🖼️
The project:
Our home doesn't have a lot of spare space, so making the most of every millimeter is important. There was an awkward, unused area that seemed perfect for a purpose-built workspace. After getting tired of using my computer at the dining table, I decided to design and build a compact wall-mounted desk with shelving. What started as a simple idea quickly turned into a completed project.
- Materials:
Materials Required
- 2 × Tasmanian Oak panels (1200 × 405 × 19 mm), cut to:
- 1 × 950 × 405 mm (desktop)
- 2 × 950 × 201 mm (shelves)
- 1 × Steel Taskmaster desk leg
- 13 × Hollow wall anchors
- 1 × Tasmanian Oak DAR (880 × 90 × 18 mm)
- 1 × Tasmanian Oak DAR (355 × 90 × 18 mm)
- 4 × 100 × 125 mm black angle brackets
- 8 × 10-gauge × 1/2-inch stainless steel countersunk screws
- 4 × 10-gauge × 1/2-inch stainless steel pan head screws
- 8 × Black screw caps
- 3 × 25 × 25 mm angle brackets (including 6 mounting screws)
- 1 × Tube of Liquid Nails construction adhesive
- Tools:
Tools Required
- Circular saw
- 1200 mm spirit level
- Carpenter's square
- Pencil
- Hollow wall anchor setting tool (anchor gun)
- DEWALT cordless drill
- DEWALT impact driver with Phillips driver bit
- DEWALT cordless circular saw
- Drill bits: 3 mm, 5 mm and 8 mm
- 50 mm hole saw
- Router fitted with a 6 mm round-over (rounding) bit
- Step 1:
Cutting the Desktop and Shelves
- Measure the installation area to determine the required dimensions.
- Cut the Tasmanian Oak panels to the following sizes:
- 1 × 950 × 405 mm (desktop)
- 2 × 950 × 201 mm (shelves)
- Drill a 6 mm pilot hole in the rear left-hand corner of the desktop, then enlarge it to 50 mm using a hole saw to create the cable access hole.
- Using a router, round over all exposed front edges of the desktop and shelves, including both the top and bottom edges of the 50 mm cable access hole.
- Step 2:
Finding the Finished Height on the Wall
- Attach the leg to the bottom right-hand side of the 950 × 405 mm panel.
- Position the desktop in its final location.
- Using a level, ensure the desktop is level in both directions (front to back and side to side).
- Once the correct height has been established, mark the wall with a pencil along the underside of the desktop.
- Remove the desktop, leaving the pencil line on the wall as a reference for installing the wall battens.
- Step 3:
Wall Battens
- Using a pencil and square, mark and cut the following battens from Tasmanian Oak DAR using a circular saw:
- 1 × 880 × 90 × 18 mm
- 1 × 355 × 90 × 18 mm
- Drill 5 mm fixing holes as follows:
- 880 × 90 × 18 mm batten: Drill three holes, positioned 100 mm from each end and one in the centre. All holes should be 45 mm in from the front edge.
- 355 × 90 × 18 mm batten: Drill two holes, positioned 100 mm from each end and 45 mm in from the front edge.
- Hold the battens in position on the Gyprock wall and transfer the hole locations using a pencil.
- Remove the battens and drill the marked locations in the Gyprock wall to 8 mm to suit five hollow wall anchors.
- Apply a fine, continuous bead of Liquid Nails to the back of each batten and secure them to the wall using the hollow wall anchors.
- Step 4:
Attaching the Desktop to the Battens
- Apply a fine, continuous bead of Liquid Nails along the top edge of each wall batten.
- Carefully position the desktop onto the battens, ensuring it is correctly aligned.
- Secure the desktop to the wall battens using 25 × 25 mm angle brackets.
- Step 5:
Shelves
- Using a level and pencil, mark the wall at the desired shelf heights.
- Fit the angle brackets to the wall using hollow wall anchors and covering heads with black caps.
- The brackets were positioned with the 100 mm leg to the wall.
- The first shelf was installed 720 mm above the desk height.
- The top shelf was installed 255 mm above the lower shelf.
- Place each shelf onto the brackets and secure it using 10-gauge × 1/2-inch countersunk (CSK) screws, with 4 screws per shelf.
Note: Install the top shelf brackets and shelf first. This provides easier access to the underside of the shelf when fastening the screws. Once the top shelf is secured, install the lower shelf in the same manner.
- Step 6:
Final Thoughts
Now that the project is complete, I couldn't be happier with the result. The desk and shelving fit the space perfectly, transforming what was once an awkward, underused area into a practical and functional workspace. It has given me a dedicated place to work without taking up valuable floor space, making it an ideal solution for a smaller home.
One of the best parts of this build is that all of the materials, hardware and supplies were sourced from Bunnings Warehouse, making it a straightforward project that can be easily replicated using readily available products.
I hope this guide gives you the confidence to tackle a similar project and inspires you to make the most of the space in your own home. With some careful planning, accurate measuring and a little patience, you can create a custom workspace that is both functional and looks great.
Have fun with your next project, and happy building!
Total project build time 1hr15min
