Wednesday, October 25

DIY Desk Series #20 - Hideaway Corner Floor Desk

This floor desk gives you a ton of work space and storage space all in one. And just wait until you see this guy's moves.

P.S. Check out the rest of our free DIY Desk Plan Series here!
And the rest of the floor desk plans here!



The storage section is on casters and can be configured into an L-shape desk.


Pull it out for a little more work surface and easier access to the storage.


And when you're done, the storage unit completely tucks underneath to free up floor space.


But wait, there's more - you can customize the storage unit to fit your needs! Big drawers, small drawers, open shelving... it can pull of any of them.




Shopping List (to make a unit with one large drawer, one small drawer, and one shelf):
  • 1.5 sheets 3/4" plywood (you only need 1 drawer bottom from the second sheet, so if you have any scraps this is a perfect time to pull them out!)
  • Kreg Jig
  • 1 1/4" pocket hole screws
  • 1 1/4" wood screws
  • finishing nails
  • 2 - drawer pulls
  • 4 - 2" casters 
  • wood glue
  • wood filler
  • sandpaper and finishing supplies

Desk Dimensions: 48" wide x 16" deep x 12 3/4" high
Storage Dimensions: 36" wide x 13" deep x ~12" high (with casters)
You can easily change the height of this desk by changing the length of the legs. 

Measure twice, cut once (seriously, though). Use glue in every step (be careful to clean up any drip, because they will mess up your finish at the end!). Read through all the instructions before you begin. Use 1 1/4" screws unless otherwise indicated. Pre-drill and countersink all your screws. Be safe, have fun, and let me know if you have any questions! Please note I have not built from these plans myself (you might be the first!), so double check everything as you go.

Cut List Desk:
(A)  1  -  plywood  @  46 1/2 x 6"  (desk back)
(B)  2  -  plywood  @  16 x 12"  (desk sides)
(C)  1  -  plywood  @  48 x 16"  (desk top)

Storage Unit:
(D)  2  -  plywood  @  15 1/4 x 7 3/4"  (sides)
(E)  2  -  plywood  @  36 x 15 1/4"  (top/bottom)
(F)  1  -  plywood  @  34 1/2 x 7 3/4"  (back)
(G)  1  -  plywood  @  14 1/2 x 7 3/4"  (divider)

Small Drawer/Shelf:
(H)  1  -  plywood  @  16 7/8" x 14 1/2"  (shelf)
(I)  2  -  plywood  @  14 3/8 x 2 1/2"  (drawer back)
(J)  2  -  plywood  @  13 1/4 x 2 1/2"  (drawer sides)
(K)  1  -  plywood  @  15 7/8" x 13 1/4"  (drawer bottom)
(L)  1  -  plywood  @  16 5/8 x 3 3/4"  (drawer front)

Large Drawer:
(M)  2  -  plywood  @  14 3/8 x 6 1/4"  (drawer back)
(N)  2  -  plywood  @  13 1/4 x 6 1/4"  (drawer sides)
(O)  1  -  plywood  @  15 7/8 x 13 1/4"  (drawer bottom)
(P)  1  -  plywood  @  16 5/8 x 7 1/2"  (drawer front)

plywood cut layout

Drill pocket holes in both ends of the back board (A), and along the top of the back and side boards (B). Use the pocket hole screws to attach the back between the side boards, flush at the top. No kreg Jig? Just drill through the sides into the ends of the back board with the wood screws.


Line up the top (C) on the legs and attach it using the pocket holes around the top of the legs and back boards. The main desk is done! You can stop here if you just want a super easy floor desk! If you don't have a Kreg Jig, you can attach the top by drilling down through the top into the legs and back with wood screws.


Now you can build the box for the storage unit. Drill pocket holes in the top side of the side boards (D) and use pocket screws to attach them to the top board (E). Flip it over and line up the bottom board (E) on the side boards, and drill through that board into the ends of the sides to attach it with wood screws. Flip it back right-side up. (there isn't space to do pocket holes for both top and bottom, but doing it this way you will only have screws showing on the bottom of the cabinet) If you don't have a kreg Jig, attach the top the same way as the bottom.


Drill pocket holes along all four sides of the back board (F) and use pocket screws to attach it into the back of the cabinet. If you don't have a Kreg Jig, set the board in place and drill through the top, bottom, and sides into the edges of the back board.


Install the divider (G) in the center of the cabinet, 16 7/8" from either side. Be sure to measure at the front and back of the cabinet - if the divider isn't straight your drawer slides won't work smoothly! I would attach this board using finishing nails through the top, back, and bottom into the ends of the divider. You could also use screws for a stronger hold and just fill the holes with wood filler. No Kreg Jig needed in this step! :)


Attach the shelf (H) in one side of the box. Drill pocket holes along the back and sides of the shelf, and use the pocket holes screws to attach it 4" from the bottom edge and 3" from the top edge. Be sure to keep it level. Without a Kreg Jig you can drill through the side, divider, and back into the ends of the shelf.


Build the small drawer box. Drill pocket holes in both ends of the drawer backs (I) and use pocket screws to attach them to the drawer sides (J). Without a kreg jig, just drill through the drawer sides into the ends of the drawer backs with regular wood screws.


Attach the drawer bottom (K) to the frame by drilling through the bottom into the sides and backs of the drawer box with the wood screws.


Follow the instructions on your drawer slides to install the drawer box, making sure it is inset 3/4" from the face of the cabinet (so your drawer front will be flush in the end).


Center the drawer front (L) over the drawer box with a 1/8" gap all around. Use a couple finishing nails to hold it in place, then pull it out and reinforce the hold by drilling through the drawer box into the drawer front with a couple wood screws (careful not to poke all the way through!).


Now build the large drawer box the same way. Drill pocket holes in the ends of the drawer backs (M) and attach them to drawer sides (N) with pocket screws.


Place the bottom (O) on the frame and drill through the bottom into the sides and backs.


Install the box with your drawer slides, inset 3/4" from the face of the cabinet.


Center the drawer front (P) with a 1/8" gap all around and attach it with a couple finishing nails. Pull the drawer out and reinforce the hold by drilling through the drawer box into the drawer front with a couple wood screws.



Add casters to the bottom of the unit (no more than 2 1/2" from the floor to the bottom of the box). Add drawer pulls to the drawers.


To finish, fill any holes with wood filler then sand everything down really well. This is the most important step for a professional finish! Start with a rough sand paper, then go over everything with a medium paper, then again with a fine paper. Once it's super smooth, finish it with whatever paint or stain and sealer you like. And you guys know I'm digging a two-tone finish right now. Have fun and make it yours!


That's it! Come back tomorrow for another DIY desk plan, and check out the full series here!

2 comments:

  1. What are the dimensions of the plywood board?

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    Replies
    1. Hi! These are full plywood sheets that are 4' x 8'. You could definitely do one full sheet and then get a half sheet or smaller "project panel" for that last drawer bottom to save a little money. :)

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