Small Computer Desks For Small Spaces

When dealing with a small space, choosing a computer desk that won’t take up a lot of room can be tricky. Whether you are after small computer desks for home or work environments, selecting the right product can make a huge impact on your user experience.

In this article we’ll look at why smaller computer desks are definite winners when it comes to furnishing small spaces, some features to consider when selecting a smaller workstation in order to save space, and corner desks.

Tight Spaces Need Small Workstations

Whether you are furnishing a home office, your bedroom, small study, or even an existing living area, creating a comfortable space is key to creating a productive and usable computer workstation area.

Unfortunately, not every space is going to have a lot of room to work with, like the one shown here:

Small space

When you’re dealing with a small area like this, it can make choosing a computer desk a little more challenging.

Planning Out Your Space

Larger or even normal sized computer desks may not be appropriate for a small space like a bedroom or shared living area. A bit of forward planning before you purchase a desk can go a long way to your future comfort.

No one wants to be cramped, least of all when they’re using a computer, but there are some tricks to selecting smaller computer desks that can help to maximize your working space.

Tips For Selecting A Computer Desk For A Small Room

Here are some tips to consider when selecting computer desks for small spaces:

Vertical Space

You may be constrained by the amount of floor space available, but most rooms are a standard height which will allow you to take advantage of your vertical space as well. Use stacked shelves to fully utilize space above and below your computer desk’s floor footprint. Some desks come with built-in shelving.

Small computer desk with shelves
Studio RTA A-Tower Corner Wood Computer Desk with Hutch in Pewter and Cherry (from Amazon.com)

Dedicated Compartments

Small workstations work best when you’ve got small compartments to help arrange items like keyboard and mouse, speakers, room for documents or printers, etc. A pull-out keyboard tray is a common feature that can save space when desktop area is at a premium.

Small computer desk with hutch
Sauder Orchard Hills Computer Desk with Hutch, Carolina Oak (from Amazon.com)

Drawers

In the same vein as dedicated compartments and using vertical space, don’t forget about drawers. These can be a useful addition to help organize your stuff, without taking up too much additional space.

The small desk below keeps it simple with a single drawer and under-bench space which are perfect for storing documents/books and stationery, making it a good choice for students in dorms or small home offices with limited space.

Small student computer desk
Wood Student Computer Desk (from Amazon.com)

Avoid Printers/Unnecessary Hardware

Bulky printers and unnecessary hardware can take up precious space. If you definitely need these kind of peripherals, opt for multi-function devices to save space. For example, a combined printer/scanner unit will save space compared to having to find room for two separate items if you purchase a printer and scanner separately.

Little computer desk
40 in. Computer Desk by Sauder (from Amazon.com)

Look For Clever Designs, but Consider All Aspects

There are some creative designs out there including expandable or nesting desks, but be sure to plan your purchase by considering all aspects of your workstation. Measure first to ensure you will have enough room to effectively operate your mouse and keyboard. Pay some consideration to where you will be placing your computer tower. Ensure your monitor will fit in/on the desk and that there is enough leg room left over for you to be comfortable.

Foldable computer desk
Comfort Products 50-100705 Regallo Expandable “L” Computer Desk (from Amazon.com)

Foldable compuer L desk

 

This nesting desk with castor wheels on the front section makes for a compact computer desk and can easily be stored away to save space. A dedicated section for your keyboard allows you to still have some usable desk space to work on documents or store books:

Nesting compact computer desk
Coaster 800434 Nesting Computer Desk, Cappuccino (from Amazon.com)

Chair

Don’t forget to select a computer desk which is compatible with your existing or proposed computer chair. There’s nothing worse than trying to design a space-saving workstation only to find that your chair armrests are too high or the chair base is too wide to allow your chair to be tucked away neatly under the desk when not in use.

Computer hub desk
Techni Mobili Complete Media Computer Desk, Woodgrain, 38-Inch W by 22-Inch D by 35-Inch H (from Amazon.com)

Mobility

Don’t forget to consider how often you may be moving your workstation around. Many desk ‘carts’ have castor wheels which can be extremely convenient if you plan on moving your desk around often.

Computer cart
Techni Mobili Mobile & Compact MDF Computer Cart, Graphite (from Amazon.com)

 

What About Corner Desks?

Corner desks can be an option allow for a little more desk space. Corner computer desks for small spaces in particular can be quite a space-saving option, as the L-shape offers a little bit of extra bench space to work with.

Here are a few smaller corner computer desks suitable for home or small spaces such as dorm rooms:

Mini corner desk for computer
Corner Computer Desk Great for Dorm, College or Space Saving in Small Room (from Amazon.com)

If you’re after a bit more of a modern/professional look – then this corner desk by Walker Edison has excellent reviews and will give your computer space a sleek appearance:

3 piece corner desk
Walker Edison Soreno 3-Piece Corner Desk, Black with Black Glass (from Amazon.com)

We also like the Cabot Collection small corner desk shown below, though it doesn’t have as much desk space as the Walker Edison 3-piece Soreno model. However, you do get a filing cabinet drawer for storing any documents, which can be a selling point for those working with a lot of paper or documents.

Corner computer desk with drawers
Cabot Collection Corner Desk (from Amazon.com)

Finally, this L shaped desk by Mainstays comes with a hutch that will allow you to take advantage of your vertical space:

Corner desk with hutch
Corner L Shaped Office Desk with Hutch, Black and Cherry (from Amazon.com)

Test It Out On Paper First

Once you’ve had a look at some desk options and you think you know what you want, one final check which can be very useful is to plan out what your space is going to look like on paper first.

Drawing a scale model of the floor plan of your small space can be an extremely useful exercise. Here’s what it looks like:

Floor plan for room

Once you’ve drawn your floorplan to scale, also draw out the footprint of items of furniture in the space to the same scale, including the dimensions of your prospective small computer desk.

From here you can cut these out and move them around in the space to work out the best places to put each item of furniture, and make sure it all fits in the space nicely. Trust us when we say that moving pieces of paper to work out a good layout for your room is a lot less work than reshuffling your furniture in real life!

Conclusion

When shopping for a computer desk to fit a small room, be sure to take advantage of all the design features which can help you save floorspace while still ensuring you get a user-friendly working space.

Utilizing your vertical space by the use of hutches or vertical shelving can help you to get optimal use of your computer desk while still maintaining a small desk footprint. Be sure to consider all factors including your chair, mobility of the desk, and any other hardware such as printers or scannners that you’ll need to accommodate in your work space.

Finally, corner computer desks can be an excellent choice for small spaces, as they allow you to utilize more area in a corner of a room that might otherwise be unused.

Planning is paramount to getting a good result – so be sure to plan out on paper first!

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