Key Takeaways
- Corner office desks are L-shaped with two work surfaces and often include built-in storage. Once the most popular choice in UK offices, they remain ideal for focused individual roles and managers.
- Straight office desks are flexible and space-efficient. Now more popular than corner desks, they suit open-plan layouts and can be grouped into a bench desk system for team working areas.
- Buying used from LOF saves 40–70% vs new retail prices, with a 12-month parts warranty and UK delivery in 7–10 working days.
- LOF offers bulk discounts for large orders and a free consultation to help you plan your layout before you buy.
Introduction
If you’re planning an office refurbishment and trying to decide between a corner office desk and a straight office desk, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common questions we get at LOF, and the answer can save you thousands of pounds if you get it right. This guide walks you through every factor that should drive your decision, such as space, team size, budget, and practicalities, so you can order with confidence, whether you’re fitting out five desks or fifty.
Corner Office Desk vs Straight Office Desk: What’s the Difference?
A corner office desk often requires more space than straight desks. These products can also be referred to as crescent desks as the shape includes not just the classic L-shape, but also curved and bow-fronted designs. They’re a firm favourite with managers who want an individual working space, whether that’s in a private office or a dedicated corner of the floor.
At LOF, we stock used crescent desks in a range of finishes including beech, oak, maple and autumn cherry, from brands including Senator and Kinnarps, in both left and right hand configurations. The most common sizes our customers buy are 1600mm and 1800mm wide. Many also come with built-in storage, pedestals and drawer units included, so you’re not paying extra for storage.
A straight office desk is the popular desk shape for modern office needs. It’s a flat, linear surface that works almost anywhere, against a wall, in rows, or grouped into a bench desk system for larger teams. Straight office desks are easy to move around and simple to add to as your team grows, using your office space a lot more efficiently compared to corner desks. There are a number of options which come with desktop screens, cable trays and monitor arms at great value.
Corner Office Desk vs Straight Office Desk: Quick Comparison
| Corner Office Desk | Straight Office Desk | |
| Shape | L-shaped or curved crescent | Flat, linear rectangle |
| Surface Area | Large, two distinct work zones | Moderate, one continuous surface |
| Best For | Managers, focused individual work | Open-plan teams, bench desk system |
| Space Needed | Min. 1400mm x 1200mm corner footprint | Flexible, wall or central placement |
| Flexibility | Fixed once placed, needs upfront planning | Easy to move and reconfigure |
| LOF Used Price | From £45 + VAT (1600mm crescent) | From £35 + VAT (800mm straight desk) |
Prices correct at time of publication. LOF stock changes regularly, check the used corner office desks page for current availability.
4 Things You Should Know Whether Corner Office Desks or Straight Office Desks are right for you
Choosing between a corner office desk and a straight office desk is not always straightforward, especially when you’re planning a full office refurbishment. Take a look at these 4 key areas to consider when picking the right type of product for your office space.
1. Corner Office Desks Take More Space, While Straight Office Desks Utilise Space Better
Corner desks were originally designed to hold the bulkier monitors back in the 1990’s, with the corner providing sufficient space to hold the monitors with ample space around it for you to work. The design of monitors, now a lot thinner, leave a lot of unused space on a corner desk not making the most efficient product type to have particularly for a smaller office space.
If you have a smaller office, or a larger office where teams are growing quickly, straight office desks are the optimal choice. Not only are they popular in modern offices, but they are more commonly used as a bench desk system, easy to manage cables and better use of space.
If you have a large space and want corner office desks but are not sure how many people you can fit in, contact us for a free consultation. Our office design team will help you work out how many corner desks you need and how many people can fit comfortably. Some offices are smaller, and when clients want to make them work with corner desks, we help adjust the layout to make sure staff have enough space and their chairs aren’t fighting each other for room.
2. Straight Desks are Typically More Affordable Than Corner Desks
If price is a key driver in your decision making, depending on the manufacturer, straight desks are typically more affordable than corner desks which can have a big impact if you are fitting out a large office space. Often an overlooked element when purchasing desks is the logistics of the products, corner desks with their unique shape and being heavier than straight desks means, depending on how many you buy, corner desks can cost more to deliver and install.
3. Corner Office Desks for Steady Teams, Straight Office Desks for Fast Growing Teams
If your team headcount is stable and unlikely to change dramatically, corner office desks are a great long-term investment. They’re harder to reposition once placed, so they work best when you’re confident in your layout. A well-planned corner desk setup gets more productive workspace out of your floor area than almost anything else.
If your team is growing quickly, straight office desks are the smarter choice. They’re quicker to install, easier to move, and a bench desk system can be expanded pod by pod as your headcount grows without reconfiguring the whole floor.
Both straight office desks and corner office desks come flat packed. Corner desks have three modesty legs while straight office desks have two legs. If you would like more privacy, you can order the desks with modesty panels. These prevent people from seeing underneath the desk, which is particularly considerate for staff who wear dresses or skirts in summer.
4. A Mixed Desk Layout for More Character in Open-Plan Offices
A mix of straight office desks and corner office desks also makes open-plan offices look more interesting. Rather than rows of identical desks that can feel repetitive and dull, a mixed layout gives the space more character and possibilities, different zones for different ways of working, all within the same office.
