Bedroom 3 L-shaped oak desk: builder's plan and buying report

1. One-page summary for the builder

2. The room: Bedroom 3

Updated 03/10/2026: the floor plan below has been redrawn from the numbers on the sketch. The earlier drawing shaded the side walls as sloped. The sketch shows the slope along the front, with a flat ceiling at the back. The door is now drawn as sketched, and the second example layout is shortened to clear the door. A 3D model of the room has been built in Blender from the same numbers.

I read the sketch myself [1], using enlarged crops of each label. Only the top drawing (Bedroom 3, front) is used. The sketch is not to scale: the recess, for example, is drawn narrower than its numbers say. All figures are in centimetres.

Every measurement on the sketch

Figures worked out from the sketch (not measured)

These are shown like this. They assume square corners and straight walls, which nobody has checked.

Plan drawn to scale (1 cm on the plan = 2 px; room 357 x 334 cm)

• solid lines walls and dimensions written on the sketch
• blue dotted worked out from the sketch numbers, not measured
• orange dashed assumed (not on the sketch): window width, dormer bay width, door leaf width
• sloped ceiling, from the front wall back to the tick marks (135.5 cm). Behind the green dashed line the ceiling is flat
• amber dashed example desk layout, lengths are assumptions (the calculator in section 5 redraws it)
• red door as drawn on the sketch: hinged at the lobby's back corner, opening in so it lies along the back wall; leaf width assumed

Why the desk goes where it does. The sketch marks the slope along the front (dormer) side of the room, ending at the tick marks about 135.5 cm from the front wall, so the back two metres of the room have a flat ceiling. The partner says a desk is comfortable until about a metre from a sloped wall. The back wall therefore gets the sit-stand section (standing height with monitors raised needs full headroom), and the return runs along the back part of the left wall. The door is drawn hinged at the lobby's back corner, so when it is fully open it lies against the back wall. With a standard 76 cm door it reaches about 10 cm into the main room (to about 281 cm from the left wall), so the back-wall run should stop at about 270 cm UNVERIFIED until the door is measured.

What we do not know yet (to measure)

• Exact usable length of the back wall, at floor level and at desk height (75 cm), from the left corner to where the open door and its handle reach.
• Door width, hinge side and which way it swings.
• Usable length of the left wall from the back corner; the same for the front wall either side of the dormer and the right wall.
• Knee-wall height at each slope, and where each slope starts.
• Ceiling height at the back wall, the flat ceiling height, and the ceiling height 1 m in from each sloped wall.
• Confirm the two tick marks on the side walls are where the slope meets the flat ceiling, and measure the height there.
• Socket, switch and data point positions, and radiator pipe runs, with heights.
• Wall construction behind the desk (stud partition or masonry), stud positions, and any hidden pipes or cables (use a detector).
• Skirting height and thickness.
• Window sill height and window width.
• Finished floor level and floor type once the new upstairs floors are laid; check it is level along the back wall.
• Whether the back-left corner is square (3-4-5 check or diagonals).
• Stair width, turns and headroom, and door widths on the way up, for carrying a 3 m board.
• Monitor sizes and weights, monitor arm weight, PC size and weight, and the seated elbow height of the main user (sets the desk height).

3. The desk design

Sizes below come from the two example layouts in section 5 (compact: back wall 260 cm, return 140 cm, sit-stand 160 cm; full: back wall 270 cm, return 180 cm, sit-stand 180 cm). Swap in real measurements with the calculator.

How it looks matched when wood is not L-shaped

Every piece comes from the same one or two boards bought in one order, cut in order and labelled. A and C were neighbours in the same board, so the stave lines and colour run straight across the gap between them. B turns the corner, so its grain runs the other way: that is normal for an L and reads as deliberate. Ask the seller for consecutive boards from one batch: one B&Q marketplace listing warns that items ordered at different times may come from different batches [14].

