So our built-in wall-to-wall desk already made some good progress this week with the painting and making-taller of our cabinets. But something was missing.
Yes, remember the view from before?
Yes, we were devoid a counter (aka, the desk top). John and I were actually quite indecisive about what to do when it came to that part. And whatever we did, we needed about thirteen feet of it (a length that we learned most kitchen counter suppliers wouldn’t even deliver since 12 feet was usually the max before you ended up with a seam). At first we considered ordering a legit kitchen counter top (maybe butcher block, maybe silestone, maybe this from Ikea – although they would all have a seam). I think after having saved so much with our $6 cabinets we thought that maybe the top could be our splurge.
But, then again, we’re not very good splurgers. Also, I was leaning towards something white (to keep things light, and to tie into the top of the nearby built-ins in the dining room) but John was Mr. Hesitant about white overload (and worried that the white tone of the counter could clash with the white of the cabinet). I know, it’s shocking to hear a guy worry about clashing white tones (especially when he usually can’t tell one white paint chip from another) but he can own it. In short, we were stuck.
But after seeing this DIY-ed desk that Aubrey and Lindsay built, John won we both realized that wood was the way to go.
We’ve always loved the combo of white and deep wood (we did something similar but flipped when it came to refinishing Clara’s dresser), so why not? And rather than “matching” a white counter to the tops of the built-ins in the dining room, we thought referencing the rich wood tabletop in there could really look great.
So with the “rich wood finish” decision made, we tracked down our materials. We wanted something thicker than the 3/4″ console table top (just to stay proportionate with the four chunky cabinets below and the thirteen foot length), so we picked up some 2 x 10″ untreated framing lumber. It was as thick as one of those jumbo cutting boards and I walked around the store talking lovingly to it, which was completely embarrassing but I could. not. help. it.
While there we had the guy at Home Depot cut a bunch of eight foot pieces in half so we could fit them in the car (it would also make maneuvering them at home much easier). And this is the most exciting thing. Total cost: $27.30. Yup, it came to less than a dollar a square foot (which is a heckova lot cheaper than most other countertop options, even butcher block or laminate from Ikea).
So with everything home, we did a rough layout on the floor of our basement workshop to figure out which pieces had the nicest edges (for the front lip) and which ones should be hidden in the back. We didn’t have 13 feet of floor space to work with, hence the overlapped look.
Since I was going to do the staining, John helped me label the back of each piece with clear directions so I didn’t end up staining the wrong side. The X meant “don’t stain this side” and STAIN FRONT meant, well, “stain the front edge” since it would show on the outer boards if it was a front board.
John’s duty (besides cutting a few end pieces to size) was sanding (since I still had memories of my vibrating hand from sanding the cabinets in the priming step of the process). John used the same cheerful little mouse sander to go over each piece thoroughly with some coarse 60 grit sandpaper first (to smooth out any big imperfections) and then went over things again with some finer 150 grit paper afterwards – just to give it an even smoother finish.
One potential challenge with lumber like this is the prints and stamps that come on them. We ended up using only the sides without marks, but if that weren’t the case we could’ve just used some extra sanding elbow grease to buff out the ink. But thankfully the other sides were just fine.
With everything sanded, we brought the boards into the sealed-off sunroom so I could stain them. We decided to use stain we already had on hand (leftover from the console project, actually I think it was from another project before that one) and ultimately decided to use the dark walnut and not mix in any of the ebony this time. Although we had done a combo of the two for the console, we weren’t really going for that same weathered / distressed look. Instead, we were trying emulate the deep, rich finish of our dining table.
So as usual, I brushed on a coat of the stain with a paintbrush (and a mysterious gloved hand)…
…and then wiped it off with a rag after letting it soak in a for about a minute.
Once they dried overnight, we were left with these beauts (I did the staining at night and shot these after photos in the morning, hence the different look/undertones – you’ll see the actual finished look later in the post though).
John’s original plan for building the counter was to recreate his process for the console top, just on a larger scale. That meant using his beloved Kreg jig to screw the boards into one another side-by-side so they became larger sections that he could then piece together on top of the base cabinets. But after going to town with his jig on a few boards, he realized these heftier boards weren’t gonna jive with that plan – especially when he had a seam straddling two cabinets. You can’t tell from this picture, but this set up was a bit wobbly. And a wobbly desktop (or something uneven that made our laptops wobbly) wasn’t the goal.
