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Property/DIY

Building my own desk in the study

12 replies

NickMyLipple · 30/04/2017 10:48

I have beautiful visions of using a stud door and some Ikea kallax units to make a lovely desk - it needs to be at least 200cm long and 75cm wide. My issue is, I can't fix the door (or table top-level could use work surface) to the walls because it's in a converted garage and the walls are just crappy plasterboard and even with wigglys I don't trust everything to not fall down.

Any ideas?!

(Ikea do an off the shelf 200cm desk but it's only 60cm wide which is rubbish!)

OP posts:
RoganJosh · 30/04/2017 10:51

I'd probably get the ikea desk and attach the door on top, but I'm not very good at diy.

wowfudge · 30/04/2017 10:53

What are wigglys?

NickMyLipple · 30/04/2017 11:20

Oh that's probably the non technical term for those huge plastic push in screws made for plasterboard!

OP posts:
wowfudge · 30/04/2017 11:37

Ah. Does it have to be attached to the wall? Can you post a sketch of the design you want?

johnd2 · 30/04/2017 11:40

You can't attach anything to plasterboard unless it's very light.
For a desk you either need independent legs touching the wall, or what I did for our kitchen top cupboards is cut a section of plasterboard out and fix an old floorboard to the wall with frame fixers (long screws and plugs) and then fix the weight to that.
Personally I'd probably go for the fitted, but supported by discreet legs option as it is easier to undo later than plasterboard surgery. Good luck!

johnd2 · 30/04/2017 11:42

Sorry independent legs touching the FLOOR! typing quicker then my brain this morning...

cujo · 30/04/2017 14:17

The Kalllax units aren't a great height for a desk imo, have a look at using the ikea Alex drawers/cupboards for the desk legs, with maybe a worktop instead of a desk top?

NotMeNoNo · 30/04/2017 14:21

The Ikea curry legs are cheap. Or try to find the wooden studs at intervals along the wall and fix a batten or brackets.
We have one of the 200 x 60 desks, it's not bad actually.

NickMyLipple · 30/04/2017 14:23

Thanks Cujo - I considered work top but I can't have it grainy - my study is used for art and crafts and the surface needs to be smooth. Any idea on the types of material to look for?

OP posts:
NickMyLipple · 30/04/2017 14:29

The Alex units are only 59cm deep- I need a desk that's 75cm - if my door or worktop doesn't sit flush on the top of the units, where should I position them? Or am I best using an Ikea leg behind the Alex unit to support the additional depth?

OP posts:
LadyPenelopeCantDance · 03/05/2017 07:06

We used a custom made kitchen worktop from Ikea to make one in a recess in our old house. It was perched in to strong beams heavily bolted to the wall so it had a floating look. Ikea do so smooth worktops if you do consider doing that.

strongandlong · 03/05/2017 07:18

A leg behind an Alex unit sounds like a good idea.

I've got a standing desk I assembled from kallax and various other IKEA components. I love it.

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