The Gathered Home

A Blog about Finding and Making

How to Make a DIY Ikea Hack Desk with Plank Top & Copper Pulls

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If you missed Part 1, with many more lovely pictures of the desk, view it here. 

Here as promised! A detailed description of how we built this awesome plank top double desk with copper accents and DIY copper pulls!

How To Make A DIY Ikea Hack Desk with a Plank Top and Copper Pulls

*Today’s post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through an affiliate link, I may receive a small commission. You can read my full disclosure here. I hope you all know by now that I do only share things I really truly love!

As I mentioned in my first post, I had hoped to find used base cabinets on Craigslist or at the Habitat for Humanity Restore, but wasn’t having much luck on that front. This led to our miraculously efficient trip to Ikea (in and out in under an hour with no extraneous purchases!) to pick up three 18” Akurum base cabinets with Harlig white doors for $54 a piece.

 Total so far: $162 + tax.

It only took me about an hour to assemble the cabinets, and just a little bloodshed…

Next up, a trip to Home Depot with my awesome dad and brother for supplies for the plank top:

 (10) 2×6 – 8 ft. boards: $46.70
(1) 2×4 – 8 ft. boards: $2.72 (we bought 2, but only ended up using 1)
(1) 1×3 – 10 ft. primed MDF trim: $5
2 1/2” construction screws (although 2” would be have been fine)

Now, here is where I remind you that I am terrible at taking in-process shots… But I’ll do my very best to walk you through step by step!

 Note: Most of the actual construction was done by my dad and brother. They are just plain better/bolder with power tools than I am. I provided the plan, aesthetic input, and a helping hand. So when I say “we” down below, I’m being generous with myself.

The first thing we did was cut the MDF trim into six 18” sections and attach two pieces to the bottom of each base cabinet as risers. This is necessary since the cabinet doors are flush with the top, bottom and sides of the cabinet frame – we needed to raise the cabinets off the floor just a bit so the doors have clearance to open. We used liquid nails on the bottom of each piece, and then a few small nails to hold them in place.

The primed MDF didn’t even need to be painted since you don’t really see it nestled down in the carpet. This picture shows the cabinet upside down after we attached the MDF risers:


Once the cabinets were flipped back over, we built a stretcher piece across the top of the center cabinet, so that we would have a place to anchor the top pieces. This short piece was cut from the 2×4, and then notched on either end so we could attach it.

For each outside end of the desk, we cut a similar length of 2×4 for the outside edges for the plank top to screw into.

The wall is 12’2”, so we cut each of the 2×6 boards down to 6’1”. This way there would be one seam down the middle of the desk – which is why we needed that fixed center piece.

We placed the base cabinets precisely where we wanted them. The cabinets are are 24” deep and the plank top is around 28” deep, so it has an overhang of 2” on the front and the back. Besides that, we wanted a 1.5” gap between the back of the desk top and the wall for electrical cords.

We decided to screw the top planks from beneath to avoid visible screws on the top. I helped out by using this OSHA-approved technique to hold the planks down while my dad attached them. You can also spy a little bit of orange from a ratcheting strap we used to hold the planks tightly together while they were being attached.

It was almost midnight by the time we wrapped up construction on the plank top (thank you, family, for staying so late to finish it!), so I took this picture the following morning – the desk is all built, sturdy as all get out, and ready to be sanded and stained:

Ah yes… sanding. If do this before you build the desk, you are wise indeed. Otherwise, you’ll be covering everything in the room with plastic sheets and pulling out your power sander. And then cursing yourself because you have dark textured walls and it’s almost impossible to clean the streaky fine sanding dust off of them. (Hint: use Swiffer pads followed by a tack cloth). So, preferably sand the boards first in your garage/carport/outdoor-area, then construct the desk.

I used 120 grit sandpaper – it cleaned up any rough or splintery areas just fine. I didn’t want to sand too much and lose the top’s rustic appearance, so there are still dings, divots, and uneven areas. In other words, if you want this to be a smooth writing surface, you probably want to take a different approach. We are using this as a computer desk, so a little unevenness is fine.

After sanding, I thoroughly vacuumed the desk top and wiped it down with a tack cloth.

Then it was time for the stain. I already had some on hand – Dark Walnut by Varathane…

I taped off the edges where the plank top meets the walls and around the tops of the cabinets and applied the stain with a rag. (Now, normally you would want to use gloves so this oil-based stain doesn’t get all over your skin. But I was out of gloves. So I used a Ziploc bag.)