So he adjusted his approach to focus on screwing the boards to the cabinets first, and then to each other wherever necessary (for added support). It wasn’t a bad alternative, it just meant a lot more cramming his body into the base cabinets to drill screws up into the bottom of the counter planks while I leaned on things to keep them in place from above.
True to form, wherever he could, John used his pre-drilled pocket holes to secure the pieces to one another for added strength (did I mention the man loves his jig?).
Perhaps our favorite discovery of the day was realizing that our camera tripod could double as a great jack-substitute to keep the boards level while John screwed them together (this was a lot more precise than me standing there and trying to hold them at a consistent height). They make a good counter-building team, John and his trusty tripod.
The brevity at which I’m recounting this process makes it seem like it was fast and easy. It wasn’t. You know we like to keep it real, so the counter install (not counting a few hours of sanding/staining) took us the better part of an evening – maybe around four hours? And it was relatively exhausting, especially to poor John who was doing the bulk of the lifting and contorting himself into the base cabinets to drill. The most frustrating part was realizing that our boards, like most, weren’t all perfectly straight. So we had to do our best to counteract/deal with the whole slightly warped thing (once we screwed them down/together in a few places they seemed to level out, but it took some finessing to make sure the tops stayed level as we went).
But eventually it got done. Though it did teach us a lesson in staining: be sure to stain about a centimeter over each edge, even if you don’t think it’ll be visible, since some of the tiny cracks between where the boards met revealed slivers of unstained wood. Luckily it was nothing a little stain touch-up with a small brush couldn’t fix (I dabbed it in there and then wiped the seam with a rag to blend it).
With the touch-ups dry, I later added three thin coats of our favorite non-toxic low-VOC poly alternative (Safecoat Acrlacq). This is the can that we originally bought for our bathroom vanity project over a year and a half ago and it’s still going strong (we use it for almost everything).
The Safecoat seal will not only protect the finish and add lots of long-tern durability, but it also gives the wood a richer glossy look – just like our nearby dining table.
Once we’d given the whole thing 24 hours to dry, it was time to take her for a spin. This is what our new desktop looked like empty…
…and here she is with some “styling” (come on, do you know me at all? I love to put a bunch of stuff on newly completed projects – just to help us get a sense of what it might look like when it’s in use). Of course everything was just shoved there in four minutes so it’s safe to say that nothing is permanent and I obviously want some larger art to actually hang on the wall (which we still have to paint, hence the swatches) and a bunch of other things will likely change/evolve as we actually get into using our new desk.
And yes, I borrowed the lamps from the console table in the living room and added some fun shades that I spotted at Target (they still have the wrapping on them, which is why they’re so shiny). But eventually we’ll have to grab two more lamp bases for in here (where we might keep the two-toned shades – we’ll see).
We’re so happy with how the office looks from the dining room. The wood top ties right into the wood table and doesn’t look weird with the white topped built-ins in the foreground. Whew.
And the chunky wood top is such a rich counterpart to the white cabinets, we really couldn’t be happier. Oh and see that vintage green library box (found for $4 at a thrift store a while back)? That’s our new drawer system for pens, pencils, tape, and scissors – so the file cabinets are full of larger things (like the shredder, some storage boxes, etc). So far it’s all really functional- so I owe you a photo of the insides of those cabinets once we’re more settled in.
Oh and as for writing things down atop a wood plank counter, there are a few seams, but they’re four feet apart and the boards are nice and thick. We also generally use notebooks and notepads anyway, so getting bumps and lines when we write isn’t an issue. In fact in the square foot of counter space to the right of each of our laptops there’s not a single seam cutting through – so any pad or piece of paper could be written on easily without any seam-conflicts. Which is a nice accident because we just laid the boards in a staggered zig-zag pattern and they happened to fall without any seams to the right of our computers. Holla.
