Build Your Own Wood Home Office Furniture

In junior high, my very favorite class was wood shop, second only to metal shop (where we made cooler things, but the machines were louder). So, when I came upon Ana’s blog, Knock Off Wood, I was thrilled. A chance to dust off all those long-forgotten skills and save a bunch of money making pretty furniture? Sign me up.

But, there’s another benefit to building your own wood home office furniture that goes way beyond saving money or getting to use the saw… You can customize it. I don’t know about you, but when I spend a pretty penny on a new piece of furniture, I’m always afraid to change it (the same is definitely not true of the pieces I pick up from the thrift store–stay tuned for a tutorial on faux gold leafing a chair to see just how irreverent I am when a piece isn’t brand new and pricey). Plus, often times the size is just off enough to be annoying–like, when you have 32″ for an entry bench, but can only find a bench that’s 18″.

So, being able to choose all your own colors, modify the size to fit your space, and getting solid wood furniture for the cost of materials? Sign me up!

What’s more, Ana regularly features projects her readers have made which means you get to see just how doable those projects are (especially since many of her readers are first-time furniture builders).

And she has a wide variety of plans perfect for your office space. Here are my favorites. (All images from Pottery Barn or West Elm.)

Secretary

A secretary desk is the perfect solution for small offices (or offices that are on display, like those in living rooms or bedrooms), and this one is no exception. Though I love it in PBs white, I think it’d also look smashing in navy or eggplant, with a brighter color on the inside. Though the PB hardware is lovely, it would also look sweet with something a little fancier.

Get Ana’s plans and materials list here.

Project Table

In Ana’s plan, she adds a drawer to the desktop so that you can easily store pens and other desk stuff, which is such a smart idea. See, building it yourself lets you make sure that your home office furniture suits your needs perfectly instead of having to compromise.

Get Ana’s plans, including materials list, here.

Apex Bookshelf

This bookshelf is lovely with its sleek, modern lines, but what I especially like is the way it’s so airy looking–it won’t overwhelm a small space the way a more solid bookcase might. Plus, I priced the supplies at my local Home Depot and it’s really inexpensive to build–well under $50. (Though that’ll vary by market.)

Check out Ana’s plans here.

What’s your favorite?

Beware: you’ll spend quite a long time on Ana’s site if you have any interest in building home office furniture. So, now that I’ve warned you, why not visit Knock Off Wood and choose your favorites?