September 17, 2009

How to Make a Trestle Desk

My friend and longtime reader Malin wrote to me:

"Help me find a desk like this:


I like the legs. ...everytime I go on Craigslist I can't find anything."

Lemme see...

To start, you probably won't find this exact desk on Craigslist. As the NY Times article (the source of the photo) says, it's custom - made from an old door (and set atop some nice sawhorse legs). That's the bad news. The good news is that you can easily re-create this look on your own with a little help from the local hardware store (that would be Cole Hardware for you) and some creativity.

In no particular order:

  • You can source an old door (or even just get a nice piece of wood, such as a slab of Bamboo or the Numerar countertop from Ikea) and sand/stain/paint it. A local source of "old" and reclaimed wood: Urban Ore in Berkeley.

  • To make a nice, smooth writing surface you can go super custom and get a piece of glass custom cut to order.

  • The sawhorse trestle legs are SO basic. You would need to buy sawhorse brackets:

    (A pair like these shown are only $4.49 at Ace Hardware)


  • Snap/screw in some 2x4s (have them cut to the correct height, usually ~30" for a desk/table) and you're good to go.

  • To really make this desk your own, I would advise sanding and staining each piece of wood, from the tabletop to the 2x4s, in your color of choice. (In the photo above it looks like a darker walnut color stain. I'd ask JJ about this though, as he is the wood pro in our family.)


  • Other "trestle" leg desks you might like, especially if you aren't feeling very D.I.Y-ish:

    Braxton Table (from Target):


    Madison Table (again, from Target):


    Workstead Table (from Workstead - this is de-lux-e!)



    Or you can source some interesting trestles from Ikea's Vika line and use some sanded/stained planks:





    Hopefully this inspires you to keep your eyes open for a suitable slab of wood because if you find that, the rest is easy!

    2 comments:

    Eloise said...

    Eric offered to make this with me - game on!! Thanks girl! Love, Longtime reader, Malin.

    kumeeks said...

    dang, i love eric has been on an DIY kick!