New Desk

Alright so there isnt an actual new desk, but I have been messing around with Google Sketch Up designing my desk that I am going to build this summer. My roomate has an L desk and I fell in love with it. Tell me what you think about my design so far. Good and Bad comments welcome.

I kinda dig the looks, the design is pretty good.

Except I'm not so sure about the triangular shaped boxes as I don't think they'd be practical for storing things. But then again if you changed the design to make those shapes cubic to make them more pratical, it would break the design so really not sure what they should look like instead.

Which materials are you going to use to build your desk?

I like the desk. Are you going to mount it to the wall itself, or will it be free standing?

MacHeadCase said:

I kinda dig the looks, the design is pretty good.

Except I'm not so sure about the triangular shaped boxes as I don't think they'd be practical for storing things. But then again if you changed the design to make those shapes cubic to make them more pratical, it would break the design so really not sure what they should look like instead.

Which materials are you going to use to build your desk?

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Yeah, the triangular boxes will probably just be used for a shot glass or two, maybe some pens, small clock... ill find something to put in there. I havent really decided on any materials yet, I am going to go to home depot to look at prices of different materials and such. Do you have any reccomendations for materials? I kind of want to make it "industrial like" and use some metal piping, maybe some glass, who knows... throw your suggestions here, my ears are open...?

baggss said:

I like the desk. Are you going to mount it to the wall itself, or will it be free standing?

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No, Im going to build a bottom onto it. I want to have a file cabinet under the longer side of it, which will be the legs on one side. The other side needs to be open on both sides becauses I am going to put an LCD TV on the ledge above the longer side, connected to a mac mini or shuttle box (havent decided yet), and have that as my media center. The reason shorter side needs to be open is so i can swivel to either edge of the desk with the laptop to watch TV if i want. Once i complete it I will post more pictures.

Anymore input is welcomed...

Metal for an industrial look is cool. I have an old Ikea desk for my computer that has metal posts/sides. But...

With metal there is a problem with certain wireless peripherals. At least the MX-1000 Laser had a jumpy cursor and Logitech recommended not using a metal desk with that mouse.

Hah! They shoulda told me before I bought the stoopid thing. It was unusable.

looks good, im so bad at using google sketch-up. i like the triangular boxes actually, but the big box in the middle, i think you should have no shelves in it and put the lcd tv there. it would look nice if it was all set into the desk.

MacHeadCase said:

Metal for an industrial look is cool. I have an old Ikea desk for my computer that has metal posts/sides. But...

With metal there is a problem with certain wireless peripherals. At least the MX-1000 Laser had a jumpy cursor and Logitech recommended not using a metal desk with that mouse.

Hah! They shoulda told me before I bought the stoopid thing. It was unusable.

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well the whole desk wouldnt be metal, only the legs and the post holding up the TV shelve. And really, I dont like wireless input devices so i doubt I will own one, maybe for the media center PC/Mac Mini connected to the TV, but that would be it (just a mouse, not a wireless keyboard). Also, The idea about putting the TV into the shelve section, decent idea, but i kind of want like 27" widescreen so that wont suit very well. Thanks though. Also i was thinking of a black or dark desk surface, but i could change and use some nice oak or something

Where are you going to put your Powerbook, on the left side? Maybe your PC monitor on top of the ledge on the right?

Looks like a good setup, be sure to post pics when you get it done :mac:

for the "industrial look" get yourself some 3/4" MDF (medium density fiberboard) unfinished it has an extremely smooth/flat/level surface ideal for desktops. unfinished it is a consistent light brown color, that would lend itself well to metal piping/accents and the like. What's more, it is very paintable without priming, so if you want it black, paint up. :headphone

or your could go with maple. solid wood, with grain, unlike the mdf. Looks good with brushed/satin aluminum.

in the plumbing department you can find metal pipe, with the baseplates they screw into, you could have it fixed to a point in the floor, this would only look right with a stained concrete floor though, or possibly some vinyl.

Man, i spent too long workin' at the depot, because this post keeps getting longer in my head. i'll leave it at that though.

Well it has came a long way IMO since the first picture i posted (i think i got a little bit better with sketch up) Anway, this probably isnt the "final" version of the desk, but it will be close. As i have said I kind of want to incorporate some kind of file cabinet/drawers under the right side, but i dont know if i will or not. Tell me what you think of the new "final-er" drawing...

Subwall said:

for the "industrial look" get yourself some 3/4" MDF (medium density fiberboard) unfinished it has an extremely smooth/flat/level surface ideal for desktops. unfinished it is a consistent light brown color, that would lend itself well to metal piping/accents and the like. What's more, it is very paintable without priming, so if you want it black, paint up. :headphone

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That's what I built my desk out of. You can see it here. I think it turned out well, looks nice and everything, except for one thing... I didn't make the one side long enough. I wanted to have each laptop on either side of the keyboard and get a monitor to put where I have my iBook. Oh well, I guess I should have measured a couple more times

michaelstumpf said:

That's what I built my desk out of. You can see it here. I think it turned out well, looks nice and everything, except for one thing... I didn't make the one side long enough. I wanted to have each laptop on either side of the keyboard and get a monitor to put where I have my iBook. Oh well, I guess I should have measured a couple more times

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Yeah, that looks pretty good. How much is a 4x8 sheet of that stuff, anyone know? I might check that out as its a very liable option. Thanks for the pictures. Any other suggestiong for the desk?

ste6168 said:

Yeah, that looks pretty good. How much is a 4x8 sheet of that stuff, anyone know? I might check that out as its a very liable option. Thanks for the pictures. Any other suggestiong for the desk?

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According to their website, its about $20 at Lowes. (Go to Building Products and select Lumber. Then select Particleboard... from the links on the left. Type in your zip code and it'll give you a price.)

michaelstumpf said:

According to their website, its about $20 at Lowes. (Go to Building Products and select Lumber. Then select Particleboard... from the links on the left. Type in your zip code and it'll give you a price.)

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thats good because if possible I want to try and keep this desk under the 150-200 dollar price range because after all, it is going to be in a college house. Anyone else design and build there own desks and could post pictures?

One of my friends is building a desk right now, modeled somewhat after an electric chair he built and designed (completely non-functioning chair). I haven't seen the desk yet, but might soon. I'll take some pics of it if you want.

We built our desktop out of leather-look formica with 2" edges all the way around, but of course, there's plenty of finishes to choose from (hundreds). We had it custom made to fit over our desks with shelves in the middle and on the end so we have 2 openings for 2 people to use. I really like the design of your desk and many formica desktops would go great with metal. Will you you use a shiny metal?

Carol247 said:

We built our desktop out of leather-look formica with 2" edges all the way around, but of course, there's plenty of finishes to choose from (hundreds). We had it custom made to fit over our desks with shelves in the middle and on the end so we have 2 openings for 2 people to use. I really like the design of your desk and many formica desktops would go great with metal. Will you you use a shiny metal?

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Yeah I have actually thought about using formica, but have no experience with it at all and do not know the prices. As for the metal, Right now I amm planning on just using the piping you would find on a fence or something, but if i cant find something prettier, for say, and competively priced, then I would use that over the boring piping. Got any suggestions?

Formica is nice stuff, but it gets expensive real quick. We have a Corian coutner in our kitchen, which is almost the same thing. It has an excellent finish, and is extremely durable.

StretchR said:

Formica is nice stuff, but it gets expensive real quick.

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yeah, I kind of figured that... Wonder if i could find some scrap or something. Ill have to look around to come up with some prices.