Overall, the current setup (although the “styling” is ever so un-permanent)…
… is definitely an update from the old office setup (you can read more about the floor-planning process here). Only now do we realize how cramped that desk really was:
Of course we’re not 100% done with things. We still want to put some sort of molding around the bottom and sides of the cabs to give them a more built-in look. Plus we’re still not sure if we’re gonna stick with the shiny silver hardware finish that came with the cabinets (of course I’ve thought about ORB, but don’t know if that’ll look too matchy with the black glass pulls on the file cabinet nearby- I’ll keep you posted though). Even with those little things still on the to-do list, our budget’s looking pretty darn good for the ol’ wall to wall built-in desk project:
- Cabinets (from Habitat For Humanity ReStore): $6.30
- Kilz Clean Start No-VOC Primer$0 (leftover from painting the kitchen paneling, but it would be around $20 to buy for those wondering)
- Electric sander & sandpaper: $0 (already owned, but would be around $25 to buy)
- Benjamin Moore Advance paint (in Decorators White, satin): $40 (thanks to 10% off haggling/begging)
- Pre-primed & unprimed wood to build up cabinets (from Home Depot): $51
- Framing lumber for counter (from Home Depot): $27.30
- Stain & poly for top: $0 (already owned, but would be about $8 and $20 respectively if you didn’t have any)
- TOTAL: $124.60
We’re psyched, especially since a white laminate counter from Ikea that would span the 13′ length would be around $125 on its own (not counting any cabinetry, paint, etc). But of course just like any upgrade, our new desk is making the rest of the room look terrible. Haha. We need wall paint. And window treatments. And to actually update the chipped navy chairs that we grabbed for $35 a while back. And art. And a chair for the corner. And a lighting upgrade. And about a million other things. But thinking about everything at once gives me hives. One step at a time is the mantra these days.
Has anyone else out there gone with a wood topped something (be it a desk, dresser, kitchen counter, etc)? Do you do things backwards (like build a desk before you paint the walls)? Do you find it hard to resist stroking and talking lovingly to lumber at the home improvement center? I gotta get a handle on that.
Psst- To follow our desk makeove from the beginning, here’s the post about office floor planning, the post about finding our $6 cabinets, the one about other places we looked, the post about sanding and priming the cabinets, and the post about painting and building up the cabinets before adding the countertop.
Kelly says
Hey guys, I’m curious why you didn’t paint first? I know you’re paint pros and all, but wouldn’t it have been easier? Just curious cause I assume you have a briliant reason :) Loving the office so far!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes- much easier! We just can’t decide on a color. And it would be even harder to paint, build a desk, and repaint if we didn’t like the wall color. So we held off.
xo,
s
Rae says
Can’t wait to see you guys update the light fixture. Bet it’s gonna be awesome!
Lexie says
It looks great! Random question. Do either of you have back pain because of your ‘office chairs’? I have a similar chair at my desk and a laptop as well – my back has been killing me! My chiropractor thinks this is due to: 1.) no lumbar support on my chair and 2.) my laptop not being elevated to eye level. Why are ergonomic solutions so unattractive? Have you seen a laptop stand??! Just curious if you had any thoughts on how to accomplish making an office more ergonomic while being easy on the eye.
YoungHouseLove says
We actually love our chairs! We bought them not to be office chairs (for the sunroom) but they’re both so cozy to sit in for the long haul that we upgraded them to desk chair status! Maybe it’s something about the angle (it actually feels like we have decent lumbar support in ours)? As for a laptop stand, I think if that would help your back feel better we’d say go for it! Maybe you can paint or stain it to blend in with your desk!
xo,
s
Robin says
Just curious, what were the tiles on the bathroom floor of your parents friends house? e have a similar bathroom project coming up and want to match a grey carrerra type tile to a floor tile we have yet to pick out. Theirs looks like similar colors to what we need.
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
They’re a blue-gray stone with veins (very marble-looking) but I’m not 100% sure it’s marble. Here’s hoping Pam can drop in with more info.
xo,
s
Ashley Keylor says
Looks amazing! You guys have such a vision for what things will look like. I would have never thought of that! Genius!
Heather says
Have you considered a coffee filter pendant for this room?
YoungHouseLove says
Could definitely be fun!
xo,
s
Andrea says
This looks awesome!
The view throught the dining room packs the biggest punch.
I’m going to offer completely unsolicited advice and say that if I were you, I’d paint those chairs white. They have such nice lines and it would make them pop.