This is what the wood looked like after one coat of stain:

It was a really gorgeous color and I was tempted to leave it, but I knew I wanted something a little darker, so I applied a second coat of stain:

Once the stain dried, I used a hand sanding block to go over the plank top once more to smooth it out. Instead of a poly top coat, I used Feed-N-Wax, hoping it would give me exactly the antique-wood feel I was going for. The Feed-N-Wax soaked into the top, leaving me with a matte but smooth “hand-rubbed” finish.

Now, while my brother was helping us build the desk, he made an off-hand comment about using some sort of metal strip to “finish” the edges of the desk where it met the wall and disguise the center seam. Imagine his surprise when I immediately jumped on the idea, declaring him a genius and brainstorming what I would use!

I initially wanted to use these cool steel flat bars that Home Depot sells in the aisle with the garage door hardware, but I was a little daunted by the whole “drilling through steel” thing – totally doable, my dad assured me, but definitely intensive. I decided to keep strolling the aisles at Home Depot browsing for hardware inspiration, when I stopped in the plumbing aisle.

You guys, I spent  a lot of time in the plumbing aisle when I was constructing my plumbing pipe light fixture, and I began to vaguely remember some thin copper material that came in rolls…

Copper coated pipe strapping. Perfect!

 Meanwhile, Bryan and I were also brainstorming ideas for creative pulls for the cabinet doors. I wanted something industrial/rustic; bonus points if it wasn’t actually a drawer pull. That’s when Bryan pulled these off the shelf, and everything fell into place…

How To Make Simple DIY Copper Pulls

I purchased two 24” lengths of 1/2” copper pipe for around $10. The tube straps were super cheap for a pack of 10. I also picked up a copper pipe cutter, so I could cut each length of pipe in half for 12” pulls.


This was my method for ensuring the hardware was installed in the exact same spot on each door front:

Using my mad math skills and some Frog Tape, I made a template that I could reuse for each door front (you can’t see it, but the edges of the doors are marked on the tape for easy alignment). Then I simply drilled through the marked spots on the tape, peeled it off, and installed my copper pipe + tube strap construction with #8 1” pan head screws.

 Note that the pipe pieces sit flush with the doors, not lifted away from them like traditional pulls, however, it’s easy to grasp the handle and swing the door open.

For my decorative copper strips on the top, I cut the copper hanger strap to length with wire cutters (it involved a bit of oomph – squeeze the cutters, bend the strip, squeeze, bend, repeat until separated). I used pliers to fold a small portion over the back of the desk top, and then to wrap the strip around the front and under the desktop. I predrilled the desktop through the holes in the copper strip every few inches (while making sure it was flat and taut) and used #8 1” pan head screws to attach it.

You’ll notice that I wasn’t able to get perfect spacing on the screws, because I wanted to secure the copper strip to each board three times… It only bothers me a lot a little bit.

Now, here’s where the story gets some more blood in it…

While ensuring that the copper strip was stretched taut, I quickly slid my thumb down the length of it. The strip is not “sharp” to the touch per se, but it is sharp enough that you don’t want to quickly and forcefully run your finger along it.

At first I had no idea what had happened until I noticed the red line, and quickly grabbed a paper towel before huge drops of blood started dripping from my thumb! It was a very deep cut, but such a “clean” cut that I was able to pinch the top of my thumb together until I ran to the bathroom, quickly rinsed it, and Bryan helped me apply Neosporin and bandage it up. It kind of put a damper on the DIY for the evening.

So, I would recommend wearing gloves while working with the copper strips because you may need to pull it tight and you don’t want your fingers to slip! Now that the strip is secured flush with the plank top, I’m not concerned about a sharp edge at all. It isn’t even as sharp as a butter knife – it was just an unfortunate combination of speed + pressure when my thumb slid down the edge.

Was I finished yet? Not quite. The screws were steel, and I wasn’t loving the contrast with the copper. So I picked up some Leafing Finish at the craft store. Note that I purchased it in “Bronze”, as I felt it was a better match for the copper pieces than the Precious Metals “Copper” finish. I applied three coats to each screw with a small craft brush – it sounds time consuming, but it’s quick-drying, so it only took me about 30 minutes for all the exposed screws. Bonus: I have almost the entire jar left… More projects!

