Best desks to spruce up your working-from-home office in a study or bedroom

It may be simple in design but the Modi desk proves that sometimes all you need is a sturdy surface to work from. Satisfyingly chunky, the tabletop boasts a 6cm thickness and is crafted from reclaimed wood, which is full of character and rustic charm. The dark stained timber top is contrasted with mid-century inspired tapered black legs complete with brass capped ends – just to give the piece an added touch of luxe.

What this one lacks in storage it more than makes up for in generous dimensions. Centre your screen and there’s still plenty of space for books, files and home office accessories on either side. Thanks to the angle of the legs, there’s also space to move around on a wheely office chair or to tuck in a comfy seat with armrests.

A desk that gives you a simple surface, Ikea’s offering is as reliably affordable as it is satisfyingly wide. The tabletop is fashioned from a mix of fibreboard and particleboard with a recycled honeycomb structure paper filling, making it both lightweight and sustainable, while its black, pole-like legs are made from a powder-coated steel.

This one’s designed to save on space and sit against a wall, and it proves ideal in a home office set-up where you have multiple monitors, or you’re working alongside someone for the day. Thoughtfully designed, the feet are adjustable to account for uneven floors and it boasts a fifth leg in the centre to prevent sagging, and to keep it nice and steady.

We don’t all have the luxury of a dedicated home office, which is why this affordable and foldable desk from Dunelm proves a godsend. It boasts an oak effect top, which is made from a mix of MDF and wood veneers, together with a black metal painted frame for a pleasing, Scandi-inspired contrast. Its party piece, of course, is that it folds completely flat and can be easily stacked, or better still, hung up on the wall to save on floor space when not in use. Ideal for occasional home office workers, this lightweight desk will happily hold a laptop and a few extra workstation essentials. Its X-shaped frame, despite its slimline silhouette, proves perfectly sturdy too.

Offering a chic, industrial take on the home office desk is this entirely metal number from La Redoute. The desk is crafted from a powder-coated steel and boasts a slim silhouette with a minimal footprint. Cleverly designed to give you plenty of storage space, this one’s all about the open shelving with generous compartments to the left as well as an open undershelf that runs the full length of the desktop. This one can be easily fixed to the wall, too, if you’re after extra security. Stylish, lightweight, minimal and fuss-free.

This is a seriously stylish desk that more than earns its place in a domestic setup. A world away from the clinical office-like computer desk, the Franklin boasts attractive marquetry and metallic accents, bringing style and sophistication to any room. Designed by Swoon and made by John Lewis, it is fashioned from a mix of acacia wood, MDF, wood veneers and metal.

Storage space comes in the form of two generous side drawers, complete with beautifully textured fronts and brass hardware. Its spindle style legs offer mid-century chic and prove surprisingly steady, while the surface is satisfyingly wide, bragging a beautiful natural wood grain. We loved the lipped tabletop design with its brass inlay, which kept our paperwork neatly in place.

For many of us working from home, the name of the game is space-saving. Without a separate study, you want a nifty desk that’ll not only blend with your existing décor, but one that won’t intrude on your already limited floorplan. For that reason, Habitat’s offering is awarded best small desk from us, thanks to its clever corner design, and its light and airy feel.

Unmistakably industrial in style and part of the brand’s wider “loft living” collection, the desk is fashioned from a powder-coated steel frame with a contrasting warm oak effect wooden top that successfully mimics the real thing. With its enveloping frame, you’ll need to choose your office chair wisely – one that will comfortably slide in.