Also, have you considered painting those walls the same color as the walls in the dining room? I only ask because it seems like bolder colors, like green or even a deeper brown, would compete too much with what you’ve got going in the dinig room. I know two rooms, side by side, is kind of BO-RING, but I think the rooms have so much interesting stuff going on, plus you could add color in the office with artwork. Just a thought :)
You guys are amazing, as usual!
andrea
YoungHouseLove says
Both things we’ve considered, actually! We’re less in love with the navy chairs now (since they kind of disappear against the dark top now) and we think all of the swatches we put up in these pictures are too dark (because we don’t want the counter top to disappear). We’ll figure it out soon!
-John
Emily says
This looks so awesome! I do have a question for you though…what do you do with your computer power cords? Does the wood top go all the way to the wall or is there enough space at the back to fit a cord through?
YoungHouseLove says
We’re going to drill very small holes behind each computer so we can snake cords in there (they won’t be seen because of the laptops, etc). We’ll have to post about that when we get ‘er done!
xo,
s
healthy grits says
Love!!
Naomi says
That looks totally amazing – great work!
Sara says
Fantastic job! I have such desk envy ;)
Johanna says
So inspiring! Thanks for the tip on the low VOC poly. Needed a recommendation.
Sarah Hadley says
Love how it’s all turning out! At first I was thinking you could do some fun colored hardware for the cabinets, but if you might have colored chairs or lamps, then maybe that would be too much. But……how about THESE beauties? http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=073064&catId=HOME-HARDWARE&pushId=HOME-HARDWARE&popId=HOME&navCount=12&color=001&isProduct=true&fromCategoryPage=true&isSubcategory=true&subCategoryId=HOME-HARDWARE-PULLS
Already a good color, plus….KEYS! :)
YoungHouseLove says
I love those!!! The color is actually gorgeous. We’re thinking about bringing in pops of color with art and fabric so something subdued like that on the cabinets might be sweet. Maybe I’ll spray the existing hardware in that pretty matte charcoal finish…
xo,
s
Todd says
So, the hardware that came with the cabinets- I haven’t seen you write anywhere that y’all plan to replace it, but I would say that its shape is very similar to the black glass handles you put on the Ikea piece. Have you thought about spray painting them glossy black to get across the same effect?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we’re not sure what color we’ll go with because we worry orb or black might be a little too matchy-matchy. Still mulling it over. Haha.
xo,
s
Diana says
Can you show how you put your pens in your vintage green library box? I have one just like yours and want to do the same thing as you. Thanks:)
YoungHouseLove says
We just put them in there. Haha. It’s like a pen drawer. They all just lay horizontally (long-ways) in the long drawer. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Aubrey says
The desk is gorgeous!!!!! You guys are so inspiring!!
trish says
I just love it. We would love to do something just like it in our office. Do you have any idea where we can find cabinets like the ones you found? It seems that the cabinets at home depot and ikea are either too short or too tall. How high are yours?
YoungHouseLove says
We found ours at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore (there are tons of them across the country). They were 26″ tall but we built them up to be 30″ tall with the addition of a small box on the top that we painted and then the 2″ thick counter. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Hilary says
Love the stained wood top. Awesome! You sure got a great deal on those cabinets. Our built in desk unit was just completed and we definitely splurged [for us]: http://diariesofdoers.blogspot.com/2011/09/first-off.html
YoungHouseLove says
Oooh! So pretty.
xo,
s
Karen says
This is gorge. When I saw the first “after” pic I totally ool’ed (ooohed out loud). And then the second “after” (with styling) elicited a much squeakier ooh. It’s so cool how well it already blends when looking at it from the dining room.
Katie says
Why did you opt not to prime the desk before staining? I noticed you didn’t prime Clara’s changing table first, either. Did you prime the console? (BTW – I think the console needs to be added to your project page, it looks beautiful!)
I constructed a ‘behind the sofa’ table over the weekend (very primative, but functional) and can’t decide if I should paint it white or stain it. The guy at Home Depot made it sound like prime, stain & poly were all essential steps. I would love to take short cuts & not prime (to save time & money) if possible.
