Free DIY Furniture Plans to Build a Ballard Designs Inspired Bouclier Desk
Showcase: Built From These PlansI am so honored each and every time one of you fine friends builds from these very plans! If you have built this piece, please take a moment and showcase your build! We are dying to see your fabulous hard work!
$75-$100
- Tape Measure
- Saw – Jig, Circular, or Miter
- Drill
- Square
- Sander
- Kreg Jig
- Brad Nailer
- 1 – 2×2 at 8’
- 1 – 2×2 at 4’
- 2 sheets of ¾” plywood
- Half sheet of ¼” plywood, lauan, or hardboard
- 1-1/4” pocket hole screws
- 2” pocket hole screws
- 1-1/4” screws
- 1-1/4” brad nails
- 3 sets of 20” drawer slides
- 5 – drawer knobs or handles
- Wood filler
- Sandpaper
- Wood glue
- Finishing Supplies
- 4 – 2×2 at 29-1/4” – Legs
- 2 – ¾” plywood at 11-1/4” x 23” – Side Panels
- 1 – ¾” plywood at 11-1/4” x 53” – Back
- 3 – ¾” plywood at 9” x 24-1/2” – Drawer Shelves
- 2 – ¾” plywood at 11-1/4” – 24-1/2” – Drawer Shelf Sides
- 6 – ¾” plywood at 4” x 18-1/2”” – Drawer Box Sides
- 1 – ¾” plywood at 24-1/2” x 33-1/2” – Center Drawer Shelf
- 1 – ¾” plywood at 26-3/4” x 57-1/2” – Top
- 4 – ¾” plywood at 4” x 8”– Small Drawer Boxes Front & Back
- 2 – ¾” plywood 4” x 32-1/2” at – Center Drawer Box Front & Back
- 2 – ¾” plywood at 8-1/2 x 20” – Larger Drawer Box Sides
- 2 – ¾” plywood at 8” x 8-1/2” – Larger Drawer Box Front & Back
- 3 – ¼” plywood, lauan, or hardboard at 8” x 20” – Smaller & Larger Drawer Bottoms
- 1 – ¼” plywood, lauan, or hardboard at 20” x 32-1/2” – Center Drawer Bottom
- 4 – ¾” plywood at 4-5/8” x 8-3/4” – Smaller & Larger Drawer Fronts
- 1 – ¾” plywood at ¾” x 8-3/4” – Larger Drawer Filler Piece
- 1 – ¾” plywood at 4-5/8” x 33-1/4” – Center Drawer Front
Before beginning to build, always check in on my site to make sure you have the most up to date set of plans, I occasionally update and change the plans to make the building process easier or to allow for less expensive purchasing of materials! Read through the entire set of instructions and all comments before beginning this project. If you print out or save plans, be sure to check in on my site to be sure you have the most up to date set of plans, as I occasionally update things for ease of building or buying. If you are new to building, read through the GETTING STARTED section and other articles found under the BUILD tab in the menu on my site, it has valuable information about how to get started, tools and techniques. If you are unfamiliar with the finishing process, visit my Finishing school for some tips and tricks for painting like a pro and for special finishing practices. Use glue to secure your joints and Consider Painting or Staining individual sections prior to assembling. This makes the paint application virtually flawless. Coat with a spray on Poly or Wipe on Poly to protect your finish and your piece and it will last for ages. Adhere to all safety standards and guidelines, and be sure you follow safety protocol throughout your build. If you are unsure about whether you are building safely, run a quick online search for the tool or technique you are using, or contact me via email or post to the forum before you move ahead. My contact info can be found in the menu of my site.
Cut the pieces for the legs. Cut the angle in the legs as shown using a jigsaw. The angles will face to the inside of the desk.
Cut the pieces for the side panels. Set the Kreg jig for ¾” material and drill pocket holes as shown. Attach to the legs with glue and 2” pocket hole screws. The back face of the panels will be flush with the inside face of the legs.
Cut the piece for the back. Cut the notch as shown and drill pocket holes. Attach to the legs with glue and 2” pocket hole screws. The back face of the panel will be flush with the inside face of the legs.
Cut the pieces for the left side drawer shelf. Drill pocket holes in one long edge of the middle shelf. Drill pocket holes in both long edges of the lower shelf as well as at the back edge of the larger side piece. It will be easier to assemble these pieces to each other before attaching to the desk. Use glue and 1-1/4”pocket hole screws to attach the side piece and lower shelf to the desk. The middle shelf can be attached to the side panel with glue and 1-1/4” brad nails through the side panel into the shelf.
Cut the pieces for the right side drawer shelf. Drill pocket holes in the pieces as shown and attach to the back and side panels with glue and 1-1/4” pocket hole screws.
Cut the piece for the center drawer shelf. Drill pocket holes as shown and attach to the cabinet with glue and 1-1/4” pocket hole screws. The center shelf will be level with the drawer shelf on the left side.
Cut the piece for the top. Attach to the cabinet with glue and 1-1/4” brad nails through the top of the top piece into the side and back panels.
Cut the pieces for the drawer boxes. Drill pocket hole screws in each end of the side pieces. Assemble as shown using glue and 1-1/4” pocket hole screws. Attach the bottom with glue and 1-1/4” brad nails.
Attach the drawer slide hardware according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Cut the drawer fronts. For the larger drawer front, the ¾” filler will need to be glued between the two drawer fronts as a sort of “false piece” to balance out the look of the drawer fronts. Pre-drill the holes for the handles. There will be an 1/8” gap around all sides of the drawer front. Place the drawer front in the opening and shim in place. Drive screws through the holes for the handles to temporarily hold the front in place. Open the drawer and attach the front to the drawer box from the inside with 1-1/4” screws. Finish drilling out the holes for the handles.
Fill any Screw, Nail or Pocket Holes, Sand and Finish as Desired. For Finishing Tips and Tricks visit my Finishing School
**Disclaimer: Some rights reserved. Private use only. Feel Free to link to any of my plans so long as you provide an adequate link back to the appropriate post! Plans from this page are not to be used for commercial purposes or republished without the express written consent of Rayan Turner, The Design Confidential I hope to provide accurate plans, however, I cannot guarantee each plan for accuracy. Not every plan that I post has been built and tested, so you are building at your own risk. It is recommended that you have a clear understanding of how the project works before beginning any project. Please contact me if you find an error or inaccuracy so that I might fix it.
