exact dimensions. Free UK delivery on every order.