Choosing a computer desk for working from home comes down to five things: the space you have, the equipment you use, the height and depth you need for comfortable posture, the storage that keeps the surface clear and a material that will stand up to daily use. Get those right and the style can follow. Get them wrong and even a beautiful desk will feel like a compromise every working day.
This guide walks through each decision in a practical order, with British rooms in mind. If you would like to browse while you read, our modern computer desks UK sale collection includes compact, corner and full width designs to suit a wide range of homes, and our wider home office furniture UK range makes it easy to coordinate finishes across desks, chairs and storage.
The right desk for a graphic designer with two monitors is very different from the right desk for someone who answers emails on a laptop three days a week. Before looking at any designs, write down a short description of your working day. Include:
This list becomes your brief. It tells you how much surface you need, whether you need drawers, and how important the look of the desk is on camera. It also stops you being swayed by a design that looks lovely but suits a different way of working.
Measure the wall or corner where the desk will go, then measure again. Note the position of sockets, radiators, windows and doors. In older British homes, skirting boards, dado rails and uneven walls can all reduce the usable space by a few centimetres, which matters when a desk is designed to fit snugly.
Allow for the chair as well as the desk. You will need clear space behind the desk to pull the chair out and stand up, and a little more if the chair has castors and you tend to roll back while thinking. Many people find that around 90cm of clearance behind the desk feels comfortable. In a shared room, check that this clearance does not cut across a walkway.
Finally, consider how the desk will arrive. Narrow staircases and tight landings are common in terraced houses and flats. Most desks arrive flat packed or in sections, but it is still worth checking box dimensions against your access route.
Width is the measurement most people focus on, and it is closely tied to equipment. As a general guide:
More width is not always better. A desk that is too large for the room can make it feel cramped and encourages clutter to spread across the surface. Choose the smallest width that genuinely supports your work.
Depth determines how far your screen sits from your eyes and how much space you have for your forearms. A very shallow desk pushes the monitor too close and leaves your wrists hanging off the edge. A very deep desk can be hard to reach across and dominates a small room.
For laptop use, a depth of around 50 to 60cm usually works. With a monitor, 60 to 80cm allows the screen to sit at roughly arm’s length while leaving room for a keyboard. If you are tight on depth, a monitor arm that clamps to the back of the desk frees up surface space and lets you push the screen further back.
Most fixed height desks sit somewhere around 72 to 76cm. That suits a wide range of people when paired with an adjustable chair. The test is simple: when you sit with your feet flat on the floor and your shoulders relaxed, your elbows should sit at roughly a right angle with your forearms level with the desk surface.
If you are particularly tall or short, or if more than one person will share the desk, a height adjustable design is worth considering. These allow you to fine tune the height and, in many cases, switch between sitting and standing through the day. Changing position regularly helps many people stay comfortable and alert.
Check knee clearance too. A drawer or modesty panel directly under the work surface can reduce leg room, so make sure there is enough space for your knees when the chair is at the right height.
A straight desk is the simplest and most flexible option. It fits along a wall, under a window or behind a sofa, and it is easy to move if you change the room around. It suits most laptop and single monitor setups.
Corner desks make use of space that often goes unused and offer a generous surface without projecting far into the room. They suit multi monitor setups and people who like to separate computer work from paperwork on two wings of the desk.
Slim writing desks and console style designs are light and elegant. They suit laptop users and rooms where the desk needs to blend in, such as a living room, hallway or bedroom.
Some desks include drawers, shelves or a hutch above the work surface. These reduce the need for separate storage, which is useful in small rooms. Check that built in drawers do not reduce knee clearance.
These fix to the wall and either float or fold away entirely. They suit very small spaces and rooms that need to serve another purpose once work is finished.
Material affects how the desk looks, how it feels to work at and how it ages.
Solid wood and veneers bring warmth and character. They age well, can often be refinished and look natural in living spaces. Lacquered finishes resist marks better than oiled ones, which matters on a desk that sees mugs, bags and elbows every day.