Joins

• A to B: butt joint (B's end against A's front edge). Three worktop connector bolts in pockets routed on the underside [23][52], plus biscuits to keep the faces flush [31]. The Wickes manual says to seal the end grain and glue the joint [52]; leave the glue out if you may want to take the desk apart when you move. Source: B&Q bolt page, Wickes manual [23][52]
• A to C: no join. A 5 mm gap (the brief's 3 to 5 mm). Keep it under 7 mm: the office table standard treats gaps between 7 and 25 mm next to moving parts as finger traps [58]. Below 3 mm the two ends may rub when the frame sways at standing height.
• C to the wall: 25 mm, for the same finger-trap reason, so it never scrapes an uneven wall, and so cables can drop down behind. C is ripped 20 mm narrower than A so the front edges still line up. General craft knowledge
• Optional brass line: a thin brushed-brass strip set into the A to B joint turns the one unavoidable joint into a feature. Fiddly: brass dust stains oak, so fit it after sanding. Cost UNVERIFIED. General craft knowledge

Edges

Front edges of A, B and C (where forearms rest): square, with a soft round-over of about 6 to 7 mm made with a router [28]. All other edges: a light 1 to 2 mm sanded ease. The two ends at the gap: ease only lightly so the gap stays crisp. No live edge on the recommended plan. General craft knowledge

Finish

Osmo Polyx-Oil Original, satin (3032) or matt (3062), not the glossy 3011 the earlier notes priced: a satin or matt surface reflects less light under three monitors. Apply thinly along the grain, two coats, 8 to 10 hours drying, about 24 m² per litre per coat; try it on an offcut first Source: Osmo data sheet [22]. Oil every face, edge and end, top and bottom, at the same time Source: Wickes manual [52]. End grain soaks up more, so the calculator adds 25% for it.

Fixing to the wall

Screw planed 70 x 45 mm battens [30] to the back wall (under A) and the left wall (under B and A's left end), into studs or masonry with fixings that suit the wall. Sit A and B on them 3 to 5 mm off the wall and fix through slotted holes or slotted brackets so the oak can move Source: Wickes manual [52]. Do not glue the top to the battens. General craft knowledge

Oak moves across its width as the room's humidity changes. Using The Wood Database's shrinkage figures for English oak (radial 4.7%, tangential 8.4% from green to oven dry [53]) spread over roughly 28% moisture, that is about 0.17% to 0.30% per 1% change in moisture. For a 720 mm wide top and an assumed 3% seasonal swing: 720 x 0.0017 x 3 = 3.7 mm, up to 720 x 0.0030 x 3 = 6.5 mm. That is an estimate, not a measurement, and it is why the gap to the wall and slotted fixings matter.

How the sit-stand top attaches

Centre the E7 Pro frame under C with its C-shaped legs towards the wall [19]. FlexiSpot says its crossbars have no fixed holes, so you drill your own pilot holes where they land, and that the quoted height range (635 to 1285 mm) does not include the top Source: FlexiSpot FAQ [18]. With a 40 mm top the surface goes from about 675 to 1325 mm, so it can be set level with the fixed desk. Save that height as a memory preset. FlexiSpot does not say how to allow for wood movement. Many people screw solid tops straight to these frames; finishing all faces equally reduces the risk of cupping. Ask FlexiSpot before slotting any bracket holes, in case it affects the warranty. General craft knowledge

Cable management

• The E7 Pro comes with a magnetic cover, cable tray, grip tape and clips [18].
• Keep the PC on the fixed side (on A over its panel leg, or on the floor under A). Only monitor, keyboard and mouse cables go to C.
• Give the cables to C a slack loop long enough for the full 650 mm of travel (1285 minus 635), dropping down the 25 mm gap behind C. General craft knowledge
• One or two 60 mm grommets in A near the wall [25] and a clamp-on tray under A for power strips [26].
• Sockets behind C should be above the highest or below the lowest position of the top, or the plugs will catch as it moves. General craft knowledge

