The most common mistake when buying a desk is choosing by looks and only then measuring the wall. Width decides more about daily comfort than anything else on the spec sheet - whether a monitor fits, whether you can spread out papers, whether the room still feels like a room. Below is how the five sizes we make, 110 to 150 cm, actually work in practice.
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Desk sizes compared: 110 to 150 cm
| Width | Best for | Room |
|---|---|---|
| 110 cm | Laptop only | Small room, narrow wall |
| 120 cm | Laptop and notes | Bedroom corner |
| 130 cm | Laptop and monitor | Most home offices |
| 140 cm | Monitor and documents | Dedicated study |
| 150 cm | Dual monitor setup | Full working room |
All five widths share the same depth and height: 65 cm deep, 75 cm from the floor, with 63 cm of legroom underneath. See all sizes and finishes.
Why 65 cm of depth is the number that matters
Width gets all the attention, but depth decides whether a monitor is usable. At 60 cm the screen sits too close and you end up leaning back; at 65 cm there is room to push it to a comfortable viewing distance and still have space in front of the keyboard. Deeper than 70 cm and the far edge becomes storage you never reach.
Legroom works the same way. 63 cm of clearance under the top is enough for an office chair with armrests to slide fully underneath - which is what stops a desk from feeling cramped regardless of how wide it is.
Which width for which setup?
110 and 120 cm - laptop setups
If you work on a laptop and put it away at the end of the day, 110 cm is genuinely enough. It suits a narrow wall, an alcove, or a corner of a bedroom where a larger desk would take over the room. 120 cm adds space for a notebook and a cup beside the laptop without changing the footprint much. For very tight spaces we also make a small solid oak desk.
130 cm - the size most people choose
This is the width our customers pick most often, and it is the one we would suggest if the room allows it. A laptop plus an external monitor fits comfortably, with room left over on one side. It is wide enough to feel generous and narrow enough not to dominate a living room wall.
140 and 150 cm - monitor and document work
Above 140 cm the desk becomes the main object in the room. That is right for a dedicated study, for work that involves spreading out documents, or for a dual-monitor setup. In a shared living room or a bedroom corner it is usually more than the space can carry.
How to measure before you order
- Measure the wall, not the desk. Leave at least 20 cm of clearance on the side you walk past, more if a door opens nearby.
- Check the chair, not just the top. A chair needs roughly 90 cm behind the desk to pull out and sit down comfortably.
- Account for cables. If the desk stands against a wall with a socket, allow 5-8 cm behind it so plugs are not pressed against the wall.
- Think about the drawer. Ours is centred, so it needs clear space in front - not an issue in most rooms, but worth checking if the desk faces a radiator or a low windowsill.
What the drawer holds
The drawer is the same size across all five widths and takes a laptop, a stack of documents and a book without forcing. It runs on solid wood runners rather than metal slides - quieter, and repairable decades later. How that is made is described in our piece on the wooden drawer runner.
Custom sizes
If none of the five standard widths fits your wall, we make desks to measure. That is worth considering for an alcove, a sloped ceiling, or a room where a few centimetres decide whether the piece works at all. The lead time is the same as for standard sizes in most cases.
See the full range in our solid oak desk collection, or read about what makes a desk Scandinavian if you are still deciding on the style.