Glass keeps a room feeling open because light and sightlines pass straight through. Tempered glass is strong and easy to wipe clean, though it shows fingerprints and can feel cool to the touch. If you are working in a small room, take a look at our glass computer desks UK range, which suits tighter spaces particularly well.
High gloss finishes reflect light and suit contemporary interiors. They are easy to clean but can show scratches, so a desk mat is a sensible addition.
Metal frames paired with wood or glass tops offer stability and a lighter visual profile. They suit industrial and modern schemes.
A clear desk is easier to work at, so think about where everything else will live. If the desk has no drawers, a mobile pedestal that tucks underneath is one of the most practical additions you can make. Our office pedestal drawers UK selection includes designs that sit neatly under most desks and roll out when you need them.
Above the desk, wall shelves keep reference material close without using floor space. For bulkier items such as printers and archive files, a cabinet with doors keeps everything out of sight. Planning storage at the same time as the desk helps both pieces look as though they belong together.
Modern desks support a surprising amount of technology, and cables can quickly undermine a tidy setup. Look for desks with cable ports, grommets or a cable management tray beneath the surface. If the desk does not have these, adhesive clips and a cable tray fitted underneath can achieve the same result.
Position the desk close to a socket, and use a surge protected extension lead fixed to the underside of the desk or the back of a leg. Keeping chargers and plugs off the floor makes cleaning easier and reduces the risk of tripping.
If you spend part of your day on video calls, the desk is often in shot, along with the wall behind you. Wood tones tend to look warm and natural on camera, while very glossy surfaces can catch reflections. We looked at this in our article on choosing a wooden desk that looks good on UK video calls, which covers lighting and backdrop tips as well. If durability is high on your list, our comparison of how wooden desk finishes hold up in UK homes explains how different surfaces cope with heat, spills and scratches.
A desk and chair work as a pair, and choosing one without the other often leads to an awkward fit. Before settling on a desk, check the height range of the chair you plan to use. When the chair is set so your elbows sit level with the desk surface, your feet should still rest flat on the floor. If they do not, a footrest bridges the gap.
Armrests deserve a quick check too. If the chair arms are taller than the underside of the desk, the chair will not tuck in, which pushes you away from the keyboard and leaves the chair sticking out into the room. Adjustable or low arms avoid this. Measure the height from the floor to the underside of the desk, and compare it with the arm height of the chair at your usual seat setting.
Finally, think about the floor. Chairs with castors roll easily on hard floors but can mark softer woods, while thick carpet makes them harder to move. A chair mat or a low pile rug under the desk area protects the floor and keeps the chair moving smoothly, and it also helps define the working zone in a shared room.
A desk is a large piece of furniture, so it should relate to the rest of the room. In a bedroom, choose a finish that complements the bed frame or wardrobe. In a living room, a desk in the same wood tone as a coffee table or sideboard feels connected. In a dedicated study, you have more freedom to choose a statement piece.
Leg style matters too. Slim tapered legs feel light and midcentury in spirit. Sled bases and solid panel ends feel more substantial. Hairpin and metal frames suit industrial schemes. If in doubt, keep the desk simple and let accessories add personality.
If you can answer yes to each of these, you are very likely to choose a desk that serves you well for years. At Furniture in Fashion, we offer free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes, and Returns are available up to 30 days.
For a single monitor setup, a desk around 110 to 140cm wide and 60 to 80cm deep works well in most rooms. Laptop users can often manage with a smaller desk of around 80 to 100cm wide.
Yes, tempered glass is strong and easy to clean. It suits small rooms because it feels visually light. It does show fingerprints, so it benefits from regular wiping.
Drawers are useful if you have little other storage nearby. Check that they do not reduce knee clearance. A separate pedestal unit is an alternative that offers more flexibility.
Not necessarily. A fixed desk paired with an adjustable chair suits most people. Height adjustable desks are helpful if several people share the desk or if you like to alternate between sitting and standing.
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