Minimalist desk setups are often thought of and plain, dull and lifeless cookie-cutter layouts with little personality or depth. But more and more, a quick search across the web will show you that minimalism can be interpreted in many different ways, and adapted for many different environments.

Are you looking for ways to cut down on clutter and create a minimalist desk setup that stays true to your personal style and aesthetic? 

Clutter can be bad for productivity, according to numerous recent studies of the effects of our surroundings on our mental state. Clutter creates distraction, reducing our ability to focus. It can bring down your mood, especially if you’re someone who values cleanliness, which brings down your motivation and productivity as well. It can even make you feel guilty! 

Minimalist desk setups, unsurprisingly, have become all the rage in modern working environments as a way to reduce clutter and boost productivity. But minimalism doesn’t mean you have to have a lifeless and dull workspace. Check out these great minimalist desk setup ideas from influencers across the web! 

1. Marco Baso’s Warm Wood Minimalist Desk Setup

Choosing a wood finish for your desk is an excellent way to add warmth and a touch of sophistication to your minimalist office desk setup. Mark Baso’s desk setup is built on a sturdy SmartDesk frame with a custom wood top that looks fantastic. Thanks to the SmartDesk DIY Kit, anyone can build the minimalist desk of their dreams with a custom top that hits just the right tone. 

There’s a lot to admire in this minimalist desk setup. Only the essentials are used on the desk, and a just a touch of fun, decorative elements in the corner where they are visible, but not taking up space or causing a distraction. 

Of course, wood is an aesthetic choice that may or may not suit your space, depending on your taste for modern desk elements. However, this goes to show that you can use a classic wood finish and get a great minimalist result. 

2. James McDonald’s Clean Grey & White Oasis

James McDonald’s minimalist desk setup exemplifies the advantage of pure simplicity. The gorgeous monotone greys and whites of this desk setup allow work to be the main focal point, with everything else dissolving into the background. 

Though grey and white are classic minimalist colors since they tend to complement everything, you can choose different colors for your monochromatic look. As long as you’re consistent with your aesthetic and keep things very simple, you’ll achieve that minimalist office desk setup that you’re looking for. 

Regardless of your desk size, you can maximize what you have by minimizing the number of accessories on your desk and giving yourself more open space to work with. This is a great way to create the illusion of space, even in a cramped environment, by simply toning things down and only keeping the essentials within reach. 

Desk setup by James McDonald 

3. Linda Viva’s Whimsical, Sophisticated Desk Setup  

There’s a lot to love about this unique minimalist desk setup, apart from the gorgeous view of Manhattan in the background. Linda Viva manages to keep her setup clean and minimal, while also being unafraid to use a pop of color in her computer accessories and in her minimal decorative elements. Best of all, she’s using an all-white Autonomous SmartDesk 2 to give her the ultimate sitting and standing flexibility. 

Aesthetically, using an all-white desk like this is a great way to reduce the appearance of clutter and highlight just a few items on your desk. Adding a few plants or flowers to your minimalist computer desk setup is a great way to make your space feel more fresh and lively. 

When experimenting with a minimalist desk setup, don’t be afraid to experiment with pops of color. Embrace a potential color scheme and focus on the most important thing: keeping things simple. 

Desk Setup by Linda Viva 

4. Marco Silva’s Personalized Minimalist Office Desk Setup

Some people like adding a little more flair to their workspaces. Knowing the right balance of accessories and items can give your desk setup a more personalized feel, without overcrowding and getting cluttered. Marcelo Silva’s minimalist computer desk setup is a great example of just that. 

Striving for a minimalist aesthetic doesn’t mean you have to compromise on personalization. After all, what’s most important is that your desk feels like your own, and that’s how you’ll truly be able to take ownership of your work. 

While a couple of personal items give his desk a playful touch, he’s still kept it very basic so he has plenty of room for his computer accessories and his documents. The best way to know how much is the right about is to simply experiment with your own! Try adding and removing things from your desk in different arrangements and take a few steps back. You’ll know you’ve struck the right balance when you feel good about it. 