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve never heard of priming before staining! Primer is meant for under paint (it would block the wood grain and keep the stain from penetrating if you used it under stain). Maybe he was talking about a wood conditioner? That’s a nice first step, but one we have skipped since prior projects came out so well without it (and we’re cheap). Haha. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Erin says
Wow, this countertop is awesome. I’m about to take on a major sprucing up project in my office at work which will involve removing a sink (yeah, I have a SINK in my office … it used to be a doctor’s office) and an ugly counter and this would totally work. Unfortunately I don’t have a Kreg jig. I wonder if this could be accomplished without the help of the jig.
YoungHouseLove says
I bet so. Maybe just use metal brackets to join the wood from below? Or just drill straight through the top of the cabinets and secure each board that way? Good luck!
xo,
s
Tami says
Ooooh, I painted this weekend too! And posted about it first thing this morning, right… HERE: http://tami-licious-life.blogspot.com/2011/09/blue-ish-green-ish-grey.html
I think I do have wall envy though. Yours are so nice and smooth. Mine? TEXTURED. Like mega-TEXTURED. I can’t even get into it right now, I’m still traumatized.
YoungHouseLove says
That looks so great!
xo,
s
Sarah says
Hey guys!
I love all of your projects like this and I’m just wondering for things like this and the console behind your couch (that is also rather large) do you think you could ever get them out of your house if/when you move? My biggest hesitancy in projects like this (and other DIY furniture/wood projects a la Ana White) is not being able to move them. Thoughts?
YoungHouseLove says
We can easily move the console since it’s built in three parts with a removable top. As for the desk, when we build things in like that we sell them with the house (they help the value and likely wouldn’t fit well into the next house anyway since we’d need the exact same sized wall). We sold the built-ins on either side of our master bedroom with our last house and they were part of what attracted the buyers so we’re happy we made those improvements and got to live with them and leave them for the next folks!
xo,
s
Elinor says
Loving the desk. what are your plans for the unused $1 cabinets?
YoungHouseLove says
I have a few ideas up my sleeve- not sure where we’ll end up, but we’ll keep you posted when we finally decide on one option!
xo,
s
Jadie says
Just wondering if there is a link somewhere for how you did the photoshop art? I am sure it is pretty self-explanatory for most people, but not for people like me… I mean how you decided on an image/how you blew it up (if you did at all)? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
So sorry, we used to sell those in our print shop (it was sort of like etsy) so we never posted a tutorial, but a general description of the process was:
1) I scanned a piece of burlap and brough it into photoshop to use as my background
2) I found images or photographs of leaves on google images and used them as guides for my leaf prints (I didn’t use them exactly, I tweaked things by adding a longer stem, more leaves, flipping it the other direction, etc).
3) When I say used them as guides I mean that I used the line tool in photoshop and created an outline of my newly tweaked leaf and then I filled it with white paint
4) Since I wanted them to be 12 x 12″ (and of high quality since we used to sell them) we had them printed at a local print shop on nice thick archival paper
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Isabel says
Hey Sherri & John! Thanks for this tutorial on staining furniture. You guys definitely helped me re-finish my bistro table top:
http://prettytastythings.com/2011/09/a-redesigned-breakfast-nook/
Thanks for your help!!! Isabel
YoungHouseLove says
So gorgeous! Great job!
xo,
s
sarah says
question for you guys, i have a table much like this at my home, although it is reclaimed antique wood.
my husband coated it with polyurathane to avoid scratches ect
anyway, i guess he put too many coats on so now there are some parts of it that look a little white from the poly
do you have an idea of how to fix this? i dont want to sand as it is reclaimed wood…is there maybe a coat of something else i can put on top to get the white out?
thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I’ve never heard of anything that you can apply over poly (it’s usually recommended that you sand just the poly off- not the wood itself, and then reseal it). Maybe ask around at the hardware store?
xo,
s
Sarah says
Hey,
I don’t know if you’ll see this since it’s sort of after-the fact – But you really might want to consider finishing the bottom of your desk top. If you don’t, it may warp when the weather/humidity changes.
