Easily, one of the best projects I’ve built for myself in the last couple of years is this simple wall mounted, stand up desk.
I used to always just sit hunched over at my work station editing all my videos, pictures, blog posts, etc.
It always felt “comfy” at first, but sooner or later, my lower back would be screaming at me. It hurt.
I finally couldn’t take it anymore, so I decided to try building myself one of those fancy, smancy stand up desks I had been reading about.
And… I’ll never go back. It’s incredible.
I will say that it takes a little bit to get used to standing while working on your computer if you’ve never done it before. You might have to start using it in shorts bursts at first. I used to stand all day long when I worked at a sign shop several years back, so I was somewhat used to it.
Your feet will probably be sore for a little bit, and you might tire out sooner than you used to. But within a few days, you’ll probably feel so much better. Energized, really.
My posture was so much better, and it took the pressure off my back once I figured out how to shift around every so often to stay comfortable. Being able to walk directly up to the desk and keep moving around while working seemed to give me a feeling of freedom and productivity.
Anyway, enough of that. I feel much better using it, plus I designed plenty of storage cubby holes and work surface on top that comes in really handy. Not only that, but it also tucks in tight to the corner of my office, so it takes advantage of an area that normally goes wasted in many rooms.
If you’d like to build a similar one for yourself, I created a video that shows you how I built mine.
My Corner, Wall Mounted, Stand Up Desk Dimensions:
Since making that video, I’ve had a few people ask for the dimensions of my desk, so here they are:
All pieces listed are 3/4″ thick plywood.
(I used solid 3/4″ thick wood for the 2 silver trim pieces on top though.)
Longer Top Panel: 16″ x 47-1/2″
Shorter Top Panel: 16″ x 31-1/2″
(2) Bottom Panels: 16″ x 31-1/2″
(2) Outer Upright Supports: 16″ x 6-1/2″
(6) Inner Upright Supports: 15-1/4″ x 6-1/2″
Longer Wall Mount: 46-5/8″ x 6-3/8″ (allows for wiggle room while mounting)
Shorter Wall Mount: 45-7/8″ x 6-3/8″ (ditto)
Hidden Bracket Underneath to Attach Top Panels: 1-1/2″ x 12″
Longer Top Trim: 1-1/2″ x 47-1/2″
Shorter Top Trim: 1-1/2″ x 46-3/4″
Also, I decided to snap a few pictures and label the part sizes to make it a little easier to understand. Here you go:
And here’s a few pictures from other angles just to give you a better idea of what it looks like:
Notice that I made one side longer than the other instead of doing an angled miter joint right down the middle. I mostly built it this way for simplicity, but I also figured that it would give me a little bit more room for writing or drawing if needed without the seam getting in the way.
Also, if you like the paint detail I did to the work surface, I made a video that shows you how I created it here.
I wanted to throw in this shot of how the wall brackets continue past the cubby holes and meet at the wall corner. They help support the wall edge of the top panels and are a simple way to mount the desk on the wall without any legs or extra supports of any kind.
If you want to know how I found the wall studs to mount the wall brackets, I have two videos here that shows you a couple of different ways to easily do it without a stud finder.
If you look closely, you can see the big holes I drilled on both bottom panels for power cords to drop through to plug into the wall.
The desk works great and and has held up just fine from constant use. The only thing I would probably change if I did it over again would be to protect it with a clear lacquer or water based polyurethane instead of the finishing paste wax.
The wax works ok to keep spills from soaking through (as long as I clean it up quickly)…. but I’ve noticed that it does still soak up oils from my skin where my arms & hands lean up against it. (Remember, it’s mounted at elbow height, so you tend to rest your arms against it all the time.)
So there you go. Hopefully that gives you a better idea of how I built my wall mounted, stand up desk. It was a fairly simple project and has helped my back feel much better & made me feel more productive.
If you like it, feel free to let me know what you think below!
Later!
– Kevin
Absolutely brilliant! I decided to go with a standing desk a few days ago. The pre-made desks I found were ether too expensive or not my preferred design.
I’m going to be standing and sitting. I sold my Aeron chair and picked up an aeron stool. I use a 28″ monitor with a desktop. How would this design work if it was wider and heavier? I would also like the basket area about half the height.
Cheers
Hey thanks! The desk is one of my favorite things I’ve built for myself in a while. I think yours should be fine if it’s wider as long as your wall support brackets are a bit heavier duty. Instead of using the 3/4″ boards like I did, maybe use some 2×4’s as supports, so they have more “meat” to them. As long as the top is securely attached to the supports, the lower basket shelf part rests against the wall to keep it from tipping forward. If I had to redo it, I’d probably just cut some 2×3’s or 2×4’s into French Cleats to hang it instead of the 3/4″ pieces of plywood I used.
Hi Kevin! Thank you so much for providing this Web site and the videos. I’m new to woodworking, a 54 year old grandma, and I need this stand up desk! I have access to a woodshop & all the tools & plywood needed to make it. I do want to use French cleats to hang it, so my dumb question is…how would I do that? Build it to your dimensions but substitute 2×4 French cleats, one on the wall & the opposing piece mounted to the desk pieces? I would really appreciate your feedback & help. My hubby is away on a business trip & I would like to surprise him on his return! Thanks again for your awesome videos & projects. —Rhonda
Yes, that’s how I would do it. If I ever build another one of these, I’ll go with a French cleat like that.
Woo-Hoo! Another great idea for the bedroom and bathroom. With a drop down table, it’s a good way to free up floor space when the desk isn’t needed! Thanks, DIY Dork!