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Furniture Home Tips :: Office Desk Furniture
Office Desk Furniture: Do-It-Yourself Desk and Office Furniture Ideas
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Do you have your heart set on a do-it-yourself (DIY) office desk, furniture flea market find or a totally customized workspace? If so, it's time to break out of the cube and keep reading for some fantastic DIY office furniture ideas.
Build Your Own
Building your own desk lets you flex your DIY muscles, learn new skills and be proud of your final product. For free woodworking plans and desk designs, try a site like Free Woodworking (http://freeww.com). They offer a complete database of free carpentry plans and links to other woodworking sites. You can also try the DIY Network for a lot of great projects with easy to follow photographs and instructions (http://diynetwork.com).
If you don't have the tools needed to complete your project, consider renting them from your local hardware store. Also, most lumber retailers or larger hardware stores like Home Depot or Lowe's will actually cut your lumber for you if you provide the project measurements and specifications.
Door to Desk
Building on the previous theme, using an old door to make a desktop is a great solution. The doorknob hole even makes a great, already built-in cable caddy. Not only can you avoid sawing and cutting wood pieces, you're also getting a table top surface that's already treated and painted, saving you a lot of work.
Start with a hollow or solid wood door and simply attach pre-made table legs to the bottom. You can even make your own legs out of wood or metal that you have already lying around or salvage them from another old desk or table.
A Salvage and Refurbish Project
If you're not comfortable actually building your own office desk, furniture finds can be had at your local flea market, garage sales, consignment store or charity shop. When buying a used piece of furniture, look for something that has character, but also exhibits quality.
Ideally, you want solid wood construction because it's stronger and easier to refinish than particle or fiber board. You also want to look for a piece that has potential and a strong visual aesthetic. Don't worry about chipped paint or unattractive fixtures, those can all be replaced and redone.
Once you've found your beauty, take her home and begin stripping the existing paint and varnish. You can use a chemical stripper in combination with sanding, but be sure to do so either outside or in a well-ventilated area. After stripping, you should sand down the piece at least four times, opting for a finer paper each time.
Finally, you're ready to either stain or paint your new masterpiece. If you're staining, remember to do a light sanding between each coat to get a shiny and glossy finish at the end. Once you're done, refit your DIY office desk furniture with new drawer handles and hardware and you're ready to go.
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