Desk set up by Marcelo Silva 

5. Mike Wat’s Darker Minimalist Desk Setup

Some people only think of lighter color schemes when they think of a minimalist office desk setup. In fact, using darker elements and dark wood tones can add a sense of class to your desk setup. Mike Wat’s desk setup takes advantage of the gorgeous dark walnut finish for his SmartDesk 2. 

The overall vibe of this desk setup is very warm and calming. The added tier elevates some of his tools so that he has a cleaner and clearer main desk surface. Adding layers to a desk like this is a great way to reduce and organize clutter, keeping things on your main desk surface to a minimum. 

For a slightly lighter take on this setup, you could also swap out this walnut wood desk for a lighter bamboo finish. SmartDesks are also available in black and white, making them highly versatile and adaptable to any kind of work space aesthetic. 

Desk setup by Mike Wat 

6. Kieron Scott’s Bright Burst of Beautiful Minimalism

Lighting is everything! Though some of us are blessed with larger windows than others, if you can take advantage of natural lighting in your workspace and incorporate it into your desk setup, the results will be much like what Kieron Scott has achieved with his minimalist desk setup. 

What’s great about this setup is that the natural light is coming from behind the monitor, meaning that the desk itself is well lit and basking in natural sunlight, but the display itself is 

protected from harsh glare. This can be a challenge for many who want to incorporate natural light into their desk setup while reducing glare, which can cause eye strain. 

Notable in this desk setup is the glass top, which won’t suit everyone, but in this case it works to accentuate the lightness of this workspace. Of course, having artificial lighting, like an LED desk lamp, is a great way to brighten things up if you don’t have those big windows. 

Desk setup by Kieron Scott 

7. Pierre-Etienne Ferraro’s Flexible Dual Screen Setup

For anyone who finds themselves frequently on the go and wants a minimalist computer desk setup that gives them an easy way to move from stationary to on-the-go, having your laptop free and out in the open is a great way to add some flexibility to your workflow. 

In true minimalist form, Pierre-Etienne Ferraro has chosen to eschew the usual external keyboard in favor of using the built-in keyboard on his laptop. Though this may not be the most functional solution for everyone, it suits his workflow and minimizes the clutter on his desk, giving him a nice wide surface for his mouse to move between two screens. 

Using your laptop display as a second monitor is a smart way to save money on buying another display. You can use it for smaller tasks that aren’t as important, or perhaps a display for your music playlist and other media you might play in the background throughout the day. 

Desk setup by Pierre-Etienne Ferraro 

8. Daily Setup Tech’s Ultimate Minimalist Gaming Desk Setup

A gaming desk might be the last thing that comes to mind when you think of minimalist setups. And for the most part, this tends to be true. Gaming stations are often the opposite of minimalist, with tons of gear and flashing multicolor LED lights making it look more like a discotheque than a desk setup. 

However, Daily Setup Tech achieves a minimalist aesthetic with the Autonomous SmartDesk 2, keeping a minimalist grey approach to all their accessories and the surface of the desk. There’s gotta be some glowing colors at least, or else it wouldn’t be a gaming setup! That’s why they chose to stick with a monotone green that only subtly adds a pop of brightness to this otherwise very stoic looking setup. 

Minimalism benefits gamers by allowing them to more fully immerse themselves in their gaming instead of getting distracted by clutter and flashing lights everywhere. This desk setup is a really great example of how gaming can be svelte and streamlined for maximum wins! 

Desk setup by Daily Setup Tech 

Final Thoughts 

Clean lines and lots of white space are hallmark characteristics of minimalism, but that doesn’t mean you can’t bend the rules and make everything truly ideal for you and your aesthetic. Personalized minimalist workspaces come in different colors and varieties, and these are just a few examples. 

Whether you’re trying to make a zen space in your home to focus on your work or creative projects, or simply looking to tidy up your workspace in the office, we hope these minimalist desk setup ideas inspire you to create your own uniquely stunning workspace.