How to Choose the Right Desk Size for Your Home Office

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, with 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 the 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, because 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 50cm to 90cm, 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, so mark that one as a positive.

Width: how much surface do you actually need?

Width is the dimension most people focus on, and for good reason. It determines how much you can spread out and how the desk sits in the room.

80cm to 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. If that's your situation, my notes on fitting a real desk into a small home office go further into it.

100cm to 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.

120cm to 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.

150cm to 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.

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, for checking email or paying bills.

60cm: Workable for a single monitor if you're not fussy about 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 to 90cm: Spacious. Worth it if you use a large monitor at 27 inches or above, need room for a drawing tablet in front of your screen, or simply like having extra surface. If you have the room, you won't regret the extra depth.

Matching the desk to your setup

Beyond raw dimensions, think about what goes on the surface. Different setups need different things.

Laptop only: Almost any size works. A Bruton Desk at 100cm by 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 and keyboard: Aim for at least 120cm by 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. If screen height is the problem rather than width, the Somerton Desk has a monitor shelf built into the top, which lifts your screens to eye level and gives you back the surface underneath. It's made to your width like everything else, so you can take it out to 200cm if the wall allows.

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 or 90cm of depth earns its space.

Height, and why mine are not 75cm

Most guides tell you standard desk height is 75cm. Mine come out slightly under that, and it's worth knowing why before you compare.

My steel legs are 71cm tall. With a 32mm top that gives a finished height of 74.2cm. With the 40mm top it comes to 75cm exactly. Both sit comfortably in the range that suits most people between 5'6" and 6'0".

If you're notably taller or shorter and need something different, ask me before you order and I'll tell you what I can do. There's more on this in my guide to standard desk height and desk size.

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 by 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 I build is made to order. You tell me the width and depth you need, down to the centimetre, and I build it to fit. A 124cm by 67cm desk for a tricky alcove, or a 190cm by 75cm desk that spans a full wall. Either is a normal week's work.

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 buying from a one-person workshop rather than a factory: there's no production line to disrupt.

A quick formula

If you want a shortcut, this works for most people.

Width: Measure your available wall space and subtract 20cm for clearance. That's your maximum. If it comes out over 150cm, go with 150cm unless you actually need more.

Depth: If you use a monitor, go with 70cm. Laptop only, 60cm is fine. If you have the room and do anything physical at your desk, go to 80cm or 90cm.

Height: 74.2cm with a 32mm top, 75cm with a 40mm top. Ask if you need something else.

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 I'm here for.

Have a look at the full desk range, built to your measurements in solid pine, English oak or American black walnut. If you already have a frame, or you're putting a top on a sit-stand mechanism, I also make desk tops on their own with no legs. Free UK mainland delivery, and you're welcome to ask me first if you'd rather talk the size through.