For most home offices, a side table between 40cm and 60cm wide and 35cm to 50cm deep works well. If it sits beside your desk as an extension for a printer or paperwork, match the desk height, usually 72cm to 76cm. If it sits beside an armchair for reading or calls, choose a lower table of 50cm to 60cm. Before deciding, check that your office chair can still roll back and turn freely, with at least 90cm of space behind the desk.<\/p>\n
The right size depends on what the table is for. Our range of modern side tables UK<\/a> covers compact and taller designs, and the guidance below will help you choose dimensions that fit how you work.<\/p>\n A side table in an office can serve very different purposes, and each one points to a different size. Start by deciding which of these matters most to you:<\/p>\n Many home offices also share space with a living room or guest room, so it helps to think about the side table alongside your wider modern living room furniture UK<\/a> if the room has more than one role.<\/p>\n If the table sits alongside your desk and you will reach across to it while seated, match the desk height as closely as possible. Most desks are between 72cm and 76cm. A table at the same height creates a continuous surface, which is useful for spreading out papers.<\/p>\n If the table is mainly for a printer, a slightly lower height of 60cm to 70cm is fine and can make it easier to load paper.<\/p>\n Measure the device you plan to put on it. Many home printers need a top of around 40cm to 50cm deep, plus a little extra space for paper trays to extend. For paperwork or books, 35cm to 45cm is usually enough.<\/p>\n A width of 40cm to 60cm suits most uses. Wider tables can work against a longer wall, but take care not to box in your chair.<\/p>\n A comfortable chair and a small table away from the desk can make a real difference to a working day. A change of position helps with phone calls, reading reports or simply stepping back from the screen.<\/p>\n Here the table should relate to the chair rather than the desk. Aim for the top to sit level with or just below the arm of the chair, typically 50cm to 60cm. A top of 40cm to 50cm across holds a cup, a notebook and a phone. Round tables suit this spot well, as they are easy to reach from the chair at any angle.<\/p>\n The most common sizing mistake in a home office is forgetting the chair. An office chair needs room to roll back, swivel and let you stand up comfortably. As a guide, leave at least 90cm between the front edge of the desk and the wall or furniture behind you.<\/p>\n A side table placed beside the desk should not reduce that space. If it sits behind you, make sure it is shallow enough not to clip the back of the chair when you lean or turn. In very compact rooms, a table at the end of the desk, against the side wall, is often the least intrusive position.<\/p>\n If you are still setting up the room, our modern home office furniture UK sale<\/a> brings together desks, chairs, cabinets and storage so you can plan the whole layout at once.<\/p>\n Many UK home offices are set up in spare bedrooms, box rooms or the corner of a larger room. Space is often limited, and the room may also need to accommodate a sofa bed or guest bed.<\/p>\n In these rooms, a compact side table of around 40cm square is often more useful than a larger one. It can sit beside the desk during the week and move beside the bed when guests stay. Look for a table that is light enough to move easily, with a finish that suits both work and bedroom use.<\/p>\n A box room may only have space for the desk. In that case, a wall shelf or a small table that tucks under the desk can provide the extra surface without taking any floor.<\/p>\n A side table looks most settled when it relates to the desk beside it. That might mean the same wood, a similar leg style or a shared colour. If your desk is glass with a metal frame, a side table with a matching frame keeps the look consistent. If your desk is solid oak, a wooden side table in a similar tone works naturally. Our computer desks UK<\/a> come in wood, glass and gloss finishes that pair easily with our side tables.<\/p>\n The look of your setup matters more than it used to, particularly if you are on video calls. Our article on wooden desks on video calls in UK home offices<\/a> considers how furniture appears on camera.<\/p>\n A side table is often the most convenient place for a desk lamp or a task light, which frees space on the desk itself. If you plan to do this, factor the lamp into your sizing. A lamp base typically needs 15cm to 20cm of the top, so a table of at least 40cm across leaves room for a notebook or a drink alongside it.<\/p>\n Position matters too. For right handed people, light from the left avoids casting the shadow of your hand across paperwork, so a side table on the left of the desk is often the better spot for a lamp. Left handed people may prefer the opposite.<\/p>\n In a reading corner, a table lamp with a fabric shade gives a softer light than overhead lighting, which is easier on the eyes at the end of a long day. Choose warm white bulbs for reading and relaxing, and cooler task lighting at the desk itself.<\/p>\n If a printer or shredder will sit on the side table, it helps to choose a sturdy design with a solid top. Light tables can rattle when a printer runs, which is distracting on calls. A small rubber mat under the device reduces noise and stops it creeping across the surface. Keep noisy equipment on the side furthest from your microphone if you take a lot of video calls.<\/p>\n Castors can be useful on a side table that moves between the desk and a reading corner, but make sure they lock so the table does not shift while you are using it.<\/p>\n Not everyone has a separate office. If you work from the sofa or a dining table some days, a side table becomes even more important. A C shaped table that slides over the sofa can hold a laptop, while a standard side table beside you keeps a drink and phone within reach. Our guide to working from the sofa in UK living rooms<\/a> covers this in more depth.<\/p>\n Before choosing, measure these:<\/p>\n Mark the footprint of the table on the floor with masking tape and work around it for a day. It quickly shows whether the size is right.<\/p>\nDecide What the Table Is For<\/h3>\n
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Sizing a Side Table as a Desk Extension<\/h3>\n
Height<\/h3>\n
Depth<\/h3>\n
Width<\/h3>\n
Sizing a Side Table for a Reading or Call Corner<\/h3>\n
Leaving Enough Room for Your Chair<\/h3>\n
Fitting a Side Table Into a Spare Room Office<\/h3>\n
Matching Your Desk<\/h3>\n
Lighting and the Side Table<\/h3>\n
Think About Sound and Vibration<\/h3>\n
Features That Make a Side Table Useful at Work<\/h3>\n
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Working From the Living Room<\/h3>\n
A Quick Measuring Checklist<\/h3>\n
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In Summary<\/h3>\n