A friend of mine made a beautiful coffee table, but didn’t seal the bottom of the tabletop. Every time the seasons changed the table would warp quite a bit. Sealing the bottom of your desk will prevent that.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip! We actually were thinking about going back and doing that soon!
xo,
s
amanda says
Hello! My husband and I are finally getting our hands around our vision for our kitchen (it’s been a year and a half in the making…lol). We are definately going to be painting our cabinets and we are currently researching making our own concrete countertops. Would you guys recommend painting the cabinets first, then installing the counters….or the other way around?
YoungHouseLove says
I’d definitely paint after! They get banged around a but by the install process sometimes…
xo,
s
Chris says
I’ve got a couple of quick questions for you about this project.
What kind of wood did you use? Was it fir, or something different?
Did you do any planing/jointing to the wood? The front corner looks pretty sharp.
YoungHouseLove says
Hi Chris,
The wood was framing lumber from Lowe’s, so I believe it was pine. And I’m not fancy enough to do any planing or jointing on the front. I just did my best to line things up by eye. It’s not 100% perfect, but it still works great.
-John
christina says
Hi..!!!
I used your countertop as a “muse” for my own project. My husband and I bought base kitchen cabinets and painted them white, set them on each side of our fireplace, and added the wood plank countertops…They look amazing…problem is…after a month they are warping…is this happening to yours as well?? He used the kreg jig as well…Thanks!!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, ours aren’t warping. Did you bring the wood into your house for a few days to let it acclimate? We hear that can be key (before connecting it or nailing it down, it’s nice to give it a few days to acclimate to your house’s temp/humidity, etc). Maybe sealing the underside of yours can help (we also hear that sealed things warp less)? Good luck!
xo,
s
christina says
Geesh!!! I mentioned to my husband that we might want to bring the deck boards we used inside to acclimate but he said “oh no dear, I am sure it is fine because it was already inside at Home Depot.”…famous last words…Well I am guessing we will have to take the countertops off and try to stain the underneath and attempt to flatten out what has warped if it is possible…but I think we might just have to start over….
Thanks for the reply!!
~Christina
YoungHouseLove says
Aw man- so sorry about the trouble! Good luck with everything!
xo,
s
Erica says
Question… how do you not see the screws on the top? Or what did you attach them to? Also, how did you attach them to each other?
YoungHouseLove says
They’re screwed in from underneath. John used the jig to make pocket holes and join them that way. They were attached along the sides and base so nothing shows. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Malisams says
This post has inspired my husband and me to do our own kitchen counters the same way. Here’s hoping ours turn out as well as yours… Also, curious about those Target lampshades: Are they white and navy blue, or white and black/gray?
YoungHouseLove says
They were sort of a grayish navy and white color. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amy says
A fantastic project! You inspired us to attempt our own. Ours ended up at 3 metres – almost a foot shorter than yours so I can’t imagine how big yours must look in real life.
Thank you for providing such a detailed instruction!
Amy (knest.wordpress.com)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, so glad! Congrats girl!
xo,
s
lindsey says
I love this! May I ask where you found the cabinet bases?
YoungHouseLove says
They were $1 each at the Habitat For Humanity ReStore. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
texas blu topaz says
Malisams, my husband and I are thinking about building our kitchen counter tops like your’s and Sherri’s and John’s desk top. How is this working out in your kitchen for counter tops? Any noticeable issues? Are they holding up well? Thanks so much, Sherri P
YoungHouseLove says
They’re holding up well! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
texas blu topaz says
I love your desk top. So beautiful! Nothing beats the look of wood as far as I’m concerned. How are you liking it after a few months. And are you happy with the way it’s holding up?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes so happy!
xo,
s
Debbie says
I love your desk but I’m wondering how it works for writing on. Does the pen dip down into the cracks between the boards? I’m worried my kids will be frustrated when they are doing their penmanship. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
We just write on notebooks so it’s all good! I’m sure if we just wrote on sheets of paper it might be annoying but it’s fine with a post it pad or notebook or sketch book!
xo,
s
Megan says
Mentioned this on my blog!
