The private office has been signed off. The glass partition is up, the carpet is down and the room holds nothing but a power point and a window. Soon it will host one-on-ones, budget reviews and the odd difficult conversation. An executive desk anchors all of that, but the room only works when the desk, the storage behind it and the chairs in front of it are planned together.
This guide covers desk shape, finishes, storage, visitor seating and layout, with pieces from our executive and manager desks range, with a room-size planning table.
Choosing an executive desk: straight, with a return or L-shaped
Start with how the person works. Someone who lives on a laptop needs a clean top and a little storage. Someone who signs, files and keeps paper close needs drawers within reach of the chair.
Straight desk. The Virginia Walnut Potenza Rectangular Desk (from $1,110) comes in 1600W x 800D or 1800W x 800D, both 750mm high. It has shark nose edging, aluminium feet, a white modesty panel, a cable access cover and a 5 Year Warranty. A straight desk keeps the room open and leaves the back wall free for a credenza.
Desk with a return. The Virginia Walnut Potenza Rectangular Desk with Credenza Return (from $2,003) adds a white buffet return with a lockable pencil drawer, a filing drawer and 2 doors, on the left or right. It measures 1950 x 1850mm or 2150 x 1850mm overall. It costs less than the straight desk plus the matching credenza below, though you get one filing drawer instead of two.
L-shaped desk with a cabinet. The Casa Executive Desk & Cabinet (from $1,284) pairs an 1800 x 800mm desk with an 1800mm side cabinet, 2000 x 1800mm overall. The cabinet has two drawers with a Cyberlock 4 digit combination lock, a soft close cupboard and an open shelf compartment. It comes in Natural Oak with Natural White fronts and a left or right hand return. At 152kg across seven cartons, plan who will carry it upstairs, because deliveries go to the ground-floor entrance.
Finishes, modesty panels and cable access
Walnut reads warm and formal. Natural oak is lighter and helps a small office feel bigger. Both Potenza desks pair walnut with white, which stops a compact room feeling heavy.
The modesty panel matters more on an executive desk than anywhere else, because visitors sit facing it. It screens legs, bags and the leads behind the monitor. The Potenza has a white modesty panel, and the Casa has a 350mm modesty panel under a 43mm thick top.
For cables, the Potenza has a cable access cover and the Casa an in-desk cable tidy box with a brush lid. Plan where the monitor, laptop dock, charger and lamp leads drop through before the desk goes together.
Storage behind the desk: credenzas and hutches
A credenza behind the chair keeps files a swivel away and finishes the room. Watch the depth, because every millimetre comes out of the space your chair rolls back into.
The Virginia Walnut Potenza Credenza ($1,341) comes from the same Virginia Walnut range as both desks. It measures 1600 x 425 x 917mm, with two filing drawers in the middle and a door each side. At 917mm it stands above the 750mm desk, so it works as a sideboard for a lamp and a plant rather than extra work surface.
For lockable storage closer to desk height, the Virginia Walnut Premier Credenza in our credenzas and buffets stands 720mm high and 450mm deep, in 1500 or 1800mm lengths. It has adjustable shelves rather than filing drawers. For shelving at eye level, the matching Virginia Walnut Premier Overhead Hutch from our hutches and organisers can be fitted on a credenza, in the same two widths.
Visitor chairs and a small meeting table
Two visitor chairs suit most manager's offices, covering one-on-ones and a quick three-way conversation. Check their depth, because it comes straight out of the walkway.
The Aero Leather Cantilever Visitor Chair ($533) measures 570W x 600D x 900H, with a leather medium back on an aluminium cantilever frame. It has a 120kg weight rating and a 3 Year Warranty. Two side by side take 1140mm, which fits in front of a 1600 or 1800mm desk.
For fabric or stackable options, browse our visitor and waiting room chairs. The chair behind the desk is its own decision, and our guide to executive office chairs versus ergonomic task chairs explains what the extra money buys.
A meeting table only earns its place in a larger room. A round table for three or four needs roughly 2.5 x 2.5 metres clear once chairs are pulled out.
Layout, clearances, light and power
Face the desk towards the door, with your back to a solid wall or the credenza. You see who walks in and your screen faces away from passers-by. Then allow about 1000mm behind the desk for your chair, 900 to 1000mm in front for visitors, and a 900mm walkway clear of the door swing.
| Room (approx.) | Desk | Behind the desk | Meeting table |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0 x 3.0 m | Straight, 1600 x 800mm | Chair space only; storage on a side wall | No |
| 3.0 x 3.6 m | Straight, 1600 or 1800mm | Credenza about 425 to 450mm deep | No |
| 3.6 x 4.2 m | With return or L-shape, about 2000 x 1800mm | Credenza or hutch on the back wall | No |
| 4.5 x 5.0 m or larger | Straight 1800mm, or a return if wide | Credenza with a hutch | Round table for three or four |
Each room above assumes two visitor chairs. Measure your own door swing and power points first.
Put the window beside the desk, not behind or in front. Behind you, it reflects off the screen and leaves you in silhouette on video calls; in front, you stare into the brightness all day. Locate the power and data outlets before fixing the desk position, so leads run down through the cable access rather than across the floor.
Planning a manager's office in an Australian building
Many Australian fitouts put private offices behind glass along a corridor. The front of the desk becomes part of the view from the open-plan floor, so the modesty panel and cable route matter. Put the credenza on the solid wall.
A west-facing window brings strong afternoon sun for much of the year, heating leather and washing screens with glare. Set the desk side-on to it and keep leather chairs out of the sun patch.
If the fitout is tied to the 30 June end of the financial year, work back from that date. Most items dispatch within 3 to 12 business days, and made-to-order items take longer, as shown on the product page. If the room must be ready for a new starter, order a few weeks ahead.
Executive desks — frequently asked questions
What size should an executive desk be?
For most private offices, 1800mm wide and 800mm deep is a comfortable executive size. Drop to 1600mm in a room about 3 metres across, and consider a desk with a return once the room reaches about 3.6 x 4.2 metres.
What is a modesty panel on a desk?
A modesty panel runs across the front of the desk between the legs, screening your legs, bags and cables from people facing you. It matters most when the desk faces the door or a glass wall.
How much space do you need behind a desk?
Allow about 1000mm between your side of the desk and the wall or credenza behind you. That gives the chair room to roll back and lets you stand without bumping the storage.
Should an office desk face the door?
In a private office, usually yes. You see who comes in, your screen stays private and visitors sit in front of you. Keep the window to one side to avoid glare.
Shop the range
Start with the desk from our executive and manager desks, then add storage from credenzas and buffets and two chairs from visitor and waiting room chairs. For desk and storage in one piece, start with the Potenza Desk with Credenza Return. Metro delivery is a flat $75 per order, and prices include GST.
