You can create a modern workspace using just one sheet of plywood.
Creating your own space seems to be a rite of passage for most first-time homebuyers. Albeit, its often easy to become disillusioned, overzealous and even unrealistic about the amount of work it takes to transform your entire space. Coming from someone who is constantly trying to decipher a barrage of concepts and new project ideas, finding a starting point is always the most difficult facet.
After occupying my new home for the better part of 6 months I figured it was finally time to tackle one of my many planned projects. It is important to plan ahead when you start a project to avoid it becoming an abandoned, unfinished mess. These are rooms or projects that end up in the trash and become a space for the unwelcome.
After much deliberation, deciding on the room I am declaring as my office seemed like an obvious candidate. The room needed to be a space I could spend extended periods of time in, and ultimately one that could be used as a creativity incubator (but also a place to just sit and be). The room is modest, approximately 160 square feet and equipped with two windows. It is important to consider the space’s size and how it will be used. I came to the conclusion that an office must have a good work surface and plenty of storage. Lets get started.
Cut Your Pieces Start by cutting your plywood pieces to the right size. This project requires only one sheet of Baltic Birch plywood, measuring 10×8 cm. I like to start by cutting my largest lengths/widths first. This allows plywood sheets to be cut at a faster rate and becomes more manageable. You can use a circular saw with straight edges and supports if you don’t have a table saw.
With your parts cut to size, focus on the details to turn a series of boxes into something more refined. Round corners were my defining feature. Measure in 1
Set your compass to 1
It is important to think about the order in which your pieces will be cut when you are creating your cut list. The shelf lengths are equal to that of the desk. Therefore, it is a good idea to crosscut your sheet to 107 cm and then cut each piece to the appropriate widths. This methodology and system of cutting ensures the overall accuracy of your pieces while simultaneously cutting down on the amount of times you need to adjust your fence.
Cut close to the curve with a jig saw, make sure to stay in the waste side of the line.
Finally, refine the edge with a sanding block.
After the tops have been cut, I move on to the sides, brackets, and dividers for the desk. I used the leftover material from the 107 cm for the tops of the desk/shelf tops to cut the ledger/mounting board for both the desk and shelves. An optional drawer can be made from the 3/10 cm leftover material. However, I used scrap
Next, I add 1
Cut List
No.Item Dimensions )T W L
DESK
1 A Top 3/4x15x42
2 B Sides 3/4 x 14 3/4 x 20 1/2
2 C Shelves 3/4 x 12 x 14 3/4
1 D Ledger board 3/4 x 2 1/4 x 21 1/2
2 E Short ledger boards 3/4 x 2 1/4 x 12
SHELVES
2 F Top panel 3/4 x 8 x 42
4 G Sides 3/4×5 1/2×8
2 H Ledger board 3/4 x 2 1/4 x 30 1/2
Simple Joinery
This project’s joinery is simple. You simply need to counterbore holes and then proceed with screws. Then, you will use 3/20 cm wooden plugs. This is far from the perfect marriage between two perfectly cut joints. However, the objective of this project should be reflected in both the accessibility of its construction as well as its design. There is no finite equation for the layout of the screws just so long as they are spaced evenly enough to ensure sufficient lateral tension. For the desk, I found center on the width of the board, and then proceeded to measure 3 cm in from either side. I had three points of contact at each perpendicular intersection of the desk.
Pre-drill and countersink screw holes for all your joints. Youll be filling these holes with 3/20 cm plugs, so make sure theyre deep enough.
To keep the front clean, I use pocket hole screws to attach the back ledger boards.
When it came to the layout of the screws on the shelf, I followed my previous method by measuring 3 cm in from the sides. The only difference here is that the measurement began where the contact point of the bracket met the top. This is a result of the bracket being shorter in width than the shelf top. Since the shelves are much shallower than the desktop, two screw locations were exchanged for the three. Now that all your contact points are laid out and drilled, its time to switch our attention to the ledger boards. These were last installed using pocket screws.
All in the Details
Once all the pieces have been cut, drilled and laid out for our joinery, it is time to give plywood personality. Even though Baltic birch plywood is lauded for its many refining qualities, it often times still requires a degree of manipulation to set it above the rest. In an homage to Waterfall furniture from the 1930s and 1940s, distinctive rounded drops were applied to the edges of horizontal surfaces. This allows the edges to be softened and acts as an extension of the surface on which they are mounted.
All exposed edges should be given a 1/20 cm roundover. It will require some planning, but it is easier to do this to your pieces while they are disassembled.
Another defining design element that was added is the use of circular cutouts that contour the exaggerated radii of the panels edges. These cutouts offset the flat opaqueness of the material and give the piece a sense of visual continuity. After these design elements had been addressed, it was time for the trimming/profile of the edges. Since plywood is prone to splintering, I like to give the hard edges either a 1/20 cm chamfer or round over profile. This will not only save your fingers but also visually compliments the rest of the design elements in the project.
Assembly/Finishing
The great thing about using screws for joinery is that you can work with partial constructions to apply your stain/finishes. This was essential because of the tight spaces in the desk storage. The furniture grade latex paint I used was great because it has a low VOC count and cure density.
Now it’s time to assemble the pieces. The desk and shelves are just screwed together (no glue). First, assemble the understructure of your desk.
Attach the top to the desk.
Attach the shelves to the supports by attaching the tops.
Attach the ledger boards to your desk and shelf assemblies.
First, I attached the cabinet sides to my top along with the three ledger boards. This gave me better access to the interior for painting. After I had painted the interior, it was time to attach the two horizontal partitions that are used for desk storage. After these were in place, and the two shelves were assembled, I could continue with the application process. Once the paint had cured, there was one more liberty that needed to be taken; something didnt feel right.
Once you have everything assembled, add the wood plugs to cover exposed screws. Add a dab of glue, and hammer a 3/20 cm dowel in. Pay attention to grain orientation to help them blend in as much as possible.
I wait for the glue to set up for about 30 minutes, then come back and use a flush trim saw to cut the dowel flush.
A quick hit with the sanding block and the surface is ready for paint.
After concealing all the layers of finely laminated birch in paint, the need to sand to it back felt imminent. Due to its core being free of voids, exposing the edges of the plywood not only highlights the materials construction, but also makes for a great way to add visual contrast to the piece.
Now that the piece is complete, its ready to mount in its new home. The substrate it is attached will determine the anchoring system that you choose. Toggle bolts are my best option to secure a strong connection between the piece and the backside. My home is full of plaster walls and original lath.
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