Weight and load checks

• Sit-stand top C: 1.60 x 0.70 x 0.04 m x 675 kg/m³ [53] = 30.2 kg (Scenario 1); 1.80 m long = 34.0 kg (Scenario 2).
• Monitors, arms, keyboard and speakers: not known. The calculator uses 30 kg as a placeholder. Weigh or look up the real kit.
• Frame: E7 Pro rated 180 kg moving load [18], so about 30 + 30 = 60 kg uses about a third of it. The E5 sold at B&Q is rated 100 kg [17], which is why it is not recommended. The earlier notes quoted 160 kg and £299.99 for the E7 Pro; FlexiSpot UK now lists 180 kg at £329.99 (160 kg is the standard E7).
• A full 3 m board before cutting: 3.0 x 0.72 x 0.04 x 675 = 58.3 kg. The B&Q pages list 30 kg for these boards, which cannot be right.
• River Table Burr Oak No. 06 (if used): 2.16 x 0.84 x 0.05 = 0.0907 m³; x 675 = 61.2 kg, and density varies by about 10% [54], so roughly 55 to 67 kg. Because 840 mm is only the widest point, the real slab will be lighter. The earlier estimate of 65 to 75 kg used 700 to 800 kg/m³.
• Fixed L: the PC and leaning load sit on the battens and the two panel legs. Check the battens are fixed into studs or masonry, not plasterboard alone.

4. Board comparison

Every board below was checked on the seller's live page on 03/10/2026: price, size and stock [2][5][32][35][36][42][45][49]. Prices include VAT; where a seller quotes ex VAT I have added 20%. River Table charges no VAT [3]. I did not look at product photos, so nothing here describes grain or colour beyond the seller's own words and the species.

Scoring rubric

Headline score = 0.20 x V + 0.15 x (F + S + M + P) + 0.10 x (A + D). Price per m² uses the stated length x width; where two widths are given I used the average. River Table gives widths at the widest point [3], so its price per m² looks better than it really is.

Ranked scores

Full details

Checked but not scored

• Harrison Timber UK, Luton: burr elm slabs, £620 + VAT each, seven from one log (a rare chance of sequential slabs), not dry until mid-October 2026, sizes shown only in photos [50]. English walnut slabs £380 + VAT, fresh cut [51]. Not scored: not ready and sizes not stated in text.
• Elephant Timber Burr Oak #003, £2,022 for one rough-sawn 80 mm slab [40]: over the whole budget on its own.
• Fallen & Felled has no desk-size oak slab in stock; its oak boards are up to about 300 mm wide [43].
• J Gard & Sons will machine oak boards to order, for example 45 x 195 mm at £76.50 per metre + VAT [46]. A 780 mm wide glue-up of four boards works out at about £367 per metre run including VAT. A real option for a skilled glue-up, not for this team.
• B&Q worktops 620 to 635 mm deep (GoodHome Kava £190 [15], domli £224.99 [16], Kitchen Surplus rustic oak £239 [34]): too shallow for three monitors.
• Bog oak: none of the earlier leads offered a desk-size piece [60] UNVERIFIED.

5. Average price and the calculator

(a) Average price per square metre of the scored boards

Price per m² = price including VAT divided by length x width (average width where two are given).

All 19 boards: (292 + 449 + 170 + 297 + 172 + 253 + 168 + 278 + 208 + 178 + 369 + 302 + 407 + 457 + 328 + 242 + 548 + 240 + 114) = £5,474; divided by 19 = £288 per m². The middle value (median) is £278 per m².

The 10 worktops average £247 per m². The 9 slabs and boards average £334 per m², and that flatters them because a live-edge slab's usable square area is smaller than length x width.

(b) Whole-desk cost for two example layouts

Both scenarios are example assumptions, not measurements. Common to both: desk depth 72 cm, fixed desk height 74 cm, two oak panel legs, 5 mm side gap, 25 mm gap behind the sit-stand, 3 mm saw cut, 10 mm trimmed off each board end, E7 Pro frame, router bought, 30 kg of monitors and kit.

• Scenario 1, compact: usable back wall 260 cm, return 140 cm from the back wall, sit-stand 160 cm wide.
• Scenario 2, full: usable back wall 270 cm, return 180 cm, sit-stand 180 cm.

