A good desk setup is more than a desk and a chair. It is the layout, the light, the surface under your hands and the wall in front of your eyes. Get those right and a desk becomes somewhere you want to sit, for work, for games or for both. Here are twelve desk setup ideas, from the practical to the personal, that work in any home and on most budgets.
Start with the layout
1. Put the monitor at the right height and distance
The top of the screen should sit at or just below eye level, about an arm's length away. A monitor stand or a stack of sturdy books fixes most setups for free.
2. Keep the things you use within reach
Keyboard, mouse and the one notebook you actually use go in front of you. Everything else moves to the sides or into a drawer.
3. Choose a side for the light
A window to the side of the desk is best. Facing a window means glare in your eyes; a window behind you means glare on the screen.
Make the surface work
4. Use a desk mat
A large desk mat covers the area under the keyboard and the mouse. It gives smooth tracking, protects the desk and quietens the noise of typing. It also does more for the look of a desk than almost anything else, because it covers the largest surface you see.
Ours have a smooth polyester top and a natural rubber base, in three sizes up to 31.5 x 15.5 inches. See large mouse pads: are they worth it to pick a size.
5. Clear the desk of everything you don't use daily
An empty desk feels bigger and calmer. Keep one or two objects you like, such as a plant or a lamp, and store the rest.
Control the light
6. Add a desk lamp or a light bar
Overhead light alone casts shadows on your hands. A lamp or a monitor light bar puts light where you work.
7. Add soft light behind the screen
An LED strip behind the monitor lowers the contrast between a bright screen and a dark wall, which is easier on the eyes at night. Pick a colour that suits the rest of the room. See RGB lighting and neon art.
Tame the cables
8. Run cables under and behind
A cable tray under the desk, a few velcro ties and adhesive clips keep cables off the desk top and out of sight. It is the cheapest upgrade with the biggest effect.
Look up: the wall
9. Hang art on the wall in front of you
If your desk faces a wall, that wall is the view you see most of the day. A canvas or a framed print there gives your eyes somewhere to rest between tasks. Canvas has no glass, so it doesn't reflect the screen. Centre it over the monitor and keep the bottom edge a few inches above the top of the screen. See wall art for the home office.
10. Match the wall to the desk
Choose art and a desk mat in the same colours, or the same design. The desk and the wall then read as one setup. See pairing canvas wall art with your desk mat.
Make it yours
11. Pick a theme or a colour
The best desk setups have one idea: all white, black and red, cool blue, warm wood, neon. Decide on one and let every new thing fit it. See minimalist gaming setup and black and white gaming setup.
12. Add one small personal thing
A pin board, a keychain on a drawer, a figure on the monitor stand. One personal object makes a tidy desk feel lived in.
Desk setup ideas by use
- For work: good light, a clean surface, calm art. See art for the home office.
- For gaming: a large mat, RGB behind the screen, bold art. See gaming desk setup ideas.
- For a small room: a narrow desk, wall shelves, one picture. See bedroom gaming setup ideas.
- For standing: see standing desk setups.
On a budget
The cheapest improvements are free: move the desk to the side of the window, raise the monitor on books, clear the surface. After that, a desk mat and a poster are the two purchases that change the look most for the least money. See a cheap setup that looks expensive.
Browse desk mats and canvas art for your desk and the wall behind it.