Free Plan: Dream Desk Build
Real drawers. Real wood. No store-bought furniture holds up like this.
Free download. No signup required.
- PDF plan
- Material & cut list
- Step-by-step instructions
✓ Your plan is downloading.
Got your plan? Good. Here's what usually comes next.
The plan's yours to keep — build it whenever. But if you liked this one, here's the next step most builders take from here.
Download didn't start? Get the plan here.Want the next 20 projects ready before this desk is even oiled?
Ted's Woodworking has plans for furniture, shop cabinets, outdoor builds, and everything in between. Every plan includes a full materials list, cut list, and step-by-step instructions. If the desk build gave you momentum, the plan library keeps it going.
Yes — show me the complete plan library →Disclosure: I may earn a commission if you buy through this link. It doesn't cost you extra.
Every desk from the store either costs $800 or falls apart inside three years. This one is built from plywood with real drawer slides, waterfall ends, and a cable system that actually works.
The original design has 28 steps and integrates a computer into one of the drawer cabinets. Ignore that part. The furniture build itself is the project. Two drawer cabinets, a solid top, full-extension slides, biscuit joinery. Built in a weekend and a half.
I've used this construction method for shop base cabinets too. Same cabinet, different room.
Project at a Glance
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Main materials
- Birch plywood 3/4" (two sheets), solid wood top (oak, maple, or walnut), self-adhesive edge banding, full-extension drawer slides (16"), biscuits and glue
- Build time
- About 12–16 hours (a weekend and a half)
- Tools needed
- Table saw or track saw, biscuit joiner, edge banding iron, drill, router with roundover bit, random orbital sander
- Note
- Skip the integrated computer drawer — it's not needed for the base build.
From the shop
The drawer slides make or break this build. Use full-extension slides — the kind that let the drawer come out all the way so you can actually reach what's at the back. Cut your drawer boxes 1/2 inch narrower than the opening on each side. That's the gap the slides need. Get that wrong and the drawers bind. Get it right and the whole cabinet feels solid.
You came here for a desk plan. That's one solid piece of furniture for the office. But once it's done, the next problem is keeping the momentum — finding the next build before the saw goes back on the shelf. That's why a full plan library is the natural next step.
Recommended Next Step
Want the next 20 projects ready before this desk is even oiled?
Ted's Woodworking has plans for furniture, shop cabinets, outdoor builds, and everything in between. Every plan includes a full materials list, cut list, and step-by-step instructions. If the desk build gave you momentum, the plan library keeps it going.
Ted's Woodworking — 16,000+ Plans
Furniture, outdoor builds, shop jigs, cabinets — every plan with cut list and materials.
Disclosure: I may earn a commission if you buy through this link. It doesn't cost you extra.
The technique reference — just cover shipping
Woodworking Secrets covers joinery, finishing, and tool setup in plain language. Good to have when you're working through drawer construction or biscuit joinery for the first time.
Send me the book →Not sure yet? Start with the free plan.
Build the desk first. You can always come back later and unlock the full plan library when you're ready for the next project.