"Split" means no single board is long enough for A and C together, so the grain will not run through the gap. The Hinita boards are only 1.8 m long, so they cannot make Scenario 2.

Statement slab version. Using River Table Burr Oak No. 06 for the sit-stand top and TGK full-stave oak for the rest costs £2,128.39 in Scenario 1: about £320 more than the recommended plan and over the £2,000 guide, before any resin for the burr's voids.

Prices: frame [18], oil [21], coverage [22], bolts [23], battens [30], grommets [25], tray [26], router bit [28], router [27]. The brass, abrasives and fixings lines are my allowances, not prices: no brass grommet could be verified (one B&Q satin metal grommet is sold out [62] and a bronze one at ManoMano could not be opened [61]).

(c) Calculator

Type the real measurements over the example values. Example inputs have an amber dashed box until you change them. Everything below the form updates as you type, and the plan in section 2 redraws.

6. Method for the builder

Each step is tagged: Source means it comes from the cited document; General craft knowledge means it is standard practice, not from a cited source.

1. Measure and confirm. Do the five measurements in section 1, then put the real numbers into the calculator and print the cut plan. General craft knowledge
2. Order in one go. All boards in one order from one seller, asking for consecutive boards from one batch Source: B&Q listing note [14]. Check every board on arrival with a straightedge before signing for it. General craft knowledge
3. Acclimatise. Store the boards flat in the room (or one like it), on battens no more than 600 mm apart, for at least 3 days, and unwrap only when the room temperature and humidity are steady Source: Wickes manual [52]. Wait until new plaster or screed has dried out. General craft knowledge
4. Flatten (slabs only). Stave worktops arrive flat. A rough-sawn slab needs a router sled and a surfacing bit [29] or the seller's planing service. General craft knowledge
5. Mark the cut plan and label. Chalk the whole plan on each board before the first cut: piece letters, front edge arrows, and which ends meet. Write the letter on the underside of each piece. General craft knowledge
6. Rip (only if the board is wider than the desk depth, and 20 mm off the back of C). Circular saw against a clamped straightedge, the board supported on both sides of the cut so it does not pinch the blade. Take the offcut from the back edge. General craft knowledge
7. Square and crosscut in sequence. Square one end, then cut each piece in the order shown by the calculator, checking with a square. Cut A and C last from their board, one cut between them. General craft knowledge
8. Dry-fit in the room. Battens fixed, pieces laid on, scribe the back edges to the wall and leave a 3 to 5 mm gap to the wall Source: Wickes manual [52]. Set up the frame and check C clears A by 5 mm and the wall by 25 mm through its full travel. General craft knowledge
9. Join A to B. Rout the bolt pockets on the underside, three bolts per joint Source: B&Q bolt page [23]; biscuits to align the faces Source: B&Q fitting guide [31]; seal the end grain and glue if you want it permanent Source: Wickes manual [52].
10. Fill. Small defects with a matching filler; voids in a slab with clear epoxy after a test. General craft knowledge
11. Sand and shape edges. Rout the front round-over, then sand through the grits (for example 120, 180, 240) with dust extraction, and ease every other edge. General craft knowledge
12. Finish every face together. Top, underside, edges and ends, two thin coats of Polyx-Oil, 8 to 10 hours between coats, extra on end grain Source: Osmo data sheet [22] Source: Wickes manual [52].
13. Fix to the wall. Screw through slotted holes or slotted brackets into the battens, never tight against the wall Source: Wickes manual [52]. Fix the panel legs with steel angle brackets and check the tops are level. General craft knowledge
14. Mount the sit-stand top. Assemble the frame, lay C face down on blankets, centre the frame with the legs to the back, drill your own pilot holes and screw on Source: FlexiSpot FAQ [18]. Turn it over with three people, set the gaps, then save a preset that matches the fixed desk height. Run it up and down empty before loading the monitors. General craft knowledge
15. Cables, then load up. Fit grommets and trays, leave the slack loop, then add monitors and arms. Check the gap and levels again after two weeks. General craft knowledge

