Working at my laptop on my bed had been killing my back. (Literally.) Months of propping everything up on textbooks while trying to find comfortable positions where I wasn’t resting my computer on my lap had convinced me that it was time to cave and buy a desk. But where? I live in a teeny tiny bedroom.
If I stand in the center of the room, I can reach three out of the four walls. I kept telling myself I would make it work, but my back hurt so much, and my work-from-home situation had gone from manageable to tragic. When I first started looking for desks online, I was intimidated.
How was I supposed to fit a desk into my room? It’s about 8 feet by 10 feet, and after the bed, dresser, and “walk-in closet” there wasn’t much wall space left.
Most desks seemed to be built for people with rooms larger than mine.
Then I spotted it. The Desk. The one piece of furniture that would revolutionize not only how I worked, but how I felt about my room.
I spotted this adorable writing desk at an inexpensive furniture store. The kind where you wonder if you’re getting furniture or well-made plywood. Either way, it was perfect.
Narrow Writing Desk | World Market Measurements-wise it was 32 inches wide by 16 inches deep. Small enough to fit in my room with enough surface area to work. It wasn’t the super inexpensive price tag ($89 is nothing to scoff at when you’re trying to furnish on a college graduate salary) that made me buy it.
It was how narrow it was. Thin enough to place against the wall between my dresser and window. Excited doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt when I got it home and unpacked it.
If you’ve ever put together furniture at home you know that the instruction manuals must be written in another language. Small parts. Warning labels that don’t make sense.
Assembly diagrams that show someone holding tools together with their teeth while flashing a smile that indicates, “don’t worry, you can do this!” We ended up assembling it on the floor (because how the desk gets from packed flat to standing isn’t explained very well either) and I grumbled the entire time. Once it was assembled and upright, things looked up. I moved it into place and…it worked.
I didn’t feel like I was in a bedroom with a desk I threw in there, I actually felt like I had a designated workspace. There was still plenty of room to walk around the desk because it wasn’t deep. But it was wide enough to fit my laptop, a notebook, and yes…my coffee mug.
It came with one shallow drawer that I initially scoffed at. Drawer?! Who has space for a drawer?
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Guess what fits in a small desk drawer: things. Chargers, pens, Post-Its, chapstick, USB cables, paperclips. Any random junk that wouldn’t clutter up my actual dresser top found a home in that drawer.
Shortly after I assembled my new desk, I ordered a desk pad. The actual desk top was this shiny laminate that looked cheap. My aunt bought one similar for her office (office = cube space at work) and I wasn’t thrilled with how it looked or felt.
I ordered this inexpensive desk pad from Amazon. It’s just a large piece of soft (faux?) leather that hangs over the edge of the desk just enough to look intentional. Measurements:It has been a game changer.
It doesn’t look or feel homemade or like something I put together. For another $25, I was totally worth it. The height is great too.
It’s 30 inches tall which means I can use it with my desk chair or even at my bed when I need to change things up. I’ve spent hours at a time working at my desk on Sunday afternoons and my neck didn’t protest the way it usually does when I work from my bed. Storage was a bit tricky, but I couldn’t *not* have something above the desk.
I lucked out and found a floating shelf that was about 18 inches tall that I mounted about 18 inches above the desk. It’s great for my printer (I still print things, shocking I know) and some books I reference often. It breaks up the wall just enough that it looks more purposeful than an empty sliver.
I didn’t realize how much of a difference this would make when it came to sleep. I used to do work, homework, watch Netflix, snack….you name it on my bed. Sure I wouldn’t fall asleep as quickly as I wanted because my roomie is a champ at snoring, but my bed had become everything but a comfortable place to sleep.
Once I transitioned my workspace to my desk, my bed became my bed again. It sounds silly, but it took me a few weeks to realize I was falling asleep faster at night and waking up less groggy in the mornings.
One major downside to the super narrow desk is spreading things out.
If I’m working on multiple notebooks or papers, I often have to use my bed to “extend” my workspace. Another downside is that you definitely can’t have friends over and work side-by-side. Definitely a one-person desk.
But for day-to-day computer work, writing, paying bills, or just needing a desk to call your own in a roommate situation, it’s been perfect. Since it’s so narrow, it doesn’t take up much space visually which was my biggest concern when I decided to jump into the furniture-buying pool. Now I can’t imagine my room without it.
It’s where I spend time checking emails first thing in the morning with a hot cup of coffee. It’s where I sit at night when I’m bored and answer emails that don’t require any serious thought. And it’s great to have when I need to buckle down and focus!
Don’t be afraid of your small space. You too can make your tiny room work for you.