And then, finally, the desk was done. It ended up costing around $270 to build (I didn’t save all receipts, but that’s a generous estimate for everything – cabinets, boards, all screws, copper pieces, etc.), but your cost might be different depending on the supplies you already have on hand. For example, for my next project, I now have several 3/4 full boxes of screws and a mostly full jar of bronze-leaf!

I will admit, as much as I love the French chairs with this desk, they are a little too short given that the desk is counter-height. An adjustable desk chair is just fine with it, but a regular dining chair is a little too low. Sad face. It sure looks pretty for pictures, but I wanted to fully disclose that the chairs shown aren’t practical for computer use.

But overall, I am ecstatic with how the desk turned out! I am freakishly excited with the amount of office supply storage we have now, and psyched to continue working on the rest of the office to turn it into the coolest, chillest, awesomest, moodiest office space us self-employed folks could desire!

 I hope this tutorial was helpful!

Brynne

Comments

      • Damian Rojo says

        Hi Brynne, I love the idea for the pulls. However, you can’t get your fingers behind the conduit/pipe using those clips. They are meant to be flush to the wall. I am going to play with it, I think it’s very clever. Nice job!

          • Damian Rojo says

            I could see that working wonderfully for doors, I am making pulls for drawers. I am reworking a dresser for a client and am using found galvanized sheets. Regular conduit is galvanized so that attracted me to this idea. Love it. Wish I could attach pic so you could see what I’m doing. Tried dragging in.

  2. Julia Konya says

    I'm so bad at taking in-process shots too but thankfully you have amazing end result shots 😉
    You should share this with Mandi from VR, she has a hashtag thingy going on right now if I'm not mistaken on IG and she adores copper. It's just such an awesome project. The pulls are the bomb!

  4. Trisha D says

    Had no idea one could use "bronzer" to transform silver screws into a cooper-ish color! Good call. Loving everything you did to that desk. Thanks for the fantastical Tutorial! Off to pin!

  5. Diana Galian says

    Love the DIY copper pulls – so ingenious! The whole project turned out beautifully and yes, you're assembling Ikea furniture all wrong if you don't end up with at least one bandage somewhere on your body 🙂 Thanks for sharing such a helpful tutorial; I'm planning on building a wood top desk in my son's bedroom makeover.

  7. GnomeLover says

    Holy moly! So rad! And I am in love with the dark color of the walls with the white of the cabinets. And the copper handles. And the copper binding. Just perfection! I am in love. Great, wonderful, fabulous job! What an inspiration!

    Jenni

  8. Alexis Middleton says

    Oh my goodness! This is so gorgeous! I LOVE the copper accents. Especially those handles on the cabinets. And the wall color! I will definitely be following along to see what else you have planned for this space. (P.S. If you have a minute, I would love if you came and linked up to The Makers link party going on over on my blog 🙂

  9. Anonymous says

    What if you put the chairs shown on wheels? That would give them another few inches in height, which might be just right!

  11. Katie Nathey says

    Love, Love, LOVE this!!! I have been keeping an eye out for new desk ideas and this is simply brilliant. You, your dad and your brother did a tremendous job pulling it all off! And speaking of pulls… the copper hardware is brilliant! Thanks for linking up to the Makers and I look forward to seeing what you link up next week.
    ~Katie @ Upcycled Treasures

  13. Lauren Lanker says

    This IKEA hack is uh-ma-zing! Seriously, this needs to be in a magazine somewhere stat. Those copper pulls are darling…and it all just jives with your wall color so poifectly. Well done, lady!

    And thanks for the tweet cameo! How fun is that?

  15. Corey W. says

    Haha. I've had my share of run ins with IKEA furniture too, but it was totally worth it. This desk is great! Such a large work space and a lot of bang for your buck. I'm loving all of the copper details. Thanks for sharing at The Makers. Pinning!
    Corey @ TinySidekick.com

  20. Bryan Reed says

    Hi,

    You rock. I love the copper pulls. I have some ideas on how to give them more spacing away from the cabinet, I'll try to post again here when I figure it all out.

