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Most small flats don’t have a spare room for an office, but most have a corner that could become one. A calm desk corner makes working from home easier, and it can look like part of the room rather than a pile of laptop cables. Here’s how to set one up.
Find the right spot
Look for a corner, an alcove or a stretch of wall beside a window. Daylight from the side is ideal: facing a window causes glare, and having it behind you puts your face in shadow on video calls. If you can, keep the desk out of your bedroom, or at least out of sight from the bed.
Choose a small desk
For a laptop, a desk around 50 cm deep and 80 to 100 cm wide is enough. With a separate monitor, go for 60 cm deep so the screen isn’t too close. Look for:
- Slim legs or a trestle base, which look lighter than solid sides.
- Light wood or a white top, which blends in with most rental walls.
- A drawer or shelf, so the surface stays clear.
A wall-mounted fold-down desk saves the most space, but needs drilling, so check your tenancy first.
GreenForest
Office Desk 100cm with Monitor Stand, Oak
A 100 cm oak-effect desk with a raised shelf for the screen. Light enough for a living room corner.
Get the chair right
This matters more than the desk. When you sit, your feet should rest flat on the floor, your knees roughly level with your hips, and your forearms level with the desk. A chair with adjustable height and some back support is worth it if you work at home several days a week. A wooden dining-style chair with a cushion is fine for an hour or two.
Raise the screen
Looking down at a laptop all day strains your neck. A laptop stand with a separate keyboard and mouse brings the screen up to eye level. A stack of books does the same job to start with.
Babacom
Foldable Aluminium Laptop Stand
Lifts the screen to eye level, adjusts in height and folds flat when you're done.
Light it properly
A desk needs two kinds of light: a focused task lamp for working, and softer warm light in the rest of the room so you’re not in a bright box in a dark flat. A lamp with an adjustable arm works well on the desk. In the evening, switch to warm lamps around the room so it feels less like an office when you’ve finished.
Lepro
E27 Swing Arm Desk Lamp with Clamp
Clamps to the desk edge and swings where you need it. Takes a standard E27 bulb, so you can use a warm one.
Hide the cables
Nothing makes a desk corner look messier. A cable tray or basket under the desk, a few reusable cable ties and one extension lead with a switch keep everything tidy. Run the lead along the back of the desk, not across the floor.
SURFOU
Under Desk Cable Tray, No Drill
Clamps under the desk with no screws and holds the extension lead and cables out of sight.
Add storage upwards
Floor space is limited, so go up. A narrow bookcase beside the desk, or a leaning ladder shelf, gives you storage without drilling. Keep only what you use on the desk and put the rest in boxes or baskets.
HITNET
Bamboo Leaning Ladder Shelf, 4 Tier
A light bamboo ladder shelf that leans against the wall, for storage that goes up instead of out.
Make it feel like home
A plant, one framed print leaning against the wall and a mug you like. Keep the colours calm and matching the rest of the room, so the desk corner looks like it belongs there when you’re not working.
Frequently asked questions
- How deep should a desk be for a laptop?
- Around 50 cm is enough for a laptop and a notebook. If you use a separate monitor, 60 cm or more lets you sit at a comfortable distance from the screen.
- Where should a desk go in a small room?
- Beside a window rather than facing it, so daylight falls across the desk without glare on the screen. A corner or an alcove keeps it out of the way.
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