7. Questions, viewing checklist and safety

Questions to ask each seller before paying

Visiting

• River Table, Braintree: by appointment, 01376 313333 [4]. Collection included, delivery quoted per piece [3].
• Fallen & Felled Essex warehouse: Unit E2, Wick Place Industrial Estate, Brentwood Road, Bulphan RM14 3TL. Monday to Friday 8am to 3.30pm, by appointment, call or email the day before [44].
• J Gard & Sons: The Timber Mill, The Tye, East Hanningfield, Chelmsford CM3 8BY, 01245 400181, open to the public Monday to Friday 7:30 to 4:30 and Saturday 8:30 to 12 [48][47].
• Elephant Timber Supplies: Rear of Offerfair Business Centre, Maunsell Road, Castleham Industrial Estate, Hastings TN38 9NN. Monday to Friday 07:30 to 17:00; contact them before going [41].

Viewing checklist

• Tape measure: length, width at both ends and the middle, thickness at each corner. Photograph the tape on the board.
• Pin moisture meter: take readings in several places on both faces. Ask what the seller's meter says too.
• Straightedge (a 1.2 m level is fine): check across and along both faces for cup, bow and twist; sight along the edges.
• Look at both faces and both ends for splits, shakes, loose knots, worm holes, finger joints and sapwood.
• For stave boards: lay the two boards side by side and check the colours match.
• For slabs: ask for a matching slab from the same log and look at them together.
• Bring straps, blankets and enough people; check the van length.
• Before buying a 3 m or longer board, know whether it can get up your stairs.

Safety

• Lifting. A 3 m board is about 58 kg and a slab like Burr Oak No. 06 about 55 to 67 kg. HSE's simple guide gives up to 25 kg for men and 16 kg for women, held close at waist height, and says team lifts need a fuller assessment [57]. Use at least three people, plan the route and the turn on the stairs, wear gloves and safety boots, and cut long boards downstairs if they will not go up safely. General craft knowledge
• Dust. Hardwood dust can cause cancer, particularly of the nose, and asthma; the workplace limit for hardwood dust is 3 mg/m³ [56]. Use dust extraction on the saw, router and sander, wear a well-fitted dust mask (FFP3), sand outside or with the room sealed, and vacuum rather than sweep. General craft knowledge
• Oils and rags. Cloths soaked in Polyx-Oil can catch fire on their own: wash them out straight after use or keep them in an airtight container. Ventilate while it dries [22].
• Router and saw. Clamp the work, keep guards on, unplug before changing bits or blades, keep both hands on the router, support both sides of a cut so the blade cannot bind and kick back, and wear eye and hearing protection. General craft knowledge
• Sit-stand. Keep the side gap under 7 mm and anything near the moving top at least 25 mm away [58]; use the frame's anti-collision setting [18].

8. Sources

"Verified by me" means I opened the live page on 03/10/2026 and read the number myself (with a browser user agent, a headless browser where the page needs JavaScript, or the seller's own live product feed). Earlier agent reports in ./context were used as leads only.

What changed from the earlier notes

• River Table's live page is identical to the saved copy: no slab changed. English Oak No. 10 and No. 11 (both wide, available) were not in the earlier shortlist.
• FlexiSpot E7 Pro is now £329.99 with a 180 kg rating on FlexiSpot UK; the 160 kg figure belongs to the standard E7. The E5 at B&Q is £299.99 and 100 kg.
• Walnut was dropped as the main choice: the house is light oak, cream and sage.
• Burr Oak No. 06 stays as the statement alternative but is not recommended: one slab cannot be matched across the L, its 840 mm is the widest point, and the slab version costs more than the guide.
• Osmo 3011 is the glossy version; satin or matt suits a desk under monitors better.
• The earlier link for a "Hinita 3 m x 620 x 40" top opens a 26 mm Kava top instead.
• B&Q marketplace weights (30 kg for 3 m boards) are wrong; work on about 58 kg.
• The 3 to 5 mm gap is kept, with the reason: under 7 mm is outside the finger-trap range in the office table standard.