This was my first Design Confidential build and I love how it turned out! My kitchen/living room/dining room is open concept, and I had a large area between the kitchen and living room which was wasted space. This desk was perfect for the space–substantial, with storage and some character to contrast the clean lines of my kitchen. It also meant I could move my laptop off the kitchen counter!
One of my favorite things about building my own furniture is customizing to suit my space and my tastes. I made the desk a bit smaller than the plan (both narrower and shorter) which meant I had to adjust the angles of the cross pieces to fit. And I also decided to use simple shelves rather than include the drawers. Since I was planning to use boxes for storage on the shelves the drawers seemed unneccessary. I simply attached the shelves to the sides using pocket holes. I also left off the trim on the bottom as I liked how it looked without it.
Approximately $60 for the wood and $30 for the finishing supplies.
Spruce 2 x 4s and 2 x 2s for the frame and laminated pine boards for the shelves.
I used a technique for oxidizing wood which I read about at The Friendly Home. Hillary does a great detailed tutorial (http://thefriendlyhome.blogspot.ca/2012/07/how-to-oxidize-wood.html) on how to use tea, vinegar and steel wool to give new wood an aged weathered look. Cheap and beautiful! I will absolutely do it again! But the pine boards turned out darker than the spruce, so I used Minwax Polyshades in Tudor to darken them up and seal the wood. I finished the top with Minwax paste finishing wax which gave it the softest texture. It was my first experience with wax and I love the feel of the finished piece–smooth and soft but it still holds up well to wear.
