DIY Desk Series #2 - Modular Desk System

There will be quite a few desk plans in this series that are a fixed size, but I wanted to be sure to give you at least one good, custom desk that you can really tailor to your needs and to fit any space. So this modular desk system is here to save the day!

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

Inspiration photo via pinterest

This desk system is based on an Ikea storage unit and we have several pieces you can choose from to fit your needs! Here are a few more inspiration photos to get your wheels turning:

photo via pinterest

 image via pinterest

image via pinterest

image via Mpls St Paul - check out the rest of this beautiful modern farmhouse!

Ready to make your own? Start by deciding which pieces you need to fit your space. You can choose from two widths of drawers, two widths of cabinets, and/or a set of free-standing legs. I'm breaking down the shopping lists and plans for each unit below so can buy and build just what you need.

DIY Desk Series #1 - Classic Writing Desk

We're kicking things off with a classic writing desk. It's great in an office, but works just as well tucked in the living room, a hallway, or the kids' room for homework!

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

inspiration photo via pinterest

These plans are based on this sweet desk-space I spotted on pinterest. Clean, charming, and full of character. I love a little black and white with my wood, so this won me over in an instant.

Shopping List:
1  -  2x2  @  10'
2  -  1x2  @  8'
1  -  1x2  @  4'
1  -  1x4  @  6'
1  -  1x8  @  8'
1  -  1x8  @  6'
1  -  1x3  @  10'
1/2 sheet of plywood, or plywood scraps for drawer bottoms - 1/4 - 1/2" thick
2 sets of 16" side-mount drawer slides (full-extensions slides are worth the splurge, and usually include a quiet-close feature!)
2 drawer pulls
wood glue
1 1/4" screws
2" screws
finishing nails
Kreg Jig with 1 1/4" pocket hole screws
wood filler & finishing supplies

Cut List:
(A)  4  -  2x2  @  29 1/4"  (legs)
(B)  4  -  1x2  @  16 3/4"  (side trim)
(C)  2  -  1x4  @  16 3/4"  (side)
(D)  2  -  1x2  @  41"  (back trim)
(E)  1  -  1x4  @  41"  (back)
(F)  2  -  1x2  @  41"  (front trim)
(G)  1  -  1x2  @  3 3/4" (divider trim)
(H)  1  -  1x8  cut down to 16 3/4 x 5"  (drawer divider)
(I)  3  -  1x8  @  48"  (top)
(J)  4  -  1x3  @  16"  (drawer sides)
(K)  2  -  1x3  @  19 1/8"  (drawer back)
(L)  2  -  plywood @  19 1/8 x 16 3/4"  (drawer bottom)

Finished dimensions are 48" wide x 21 3/4" deep x 30" tall

DIY Desk Series Kick-Off!

It's been waaay too long since we've had a good plan series around here. So I'm super excited to kick off our newest series!! Seriously, you guys. So excited. We've made quite a few plans over the past few years (including our nightstand plan series and 2x4 building series), but believe it or not, after all this time we still only have one desk plan. It was one of our 2x4 builds, and it's been the most popular plan in that entire series (find it here)! Which makes sense, because desks are a great, versatile piece of furniture to have around. So the plans in this series will all feature a desk as the star of the show. Be still my desk-loving heart.

We're breaking this down into a few sections this month: standard desks, standing-height desks, and floor desks (plus a couple plans for storage add-ons for any desk). We'll be sharing one plan a day, and all the links will show up below once they are available. Happy Building!

Standard Desk Plans
*there are several plans in the other sections that can be modified to a standard height, as well!

 

Standing-Height Desk Plans
The Standing Desk Intro post is a great place to start for tips and info, plus it shows how other desks in the series can be modified to standing-height!

Floor Desk Plans
The Floor Desk Intro post is a great place to start for tips and info, plus it shows how other desks in the series can be modified to floor height!

Add-On Plans for Any Desk
These are a great way to squeeze more storage into any desk in the series! Don't miss more tips in the Add-On Intro post.

House Painting Update!

........ We're getting there. The end.

JK. Definitely not the end, but for the most part we are husband is slowly chugging away painting this whole house ourselves. Himself. I do help some. This sounds bad. Let's move on. Today marks two weeks in and we are *almost* done with the first coat.We just have the soffits and maybe a window frame left to go. And then the second coat. But it's probably best if we don't focus on that right now.

It's blue! Still yellow trim here, though.

Now let's go back for a minute. A few weeks ago I bought sample cans of paint in our top three colors - dark blue, light gray, and a medium greige/green - and shared them on instagram and facebook to get your feedback. Blue was pretty much a landslide winner. Which was almost all the encouragement we needed (we'd been leaning that way ourselves), but I couldn't quite pull the trigger. Because I made the same mistake I've made almost every. single. time. I've bought paint. I second guessed myself at the last minute and got a sample in a slightly different shade of blue. Why, Georgia?! WHY??? *regret* I guess I tend to panic when I think I'm committing to something too crazy (did I mention I've done this before?) and as we went to pick up sample cans, I put down the dark navy-ish blue I'd had my eye on all along and opted for a more greenish hue that was slightly lighter, brighter, and, I thought, less intimidating.