DIY Desk from Filing Cabinets

I’m blessed to be able to work from home.

I own and operate a business that manages benefits for 153 individuals with disabilities. So it goes without saying that I need a designated office space in my house.

I really wish that I could have a home office that has a writing desk. You know - the ones that look like a chic table.

With nothing on it but a laptop. And some flowers. And maybe an antique ink well. And a cool chair to sit on.

No cords. No desk phone. No printer in sight.

What I wouldn’t give for a home office like that. So beautiful. So serene….

But hey, this is reality. Or at least it’s my reality.

So what about an office that needs lots of equipment? Like printers (yes - multiple printers!). And a document scanner. And filing cabinets.

Does it mean that it can’t be stylish?

Does it mean that I have to settle for an old gray metal desk that looks like it belongs on a battleship? And ugly filing cabinets?

I don’t think so.

This is my desk..

The legal size cabinets are metal. Yep, metal.

We added the base.

And painted them with chalk paint.

And distressed them.

And added nicer drawer pulls.

The top is a solid core luan door slab. (A slab comes without holes for knobs and hinges.)

We added molding around the edges.

And stained it.

And sprayed 3 coats of poly on it.

TIP: If you use a door for a desktop - be sure to use a solid core door. We used a hollow core door temporarily until we finished this. You can see it in the ‘before’ photo.

If you use a hollow door - you can tell it’s hollow. You can hear it when you write. You can hear it when you set your pen down. You can hear it when you touch the surface.

With a solid core door - it’s solid. Just like a desktop should be.

Ours is a 32 by 80 interior door. It’s perfect for a good-sized work surface. We installed a pull-out keyboard tray underneath for plenty of writing area above it.