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Step-by-Step Instructions and Pictures of How to Build a Home Office

Build this desk for your home office out of stock cabinets and home center materials. Read an overview on how to build a home office.

By Carl Hines

From The Family Handyman

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Lay out full-scale cabinet dimensions on walls

Determine the overall length of the desk. Ours is 10 ft., but it can be shortened to 7 ft. 4 in. by eliminating the base storage cabinet. The desk can fill a whole wall, sit in the middle of a wall, or start in a corner and stop somewhere along the wall, as shown in our project.

How to Build a Home Office-Build and Install the Cord Trough

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Build and Install the Cord Trough
Buy three 10-ft. pieces of 1x4 No. 2 pine, and cut eight 12-in. 2x4 blocks from a piece of framing lumber.

Build this cord trough from 1x4 No. 2 pine and 2x4 construction lumber. Cut out the 4-in. dia. semicircle notches with a jigsaw. Apply carpenter’s glue at all joints and fasten with 2-in. screws.

How to Build a Home Office-End View of Cord Trough

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End View of Cord Trough
The cord-management trough is the backbone of the desk. Once it’s fastened to the wall, the rest of the desk stacks onto it or fastens to the front of it. The top edge of the trough matches the height of the file drawer bases. While ours was set at 29 in., measure the height of your cabinets to confirm.

How to Build a Home Office-Build and Install the Corkboard

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Build and Install the Corkboard
The corkboard frame is simply screwed together through the edges of the top and bottom rails. We built ours out of cherry and finished it to match the cabinets.

Make the corkboard frame from 3/4-in. x 2-in. boards. With a miter box, square-cut the vertical pieces to fit between the top and bottom rails. Drill clearance holes and drive two 3-in. screws at each joint. Apply carpenter’s glue to the 1-in. x 1-1/2 in. end cap and clamp to the frame until the glue sets.

How to Build a Home Office-Corkboard Panel Insert

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Corkboard Panel Insert
Build the cork inserts by gluing together two 1/4-in. thick panels, then fasten the cork sheeting to the face with vinyl flooring adhesive. Let the cork overhang the wood, then trim it flush with a utility knife after the adhesive dries.

How to Build a Home Office-Swing Top Desk

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Follow the dimensions to cut the pieces on a table saw. Use solid lumber for pieces A, B, C and D and veneered sheet stock for the two panels E and F. First fasten the front and back pieces to the panel with wood glue and clamps. Next, fit, glue and clamp the bottom strip.

3/4 in. x 5-1/2 in. x 27-1/2 in.
3/4 in. x 5-1/2 in. x 27-1/2 in. with 24-degree bevel on one long edge
3/4 in. x 3-1/2 in. x 20 in.
3/4 in. x 3-1/2 in. x 21-3/8 in. with 24-degree end cuts
3/4 in. x 20 in. wide x 24-1/8 in. tall
3/4 in. x 21-3/8 in. wide x 24-1/8 in. tall with 24-degree side cuts
Laminated top; see “Top View”

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1. Mark out on the wall two 10-ft. long level lines: one 29 in. and the other 54 in. from the floor. Mark the location of the studs along each line using a stud finder. Preassemble the cord-management trough according to the plan dimensions. Hold it up to the 29-in. horizontal line and drive 3-in. screws into each stud.

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2. Glue and screw 12-in. 1x4 pine spacer blocks to the wall studs along the cord trough and just under the 54-in. horizontal line. Position them so they line up with the centered mounting screws on the bulletin board frame. Set the preassembled corkboard frame onto the trough, then drive 1-1/2 in. screws into the 1x4 blocks.

Tip
Stain and finish all the sections (corkboard frame, shelf edges, swing-out desk) before installing.

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3. Set the left upper cabinet onto the corkboard frame. Hold it flush with the end of the frame. Fasten with a minimum of three 2-1/2 in. screws driven through the cabinet back into studs. Next, install the right upper cabinet. Draw a level line to mark the shelf cleats.

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4. Mark the location of the shelves on the side of both upper cabinets. Use a carpenter’s square to ensure the shelves are level front to back.

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5. Install the two shelf-support cleats along the horizontal layout lines. Drill clearance holes and drive a 2-1/2 in. screw at each stud.

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6. Set the lower shelf on the corkboard frame, holding the front edge flush with the bottom of the cabinet. Then drive three 2-in. screws to fasten it in place. Install the middle shelf the same way.

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7. Clamp the 3/4 x 1-1/2 in. Light valance to the cabinets and shelf. Hold it 1-1/2 in. back from the cabinet fronts. Drill clearance and countersink holes every 2 ft., then drive 2-in. screws into the cabinets and the lower shelf to secure it.

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8. Push the left drawer base cabinet into place flush with the end of the cord trough. Adjust the feet to level it with the trough. Drive two 1-1/2 in. screws through the back into the trough.

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9. Clamp the cabinets together, predrill and countersink screw holes, and drive three 1-1/4 in. screws. Push the cabinets into position, level with the cord trough and fasten with 1-1/2 in. screws.

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10. Mark out a square notch on the end panel to fit around the baseboard. Cut out with a jigsaw. Tape off the panel to prevent scratches in the finish.

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11. Screw the surge protector to the wall below the trough. Feed the power cord through the trough and to the electrical outlet.

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12. Position the top onto the base cabinets so that the back edge overlaps 3/8 in. Onto the cord trough. Make sure the trough covers fit. Adjust the top’s position if necessary. Clamp and fasten the top with screws driven from inside the cabinets. Measure the thickness of the cabinet’s top plus the desktop to make sure the screws aren’t too long. Reassemble the doors and drawers.

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13. Set the cord-trough covers in place. Apply a 3-in. piece of self-sticking velcro tape to the four edges of each cork panel. Apply the mating Velcro to the frame and set the panels in place.

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14. Preassemble the desk legs, then screw the casters to them with 3/4-in. No. 10 pan head screws. Fasten the legs to the top using small angle fasteners and 3/4-in. screws. Position and drill the 1/2-in. pivot hole.

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15. Mark the position of the special T-nut on the underside of the desktop. Drill a 1/2-in. dia. pilot hole 3/4 in. deep and then fasten the T-nut in place with the provided screws.

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16. Roll the swing-out top into position, push the sleeve and bolt through the pivot hole and screw into the T-nut. Tighten snugly with pliers or a wrench.

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Lighting Is the Finishing Touch
Line voltage halogen puck lights are ideal for this desk. They come with a cord and plug that you simply route behind the corkboard to the trough. We bought a set of five for $25 and spaced them under the wall cabinets and shelves. We splurged on a couple of imported swing-arm light fixtures. These simply screwed to the side of our cabinets, and the cords were routed through the cabinet and behind the corkboard to the power supply.

Light Fixtures:
Cartier Lighting, (763) 476-9555.
Holtkoetter swing-arm light, No. HOL 523/1SN, $270. Pin mounting base with plug-in cord, HOL 8160SN, $44. www.holtkoetter.com Set of five 120-volt, 20-watt halogen puck lights with plug-in cords attached. They’re available at Home Depot and other home centers and lighting showrooms.

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