  22. Beth@Makemeprettyagain says

    What a great idea on the copper pulls. I may have to "steal" your invention because I do so
    many mcm re-dos 😉
    Also, what is that gorgeous shade of paint you have on the wall behind the desk??
    Makemeprettyagain.blogspot.com

  23. Anonymous says

    That looks great! Hey I have a question for you: I got those same cabinets from IKEA but there's no instructions at all (or hardware) on how to install the doors. I've looked on their website and even youtube videos but no clue…

    • brynne@thegatheredhome.com says

      Oh no! No hinges included in your box? I know my IKEA has a section over by costumer service with spare parts & I believe instructions – if there is one near you, maybe they will have the hardware! I Basically, the hinges snap into the door and get screwed into the cabinet frame. If you send me an email (thegatheredhome AT gmail.com) I can send you a photo so you can see how they attach.
      – Brynne

  26. Anonymous says

    I would like to know the height of the cabinets? I want to do a diy office unit but kitchen base cabinets are too tall. Having trouble finding the desk height cabinets.
    Thanks

    • brynne@thegatheredhome.com says

      The IKEA cabinets are 30.5", so with a slight base and the plank top, the desk is a little higher than normal desk height (almost 32"). It requires an adjustable desk chair that can be raised to be tall enough.

  27. Robbie says

    Hi Brynne, just the set up im looking to make, looks good, just wondering what sort of wood you used for the desk top and are they glued together?

    Thanks

    Robbie

    • Brynne says

      Hi Robbie, we used good old pine 2×6 boards. We didn’t glue them together in any way, but if I were to do it over again I would actually join the top planks together from underneath using pocket holes & screws. I’ve seen a lot of bloggers suggest that for plank tops!

  28. Mac says

    Hi Brynne, love what you’ve done here, and the plumbing pipe light you made. Can I ask, how are the screws holding up, looks wise? I’ve search hi and low for a copper screw effect, yours is very innovative, but does to look / colour diminish? I want to make a kitchen wall unit and finish with copper, so the screws would get a lot of cleaning and wiping down etc. Would they last or is it more or a decorative finish? Keep up the great DIY ideas.

    Best Reagards

    Mac, UK

    • Brynne says

      Hi Mac, thanks so much! The copper finish on the screws has held up pretty well, but if I had to do it again, I would use a metallic copper spray paint instead. You could spray the screws before installing them, and then touch up after with a brush and a little paint sprayed into the lid. I honestly don’t know how the copper paint I used would hold up to washing/wiping. Hope this helps!

  29. lisa O says

    Hi. Just curious how your dad/brother got your boards to fit together to create one big plank? We tried something similar, however, all the boards we bought were not straight enough just to attach (we stayed in Home Depot pulling down board after board to find the straightest pieces). Your desk came out lovely!

    • Brynne says

      Hi Lisa! We were able to find straight enough boards, so we didn’t have any problems with the boards lining up correctly. I think it helped that we had to cut about 18″ off the end of each board, so if there was any curve, we made sure to cut that end off. I’m so sorry you had trouble finding straight boards! Maybe a particularly warped or already-picked-through batch at that store? Good luck with your desk build!

    • Brynne says

      Thank you! I used the “Akurum” cabinets, but it looks like they are sadly no longer available at Ikea. Ikea’s replacement for the Akurum system is called “Sektion” now. Hope this helps!

  32. Bob says

    Hello Brynne,

    Your desk project looks great. Nice job. One question…I am looking to build a long desk, probably 8′ long, and haven’t decided whether to use a solid piece of Baltic Birch Plywood or planks as you did.

    My one concern with using planks is the slight crevice between these planks. Has that posed any issues for you and your intended use? If I am to use boards I would concider boards with sharp edges for a smoother surface. What do you think?

    Regards,

    Bob

    • Brynne says

      Hi Bob,

      Thanks! We really liked the look of the planks, and the desktop worked just fine for our use – as a computer desk. But if you’re planning on using the desk as a writing surface, I think the solid surface would work much better for that purpose. The gaps between the planks could end up being an issue – but, again, we didn’t pick boards with sharp edges, so I can’t speak to that. One thing I wish we had done was allow the boards to rest in the room for several days to acclimate to the temperature before constructing the desk – one or two warped slightly after installation. Hope this helps!

      All the best,
      Brynne

  33. Vickie says

    I’m in LOVE with the copper handles. I want to do this for my kitchen cabinets. My only problem is that I want them to have space behind to pull. Any suggestions on how to add the space?