Making Gaming Desks Work in L-Shaped Rooms

A gaming desk works best in an L shaped room when it is placed where the two arms of the room meet or at the far end of the shorter arm, so the screen faces away from windows and the main living area while the player still has a clear route in and out. The L shape naturally creates zones, and the trick is to give the gaming setup one of them rather than letting it sprawl across both.

That is the short answer. The longer one depends on whether your L shaped room is a living space, a bedroom or a combined kitchen and lounge, and how much kit you need to fit. Our modern gaming desks UK range includes compact, corner and wide designs, and alongside our broader home office furniture UK collection they can be arranged to suit most layouts. Here is how to plan it.

Read the room before choosing the desk

L shaped rooms are common in UK homes. They appear in through lounges with a kitchen or dining extension, in loft conversions where the eaves cut into the floor plan, in new build flats where the kitchen wraps around the living area and in bedrooms where a built in wardrobe or en suite takes a bite out of one corner.

Start by sketching the room and marking:

• Doors, windows and radiators.
• Sockets and where your router or broadband point sits.
• The main walking routes between doors and between the two arms of the L.
• Where the television, sofa or bed must go.

Once these fixed points are on paper, the realistic positions for a gaming desk usually become obvious. In most rooms there are only two or three spots that work.

Option one: the inside corner

The inside corner of the L, where the two walls meet at a right angle, is often the most natural home for a gaming setup. A desk here sits slightly out of the way of both arms, and from across the room it reads as a deliberate corner zone rather than an obstruction.

This position suits corner computer desks UK, which wrap around the angle and give you two surfaces: one for the main monitor and keyboard, and one for a second screen, a console or a streaming setup. The extra surface keeps controllers, headsets and a microphone arm off the main play area.

Check how light falls on this corner during the day. If a window sits on one of the adjacent walls, position the screen so the window is to your side rather than directly behind or in front of the monitor, which reduces glare and reflections.

Option two: the end of the short arm

In many L shaped rooms, the shorter arm is a natural nook. Placing the desk against the end wall of the short arm creates a gaming den that feels separate from the main room without needing a divider. You can sit with your back to the main space, which makes it easier to concentrate and keeps the screen out of sight from the sofa.

The downside is that this end of the room may be furthest from sockets and the router. If you rely on a wired connection, plan cable routes along the skirting or under a rug before committing, and consider a mesh wifi point or powerline adapter if a cable would otherwise cross a walkway.

Option three: along the long wall

If the long arm of the L is spacious, a straight desk along one wall is simple and keeps the corner free for something else. This works best in bedrooms or dedicated gaming rooms, where the desk does not compete with a television or dining table. In shared living spaces it can make the gaming setup the dominant feature, so it suits people who are happy for the desk to be on show.

Respect the walkway

The point where the two arms of an L meet is usually a pinch point for movement. It is where people pass between kitchen and lounge, or between bed and door. A gaming chair that rolls back into this route will cause daily annoyance.

Allow enough clear space behind the desk for the chair to move back and for someone to walk behind you. If space is tight, a desk with a smaller footprint or a chair without wide armrests can make a noticeable difference. Gaming chairs are often bulkier than office chairs, so measure the chair as well as the desk.

Our gaming chairs UK sale collection includes more compact designs that still provide good back support, which is worth considering where floor space is limited.

Plan the screens and sound

Large monitors and multi screen setups need a deeper desk than you might expect, especially if you want to sit at a comfortable distance. Before buying, measure the depth you need for the monitor stand plus keyboard and mouse space, and allow room for your forearms to rest.

Think about where sound travels in an L shaped room. Corners can bounce sound, and an open arm of the room may carry noise into the kitchen or towards a bedroom door. A headset solves most of this, but if you use speakers, a rug under the desk area and soft furnishings nearby will help absorb echo.

Control the cables

Gaming setups produce more cables than most home offices: monitors, a PC tower, consoles, lighting, chargers, speakers and capture equipment. In a shared room, visible cables make the setup look chaotic and can be a trip hazard.

• Choose a desk with a cable tray, grommets or a rear channel.
• Mount a surge protected extension lead under the desk.
• Use hook and loop ties or a braided sleeve to bundle leads down one leg.
• Keep the PC tower on a stand or shelf off the floor, away from dust and the vacuum cleaner.

Use lighting to define the zone

Ambient lighting is part of the appeal of a gaming setup, and in an L shaped room it can also help define the space. A soft backlight behind the monitor reduces eye strain in a dark room and visually marks out the gaming corner in the evening. Keep colours subtle in a shared living space, as bright shifting colours can dominate the whole room.

For daytime use, a good desk lamp with a warm, adjustable light is often more useful than coloured strips.

Make it work with the rest of the room

A gaming desk does not need to look like an arcade. Many modern designs come in black, white, grey or wood effect finishes that sit comfortably with living room furniture. If the desk is in a shared space, repeat a finish from your TV unit or shelving so it feels connected.

If you stream or take video calls from the same desk, the wall behind you becomes part of the room’s public face. Our article on how desks look on camera in UK homes covers backdrop styling and lighting that look good on screen without turning the room into a studio.

Small L shaped rooms

In a small bedroom or compact flat, look for a narrow desk with a monitor shelf that lifts the screen and frees up surface space. Wall mounted monitor arms are another useful way to reclaim depth. Keep storage vertical with a shelf above the desk for controllers and games, and choose a chair that tucks fully under the desk when not in use.

If the room doubles as a bedroom, position the desk so the glow of the screen is not visible from the pillow. Even a small change of angle can make winding down at night much easier.

Bringing it together

The L shape is an advantage rather than a problem. It gives you natural corners and nooks that a square room lacks. By putting the gaming desk in one clearly defined zone, protecting the main walkway, managing the cables and choosing finishes that suit the rest of the home, you can have a comfortable, capable setup that the whole household can live with.

Explore desks, chairs and storage for every room at Furniture in Fashion.

Frequently asked questions

Where should a gaming desk go in an L shaped room?

Usually in the inside corner where the two arms meet or at the end of the shorter arm. Both positions create a defined zone while keeping walkways clear.

Is a corner desk good for gaming?

A corner desk suits L shaped rooms well because it gives you two surfaces, one for the main screen and one for extra monitors, consoles or streaming equipment.

How do I stop glare on my gaming monitor?

Position the screen so windows sit to your side rather than directly behind or in front of the monitor, and use blinds or curtains to control strong daylight.

How much space do I need behind a gaming chair?

Enough for the chair to roll back comfortably and, if the desk is near a walkway, for someone to pass behind you. Measure the chair itself, as gaming chairs are often wider than office chairs.