LOVE IT!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks!
xo,
s
Jen Anglen says
This is fantastic! I’ve been thinking quite a while about how i can get the amazing Ikea type homeschool desks for multiple kids (we have four)… this will be such a simple and inexpensive way to get just what i’m looking for ! thanks for posting your project! :) Yeah! :)
YoungHouseLove says
So glad! Good luck Jen!
xo,
s
chris says
Love the desk. Two quick questions: Why didn’t the kreg jig work (why was the desk wobbly initially)? And why did you put the poly on after you built the desk? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
The desk wasn’t wobbly initially, and we actually used the jig to connect the boards to each other to create the top, we just couldn’t use the jig to connect the boards to the top of the cabinets since they were attached to each other and it was too awkward to do things that way. As for the poly afterwards, that’s just our regular MO (we refinish and poly furniture all the time after it’s assembled/built) and it seems to be holding up really well!
xo
s
Lisa says
Hey, I only wanted to let you know that we just finished building our desk and used your creation as an inspiration. We built our own shelves instead of buying cabinets, because I couldn’t stand any more ikea furniture in our flat, and built the whole thing around a corner, but other than that it’s pretty similar ;) I’ll post a picture once I get the room cleaned ;)
Michelle says
HI!
We’re building a really similar desktop and also need it to be almost 13′ (12’10”) and we’re using the 2×10’s as well. We had them cut to 4′ sections at the store, same as you… how did you guys go about making 13′ out of a bunch of 4′ sections? Did you end up with 1′ pieces at the ends?? We’re a little stumped, but then again, maybe just tired!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s been a bit of time, so my memory is fuzzy – but yes, we do have shorter pieces at the end. Ours is three rows wide and they’re staggered (so the short is on the left side for the middle row, but on the right end for the front and back row). We’re in Tacoma now so I can’t measure the length of end pieces, but ours are probably around 1 foot.
-John
Andrew says
I’m jealous of the things you guys find at the Restore! We live in Richmond too, but we can’t find any cabinets close to this at the restore ever. :( Nonetheless, how high is this? The other thing we find is the cabinets are usually about 35″ high which will put the desk at about 36-37″ high which is pretty high for a keyboard, so I was curious to how high this measures?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, the key was that these we night stands in a hotel (they were topped with some sort of marble top we think) so they’re standard desk height instead of cabinet height (which is too tall as you mentioned! That’s why we can use regular chairs and not stools and it’s all good. I think they’re 29-30″ total in height.
xo
s
Brittany says
OMG we used the same inspiration pic from Aubrey and Lindsay to redo our desk the same way. Crazy!
Yours looks amazing. Especially with the styling. We havent gotten that far yet. It was horrific just trying to put this desk together. You can see ours at
http://creatingspacefor5.blogspot.com/2013/01/diy-pine-desk.html.
Love your blog! brittany
YoungHouseLove says
Love it!
xo
s
Ashley says
Did you put poly on the bottom of the desk to prevent warping? How many coats did you put on each side? I love the tutorial, i’m working on this project right now! I’m on the dreaded sanding stage right now…
YoungHouseLove says
We didn’t poly the bottom and a year and a half later we don’t have any warping (we let the wood acclimate in our house before installing it, which definitely seems to help – and polying the bottom can’t hurt at all!). As for coats, we just did three light & thin ones on top. Good luck with everything Ashley!
xo
s
Jesse says
How tall is the over all desk? We just purchased cabinets from lowes and are going to cut them down. Is there somewhere better we could buy these from? We also need lots of storage space, this is why we opted for the cabinets…
Jesse
YoungHouseLove says
I believe they were 30″ tall when complete. Hope it helps!
xo
s
Jennifer says
Hi,
We are currently working on a similar project, and my husband bought pine. He is concerned though that the surface won’t be hard enough to do work and crafts on, and will ding easily. Did you ever notice this problem?
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I think if it’s thick like framing lumber you should be all set. We used it for years without any dinging (but ours was really dense – it’s meant to hold houses up so it’s really strong stuff).
xo
s
iva says
Hi, I love you blog! i have been trying to do the same thing in my room. one problem i have is to be able to find base cabinets that is desk height(28″-30″) no luck with that unless i pay a fortune … if i use wall cabinets that is 30″ height but it doesn’t give me the depth i need for working area(wall cabinets are 12″D). I am only 5’2″ that is why sitting up high is uncomfortable for me. how did you solve that problem with the cabinets you got? thanks!
iva says
oops…i just read the previous comments…