Building your own desk can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars. If you are interested in a personalized look, you can create a wooden desk that has a professional look and plenty of space to hold your things. Measure the office, choose the look you like and build yourself a desk that fits your style. If you are already familiar with carpentry and know how to use power tools, you will not have much difficulty.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Adjustable Desk
Step 1. Get the materials
You will need a piece of plywood or MDF measuring 120x50cm (or similar), two wooden easels (readily available in stores like Ikea), wood screws and paint. You must also have a circular saw available if your pieces of wood are not already cut to size.
Step 2. Cut out the plywood / MDF to the size you need using the circular saw
Always remember to take the measurements twice and carefully so as to make a precise cut.
You can also drill a hole in the surface or edge of the shelf to allow the electrical cables to pass through later
Step 3. Sand the wood
Unless you have purchased pre-finished panels, you need to sand the desk. To save time, we recommend hiring an electric sander. Remember to wipe off dust and sawdust with a cloth once the job is done.
- If the wood surface needs to be stripped and refinished, use 40 grit sandpaper.
- If you just need to smooth out and remove imperfections on the surface, use 80-grit sandpaper.
- Use 360 grit emery paper for finishing and to make the surface really smooth before painting.
Step 4. Color the wood
If you want a colorful desk you can paint both the base and the easels. Spray paint is probably the quickest fix, but you can also stick with the regular one. Remember that the color will only stick to the wood if it is in its raw state.
If you want, you can choose different colors for the trestles / drawers and for the desk surface, but try to harmonize the furniture with the rest of the furniture
Step 5. Put the pieces together
Bring all the material into the room where you want to install the desk, in this way you will avoid the work of "moving" from one room to another. Lay the table on top of the trestles so that the horizontal crossbar of each trestle is facing up and the trestles are each 4.5cm from the edge of the flat surface. If you want, you can make sure with a spirit level that everything is perfectly horizontal even if, in most cases, 100% perfection is not essential.
Step 6. Secure the table base with screws
Choose the ones with the right length and connect the table top to the trestles. Use three screws for each tripod while spacing them evenly. You can give more stability to the structure with 4 "L" brackets at the corners; these must be adjustable and small enough to be screwed in between the table and the trestles.
Step 7. Do the finishing touches
Use wood putty to fill in the screw heads and then touch up the paint. Add any detail you like and then you can enjoy your beautiful desk!
Remember that you can adjust the height of the desk thanks to the easels
Method 2 of 3: Desk from a Nightstand
Step 1. Get all the necessary materials
You will need a coffee table or nightstand that is as tall as you want it to be your desk, MDF or deep plywood as much as the nightstand / coffee table or little more and the legs for the table (two pieces if you find them the same height of the bedside table or, if not, two couples). You also need to get some wood glue, wood screws and corner brackets.
The height of the table legs and that of the bedside table (including any optional legs) must be at a comfortable level and equal to each other. Buy some long wooden legs that you can cut to size
Step 2. Cut the wood to size
Cut out the flat surface to the size you need, use a hacksaw or circular saw. When done, sand the wood.
Step 3. Paint the surface
Use the shade you like best, spray paints are the quickest solution.
Step 4. Attach the support base to the legs
Connect the long ones with wood screws. These must only be attached to one side, as the bedside table will act as a second support base.
Step 5. Assemble the pieces
Spread some wood glue on the surface of the bedside table and then place the base of the desk well centered (on the side without legs).
Step 6. Attach the base to the nightstand
Use the corner brackets to give the structure greater resistance, fix them under the worktop.
Step 7. Add the finishing touches
You can color the desk and put all the details you like before using it!
Method 3 of 3: Hanging Desk
Step 1. Get the supplies
You need a board (quality but light weight) measuring 5x25x150cm and another 2.5x25x180cm, wood glue, surface screws, 2.5cm wood screws and three "L" brackets. 10-12, 5 cm. You will also need to have a bearing post detector for the wall and some paint or wood stain (optional).
Step 2. Cut the wood to size
You need to get two 150cm and two 12.5cm boards. The small ones must be cut out from the board with section 2, 5x25 cm.
Step 3. Mount the desk top to the wall
Secure the 12.5x2.5x25cm plank to the wall using surface screws and "L" brackets. The latter must be inserted into the supporting poles of the wall, so be sure to locate them using the appropriate detector tool. When attaching the plank to the brackets, use the shorter screws.
Step 4. Connect the side boards to the base piece
Smear the glue and then use surface screws to attach the 150cm plank to the base.
Step 5. Secure the base to the top floor
Apply some glue on the edge of the side boards, fix everything with brackets under the desk top and then insert the screws passing through the support base up to the side pieces.
Step 6. Wait for the structure to stabilize
Place a support bracket under the desk while the glue dries.
Step 7. Add the final touches
You can paint the desk or put other details. Remember that this structure can withstand the weight of a monitor or laptop but no other heavier object.
