Simple appeal, traditional joinery and minimal environmental impact all make this desk a classic project. I made it out of air-dried white pine and worked mostly using hand tools, with the hope that I was launching an heirloom into history that would outlive me. We'll have to see how its story works out, but I do know something for sure: the design performs well as a home for household paperwork. It offers organized storage for odds and ends, and takes up minimal floor space. I made it with as many "green" concepts as possible.
Download the illustrated project plans for the eco-friendly desk!
You can make this desk out of any wood, but if you plan to use the same traditional joinery and hand-tool approach that I did, you'll find most varieties of softwoods easiest to get along with. Also, keep in mind that while knots look attractive, they do make the wood more difficult to plane and chisel by hand. As you cut project parts, arrange knots so they don't land where mortises, tenons or other details end up.
I used locally-cut pine to reduce the desk’s carbon footprint. But to take it even further, you could attempt to harvest your own wood.
Wondering about some of the thicker than usual parts in my design? I planed all the rough lumber for this project by hand. That explains the appearance of 7/8"-thick wood on the materials list. It's what you get after hand-dressing typical 1"-thick rough lumber. That said, very little of the design needs changing if you’re using standard, ready-milled, 3/4"-thick material.
Here are the materials you will need to make this desk:
| For the desk base | Material | Size (T x W x L*) | Qty. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outer legs | white pine | 2" x 2 3/4" x 29" | 4 |
| Inner legs | white pine | 1 1/2" x 2" x 29" | 2 |
| Front/rear skirts | white pine | 1 1/2" x 3 3/4" x 39 3/4" | 2 |
| Side skirt | white pine | 1 1/2" x 3 3/4" x 23" | 1 |
| Side leg brace | white pine | 1 1/2" x 2" x 30" | 1 |
| Rear leg brace | white pine | 1 1/2" x 2" x 29 1/2" | 1 |
| Desktop | white pine | 1 1/2" x 27 1/2" x 42 1/2" | 1 |
| Front/rear desktop edging | white pine | 3/4" x 1 1/2" x 42 1/2" | 2 |
| Side desktop edging | white pine | 3/4" x 1 1/2" x 29 1/2"** | 2 |
| Drawer bank panels | white pine | 7/8" x 23 1/2"** x 29 1/2"** | 2 |
| Drawer bank rails | white pine | 1" x 1 1/2" x 11 3/4"** | 8 |
| Drawer guides | hardwood | 3/4" x 1 1/2" x 24"** | 5 |
| For the drawers | Material | Size (T x W x L*) | Qty. |
| Drawer fronts/backs | white pine | 7/8" x 4 3/4" x 11 1/2"** | 8 |
| Drawer sides | white pine | 7/8" x 4 3/4" x 25" | 8 |
| Drawer bottoms | plywood | 1/4" x 10" x 23 3/4" | 4 |
| Drawer runners | hardwood | 7/8" x 1 3/4" x 23 1/4" | 4 |
| Drawer knobs | hardwood | 1 1/2"-diameter | 4 |
| For the cubby top | Material | Size (T x W x L*) | Qty. |
| Cubby sides | white pine | 7/8" x 7 5/8" x 14 5/8" | 2 |
| Cubby top | white pine | 7/8" x 9 3/4" x 42 1/2" | 1 |
| Cubby back | white pine | 7/8" x 13 1/4" x 42 1/2" | 1 |
| Cubby dividers | white pine | 7/8" x 9 3/4" x 8" | 3 |
| Cubby shelves | white pine | 1/4" x 1 3/8" x 12 1/4" | 2 |
| Cubby shelf caps | white pine | 1/4" x 1 3/8" x 12 1/4" | 2 |
| Cubby door stiles | hardwood | 5/8" x 7/8" x 8 1/2" | 4 |
| Cubby door rails | hardwood | 5/8" x 7/8" x 7 7/8" | 4 |
| Cubby door dividers | hardwood | 1/4" x 1/4" x 64"*** | 1 |
| Door hinges | brass | 3/4" x 3/4" | 4 |
| Door catches | magnetic | -- | 2 |
*Length indicates grain direction.
**Oversized dimension. Trim to fit.
***Total length required.
Built like a barn
Over the years, I've worked in more than a few barns, and the joinery I've seen in them fills me with admiration. That's why I've included traditional joinery features in both large buildings and small projects such as this desk. The pegged mortises and tenons, square pegs and tusk tenons all came from this same inspiration.
Start work on your desk by preparing the outer legs, inner legs, skirts (front, rear and side) and leg braces (side and rear). You'll also need to edge-glue enough wood to make the two oversized 23 1/2" x 29 1/2" drawer bank panels. Sand these flat and smooth after taking them out of the clamps, but don’t cut them to final size yet; custom trimming comes later.
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