How to Measure an L-Shaped Desk

Determining Space Available

• 1

  Examine the corner where you want to install the desk. Look for nearby electrical outlets or phone jacks. Having them on the wall behind the desk can mean that you won't have access to them without moving the desk.

• 2

  Sketch out a layout for the room. This plays a factor in determining how big the desk can be. For instance, if you have to install other furniture, like a bookcase, on the same wall as the L-shaped desk, or there's an immovable object like a radiator, you can't install a desk that's larger than that space.

• 3

  Measure the space available for the L-shaped desk by measuring the distance between the corner where the desk is being installed and items like windows, wall vents, or objects that cannot be moved, like radiators or large pieces of furniture.

Measuring the Desk

• 4

  Divide the L-shaped desk into two rectangles. Measure the length of the larger rectangle with a tape measure. Measure the smaller rectangle length, which runs from the opposite end to center. Record both lengths.

• 5

  Measure the width of the desk (sometimes called the depth).

• 6

  Multipy the width by the longer length for one area. Multiply the shorter length by the width for the other area. Add the two for the total surface area of the L-shaped desk.

• 7

  Measure the height of the desk. Hang the tape measure off the edge of the desk and let it go straight to the ground. If the unit has shelving or cabinets on top of the desk, measure their height, and add the height of the shelving to the height of the desk to get the height of the complete unit.