I didn’t realize when I started organizing that it was going to make me feel so revitalized. Several days into it I started to feel so free and rejuvenated. I started to organize to finally begin my built-in desk project.
I don’t have a junk drawer. I have had a junk room, otherwise known as the laundry room. We moved in this house 3 years ago, and everything that had no place, just went into the laundry room. We began this daunting task of clearing everything out of the laundry room so that I could move things around and finally build the built-in desk I’ve been talking about.
While in the midst of our clearing session there happened to be a show on TV about organizing. How apropos! As the show was cutting to a commercial a question popped up:
Being organized increases productivity by: a) 4%, b) 14% or c) 40%. I’ll tell you the answer at the end of this post. In the meantime what do you think the answer is?
I had been intending to build a “L” shaped built-in desk for ages. We needed a dedicated work space, and we had a kitchen table we never use. In order to be able to actually make a built-in desk I had to clean out the junk laundry room, move the desk in the laundry room out (it went into the boys’ room) and move the kitchen table in.
Only at that point could my journey to a work space begin. Here’s how I made my built-in desk dream come true.
Supplies:
- Plywood – like 1/2″ x 4′ x 8′ Birch Plywood
- (3) 1″ x 2″ x8′ Premium Furring Strip
- (1) 2″ x 2″ x 8′ Premium Furring Strip (or any other leg option)
- wood glue – like Elmer’s Carpenter’s Wood Glue
- wood filler – like Elmer’s Interior/Exterior Wood Filler
- flat head screws – the amount and size will vary by what plywood you get, and how big the desk is. I used #8-1.25″, #10-1.5″ and #10-2.5″
- paint primer
- paint – semi gloss or high gloss is optimal – I used the Olympic Premium Interior Semi-Gloss in Majestic Mountain. (This is the only paint I’ve used for the 3 years, as it’s fantastic AND no VOC.)
- varnish- I used a semi-gloss
- sanding paper or block
- melamine edging - please note it does come in other colors
- painter’s tape
- corner cushion – like the KidKusion Corner Cushion
- drop cloth
Tools Needed:
- circular saw
- jigsaw
- drill
- putty knife
- paint roller – I love the WHIZZ Touch Up and Trim Kit
- small paint brush(es) – I used art ones from Ikea
- paint tray
- measuring tape
- level
- stud finder
- safety goggles or [sun]glasses
- PATIENCE!!!!!!!!
Optional:
- molding (if you use molding you will need a miter saw)
- shelf bracket - size depends on desk
- foam brush – best money I’ll ever spend when it comes to painting
- latex gloves
How To Make Your Very Own Built In Desk:
- Measure, measure again and then measure 2 more times, the wall(s) you will be building the desk on. There is never too much measuring.
- Cut using the circular saw the 1″ x 2″ x 8′ furring strip to the measurements you took. If you’re only doing 1 wall, then you’ll only need one piece. (Please remember safety first and either wear goggles or [sun]glasses when using any type of saw. Sawdust flies everywhere, and it could be dangerous if it gets in your eyes.)
- Using your stud finder begin looking for the studs in the walls so you can drill and screw in the 1 ” x 2″ x 8′ piece(s) into the studs. Hint: studs are always 16″ apart from each other.
- Once you’ve screwed the furring strip into the wall cut the plywood to size. If you have an “L” shape like mine use a drill to put a hole in the corner. This will ensure the ease of turning the corner to continue sawing, and will also reduce the chances of the plywood breaking or splitting.
- Use a jigsaw to cut on the short side until you get to the drill hole.
- Take the circular saw and cut the long side meeting the drill hole. You should now have your correctly cut out desk.
- Optional Step: but highly recommended: cut additional pieces of the 1″ x 2″ x 8′ furring strip and drill them to the underside of the desk on all sides except for the side(s) that will be against the wall. This lends extra support to the desk.
- Place the desk on top of the furring strip you have attached to the wall. Drill holes from the top of the desk through to the furring strip. BE VERY CAREFUL to go slowly and listen for splitting and cracking. This can happen very easily if you are not diligent.
- Screw the wood piece into the furring strip, again listening for splitting and cracking.
- Measure the distance from the underside of the wood to the floor to cut the legs from the 2″ x 2″ x 8′. Hint: Standard desks are 29″.
- Screw the top of the desk into the legs.
- Optional Step: if you are doing an “L” desk take a shelf bracket and use it under the short side for additional support.
- Optional Step: Add molding along the wall side of the desk.
- Take the wood filler and putty knife and fill in all of the holes left by the wood screws and nails. Also, look for splits that are natural to the wood, and fill those as well. You’ll find yourself using your fingers at times to get the filler into tiny little holes. It is absolutely washable, so do not worry.
- Once the wood filler is dry (approximate 1 min for shallow fills) you can begin to sand, including the wood filler.
- Sand everything including the underside. Make sure to make it smooth to the touch. When that’s complete clean everything to get all of the sawdust off.
- Using the painters tape, tape off the edges that touch the wall both on top, and on the bottom of the desk.
- Prime the entire desk, including the underside.
- If you intend to paint any parts different colors like the legs and molding now is the time to tape it off. Tape around the legs on the floor as well.
- When you do the first coat of paint, paint the underside as well. This makes it visually appealing from a distance.
- Once you’ve done 2 coats of paint on everything, do touch ups where the painters tape was, or did not stop the paint from bleeding.
- Following the directions on the Melamine edging, adhere it to the visible sides of the desk.
- Wait at least a day, and varnish the entire top side as you would paint.
- Put the corner protectors on all of the exposed corners of the desk. If you don’t have children this may not be as important, but in the end those corners are sharp, and those corner pads will save your head, legs and everything else in between.
I want to give a shout out to the man who helps and taught me how to make the projects in my mind come to life. He’s my DIY mentor, and I call him dad. He always needed an “assistant” when I was a kid, and it spawned my love to do home projects. Thanks dad!
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Candice
Disclosure: As a participant in the Lowe’s Creators and Influencers Network, Lowe’s provided the supplies for this project. All opinions above are my own, swayed only by my inner Fashionista.
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