The laundry area/sewing nook is finally finished with the topping of Casie's new desk. As our friend Wesley puts it, it's our "proof of concept" for the kitchen cabinetry soon to come.
The desk itself is made entirely from IKEA parts. Unfortunately we needed a cabinet 15in wide X 24in high and 20in deep. IKEA has one which is 15in wide (X 30in high), one which is 24in high (X 36in wide) and nothing 20in deep... however, by purchasing the 15in wide one and the 24in high one, I was able to use the top/bottom from one set and the sides from another and only had to make cuts on the table saw for the depth. And of course, we needed two. Because of the way the pieces join, it was crucial to get some matchy-matchy pieces.
While it generates lots of left over particle board (for a pair of 30X36in cabinets, i s'pose), using stock parts made for an easier construction overall and it matches what will be done in the kitchen. After installing the 6in legs, the desk was the perfect height. And the cabinet now fits her vintage Necchi sewing machine perfectly.
The desk-top caused some concern as the kitchen counters will be Silestone to match the bath, but getting someone to fabricate a relatively small piece (22X63in) at a cost under $1000 was hard to find (and we had a hard time justifying a $1000 desk-top). After hemming and hawing (and returning) several countertop options, I discovered that IKEA had a cabinet door that was the size we needed (24X64) and the perfect thickness (3/4in). A few cuts on the table saw (and a hole) later, it was the perfect fit. Since it will be a sewing table initially (or a home-office nook with data/cable/phone close at hand), we wanted it to be sturdy, so I fabricated an aluminum brace from a stock "L" for the front support (which happened to compliment the IKEA aluminum plinth at the base of the cabinets). We'll eventually top it with some glass for protection, but there are larger projects still to tackle.
Comments