Build your own desk: Perfect for your home office

First take your large wooden board and lay it on your workbench with the surface you have chosen for the top of the desk facing down. Then position your Zamo with the tape adapter at the bottom corner (point A) of the board and measure 79 cm up and 79 cm to the side (image 1). Mark each of these points. Helpful hint: Lay a towel or blanket onto your workbench before positioning the board to avoid scratching the surface of the wood.

To measure the position of the cable hole, start from point A and, with the tape adapter positioned at a 45° angle, measure a distance of 12 cm (image 2). Mark this position on the wood.

Please note: We have specifically chosen an old wooden board for this project. After all, giving old bits of furniture a fresh, new look is really quite simple in most cases. It also helps you make your home more sustainable. However, you are free to use any board you wish to build your corner desk.

Now you have to make your own compass. Start by fixing a nail at point A. Then take a length of string, tie it to the nail and pull it until you reach the mark you made at 79 cm. Make a small loop in the string and tie it securely to a pencil. You can now use this DIY compass to draw a perfect circular section onto your wooden board.

Now you can use a jigsaw to cut out the circle section you drew onto your board in the previous step (image 1). Make sure to clamp the board securely using G-clamps.

Use the Forstner drill bit to drill the cable hole at the position you marked out in step 1 (image 2).

After you have finished all of the sawing and drilling, make sure to sand all cut edges thoroughly using sandpaper. This will ensure that they are smooth and even.

In the next step, you’ll need the two 55-cm squared timbers. If they are not the right length, you must first cut them to size and sand them.

Take one of the two squared timbers, measure a length of 12 cm from the outer edge and mark this point in the centre of the timber (image 1). You will need these markings later on when building the wall mounting.

Now rotate the squared timber by 90° along the longitudinal axis, measure a length of 10 cm from each end of the squared timber and mark these points (image 2). You will need these markings later on when mounting the surface of the desk.

Repeat these steps for the second squared timber.

Now drill the holes that you marked out in step 4. A word of caution: Make sure to use the 6-mm Brad point drill bit to drill the holes for the wall mount. Drill the holes to mount the desktop using the 5-mm Brad point drill bit (image 1).

After you have drilled the holes, you will have to countersink them using a countersink cutter (image 2).

In this step, you’ll paint all of the wooden components in the colour of your choice. Using a paint roller is the fastest way to get the job done.

While the wooden components are drying, you can measure out the position of your new desk on the wall. First, use the Zamo to measure the height of the desktop (image 1). This is 73 cm in our case. Mark this height on the wall.

This is where the Quigo Green comes into play: Use a tripod to adjust the device so that the vertical laser line aligns directly with the corner of the room and the horizontal line aligns with the height mark that you made (image 2).

Now use the two squared timbers to mark the drill holes on both walls, leaving some distance between the edge of the squared timber and the corner. To do this, align the squared timber below the laser line and the wall, and press the screw into the pre-drilled hole using a bit of pressure. Make sure that you are using the holes that you have drilled for the wall mounting.

Afterwards, each wall should have two drill hole markings, two for each squared timber.

Now use an 8-mm concrete drill bit to drill four holes – one at each of the markings – and insert size 8 wall plugs.

Finally, mount the squared timbers to the wall using four screws (6 x 120 mm).

Position the desktop in the corner and screw it in place from below using the pre-drilled holes.

To make your new desk corner even more stylish and practical, you can mount two perforated panels above the desk. It’s easy to attach small tools such as pens and key rings or even small shelves to these panels. They are available in all sizes. The following measurements are simply examples and can be adjusted to suit your individual needs.

To mount our panels, we used the Zamo to measure a distance of 52 cm from the top of the desk and marked out our measurement (image 1).
Use a tripod to adjust the laser cross lines of the Quigo Green so that the vertical line is in the corner and the horizontal line is aligned with your mark on the wall (image 2).

The placement of the individual drill holes will vary based on the size of your perforated panels. Determine the positions of the individual holes, measure the distances on the wall and make at least four markings along the horizontal laser line.

There are different ways to mount the perforated panels to the wall. However, it is best to attach them firmly to the wall using screws and to pre-drill the holes for the mounting screws. The size of the holes, wall plugs and screws will depend on the type of perforated panel you choose. You must determine the best sizes for your project.

Once you have drilled all of the holes and inserted the wall plugs, you can attach the perforated panels to the wall.

You have now finished building your new corner desk and can start setting up your home workspace. Have fun!