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pikipupiba's avatar

Some help building the ultimate desk?

Asked by pikipupiba (1629points) November 26th, 2012

I have literally spent 40–50 hrs designing what I at least hope is approaching the ultimate desk. It has everything from built in speaker stands, a file cabinet, drawers, TV mount, built in power, slots for all my electronics, and everything else you could think of!

I know, however, that when you spend 50 hrs designing something, you tend to overlook obvious things, so any help would be greatly appreciated!! That being said, I don’t quite know how to share the model on this site (it’s done in Google sketchup) so if you just PM me your email I can go ahead and send you the model (unless you have another way)!

Total dimensions approach 4’x8’ and it has a modular design so it can be moved from place to place without tearing down any walls.

About me:
I am a college student majoring in computer science and graphic design, so my computer and desk are where I do almost 100% of my work.

About the design (I’m just going to list everything I can think of!):
General:
– unique shape (one of my favorite features)
– made of oak plywood and pine 1x(2,3,4)‘s
– will be stained a fairly light color
– high gloss polyurethane finish
Left Side Drawer Unit:
– one drawer contains hanging file
– receiver built in (removable face plate for easy access)
– flap on back left hold chargers and HDMI cords that fit through holes on left side when needed
– home media server under flap
– fans on left side to vent hot air from receiver and server
– intake vent above receiver
Front Face:
– three pronged retractable extension cords on either side of main opening (not shown are the reels that will just hang on either side)
– slit to hold keyboard, mouse, and other accessories when not in use
– small drawer
Underneath:
– sub woofer on left
– small flap (folds down) for access to sub woofer volume knob
– big flap (folds down) for access to modem and router that sit on shelf
– main power supply for TV, router, modem, usb hub, subwoofer, and retractable extension cords under router/modem shelf
Back:
– cable guide that forms a path between the TV, main power, and receiver
– intake vent that lines up with vents on server
– holes for extension cord for main power and power for server and receiver
– slightly larger hole for internet cable
Top:
– TV and front speakers mounted to desk (no holes in the walls!)
– flaps and recessed storage to help eliminate clutter
– outlets with usb ports to left of TV
– usb hub on far right
Accessories on Desk:
– laptop
– keyboard/mouse
– external hard drive

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8 Answers

zenvelo's avatar

Is there a question buried in all that?

One think about desks is they can be too big to move. I hope your modular design gets past that.

They can also be too damn big, which makes them dominate whatever room they are in.

That’s my two cents.

BosM's avatar

You don’t mention how much actual workspace that you have. Consider incorporating an “L” shape into your design as it’s a good way to create separate workspace for projects. Also, I suggest you use oak in all visible areas where contact will take place. It won’t dent or scratch like pine will. A slide draw for storing a keyboard is always an option to consider. Mine is on the “L” shape extension. You haven’t mentioned where you’d put a printer, not sure if that is something you need to accomodate or not.

Finally, you have a lot of entertainment elements designed into the desk. I’m wondering if that is too much and if a seperate TV and Media console might make more sense? You could design multiple pieces instead of one large one giving you more flexibility should you need to move it. Just something to consider. Sounds like a great project. Good luck.

pikipupiba's avatar

@BosM Well I us my TV as my main computer screen, so I would like it to be on the desk! haha

I also find listening to music while working is a wonderful stress reliever!

@zenvelo I thought about an L shape, but then the drawers on the left side would be covered by more desk…

@zenvelo @BosM Let me send you the model! It really does do a much better job explaining it than anything here ever would, haha.

jaytkay's avatar

If you do an L or a V, and put the desk in a corner (or simply make the desk very deep), you get A LOT more space for your arms, keyboard, mouse, reading material, etc.

It makes me BANANAS when i’m crowded onto a little strip at the front of the desk. I can’t work well without resting my forearms on the desk.

pikipupiba's avatar

@jaytkay That’s the main reason I’m building it! The last desk I built (and currently use) is only 26–30 inches deep. This time I decided to go big or go home!

pikipupiba's avatar

I found a way!!!!!!!!!!

You can see the model here.

The only bad part is that a lot of the details are missing because I can’t figure out how to make it show edges, which would show all the separate components that are in the same plane.

pikipupiba's avatar

UPDATE!!!!

Color coding to the rescue here.

This one makes it mush easier to see the detail and different components!

BosM's avatar

Looks like a great design for a single desk. Good luck with it!

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