For offices with enough room, give straight office desks the space they need to fit more people in, and use the remaining corners and individual areas for corner office desks. This approach makes the most of every part of your floor plan without wasting a single square metre. For smaller offices, our suggestion would be to go with straight office desks. They use the space more efficiently and keep things neat and manageable.
This is also helpful when planning your budget. Knowing how many of each desk type you need gives you a clearer picture of total costs, and whether you can fit enough people into your working area comfortably.
Buying Used Office Desks: How to Save 40–70% on Your Refurbishment
According to Mordor Intelligence, the UK office furniture market is expected to grow from USD 2.32 billion in 2025 to USD 2.38 billion in 2026. Buying new is no longer the default for smart refurbishment buyers. Industry data shows used office furniture typically sells at 30–70% below its original retail price, and the quality gap has narrowed considerably as commercial suppliers raise their inspection standards. LOF sources from top-spec commercial brands, such as Kinnarps, Narbutas, Elite and Nowy, built for heavy daily use across commercial environments.
Whether you’re after a used corner office desk for a manager’s workstation or a full bench system of straight desks for a growing team, buying used from LOF gives you commercial-grade quality at a fraction of the new retail price. And for large refurbishments, LOF’s bulk discounts make the savings even greater.
Used Corner Office Desk vs Used Straight Office Desk at LOF: What You Need to Know
| Used Corner Office Desk | Used Straight Office Desk | |
| Product Pages | Used Corner Office Desks | Used Bench Desks | Used Home Office Desks | Used Executive Desks | Height Adjustable Desks | Second Hand Computer Desks |
| Starting Price | From £45 + VAT | From £35 + VAT |
| Common Sizes | 1600mm and 1800mm width | 800mm, 1200mm, 1400mm, 1600mm, 1800mm wide |
| Colours & Finishes | Beech, oak, maple, autumn cherry, white | White, oak, walnut, maple, cherry |
| Brands | Senator, Kinnarps | Narbutas, Elite, Nowy, Herman Miller |
| Delivery | Flat packed, 7–10 working days | Flat packed, 7–10 working days |
| Installation | Available | Available |
| Warranty | 12-month parts warranty | 12-month parts warranty |
| New Option Available | Not stocked Available to order, contact LOF for pricing | Yes Check the products marked ‘Brand New’ |
As we sell second hand stock, sizes, brands and colours change daily. Check our product pages for the latest availability.
Not Sure Which Desk is Right for Your Office? We Can Help.
Choosing between a corner office desk and a straight office desk is not always straightforward, especially when you’re planning a full office refurbishment. That’s where LOF’s office design team comes in.
Whether you have a product in mind or are starting from scratch, simply share your floor plan and let us know how many people you need to fit in. Our team will provide a 2D visual office plan and a product list tailored to your budget and team size, so you can see exactly how your office will look before you buy anything.
With over 50 years of experience in the industry since 1973, LOF offers a complete end-to-end service from space planning and product selection through to delivery and installation. Get in touch with the LOF team to book your free consultation today. Let us help you bring your project to life.
Frequently Asked Questions
For small offices, straight office desks are usually the better choice. They use floor space more efficiently and can be grouped into a bench desk system to fit more people in. Corner office desks can work in smaller offices too, but you need enough room to accommodate the common sizes of 1600mm or 1800mm width, plus clearance for the chair and movement behind the desk. If you’re not sure what will fit, LOF’s team can help you work out the best layout through a free consultation.
New corner office desks are generally more expensive than straight office desks because the crescent shape is more complex to manufacture. However, when buying used from LOF, the gap narrows significantly. Used corner office desks start from £45 + VAT, and used straight office desks start from £35 + VAT, both at 40–70% less than buying new, with a 12-month parts warranty included.
Yes, a straight office desk can be placed against a corner wall, but it won’t use the corner space as efficiently as a corner office desk. A corner office desk is specifically designed to nest into the angle of a room, giving you two work surfaces and making full use of the space. If you want to use a corner but don’t have room for a full crescent desk, a straight desk placed against one wall is a practical alternative.
Both work well for dual monitors. A 1400mm wide straight office desk is wide enough to accommodate two monitors comfortably, and a corner office desk gives you the option to spread across two surfaces. That said, the choice between the two comes down to your available space. If you have enough room for a corner office desk, it gives you more flexibility. If privacy is a priority, a straight office desk actually works better for dual monitors, as the linear layout keeps both screens facing forward rather than angled outward.
Yes, and it’s one of the most popular approaches for office refurbishments. Corner office desks work well for managers and individual focused roles, while straight office desks grouped into a bench desk system suit open-plan team areas. A mixed layout also makes an office look more interesting and versatile. LOF’s team can help you plan the right mix through a free consultation.
Sit at the crescent of the desk. If the longer surface extends to your right, it’s a right-hand desk. If it extends to your left, it’s a left-hand desk. It’s worth confirming this before you order, as it depends on which corner of the room the desk will sit in and which direction you’ll face (some manufacturers can differ with the hand of the desk). LOF stocks both configurations, if you’re not sure, just get in touch and the team will help you work it out.
