I knew I wanted to build a desk for my office, but I didn’t want it to look brand new. I researched office desk styles that I liked, and made some notes on the similarities.
A few things I noticed:
- They were often darker colors of wood (not a lot of original antique finishes were lighter colors)
- Many of them had turned or ornate legs
- They were relatively simple and open as far as the actual structure


Lately, I’ve really been drawn to furniture with a little history. The kind of pieces that feel like they’ve been passed down or discovered in an antique shop.
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Turned Table Legs
I knew I would not be able to do the turned table legs on my own, so I ordered these from TableLegs.com. They have so many options for any project!

Building the Desk Structure
Once I had the legs, it was time to build the structure. I started by cutting my boards to size and assembling a simple frame with pocket holes and screws. The design itself was straightforward with clean lines and nothing too complicated.

Then I added some scrap plywood to support the top of the desk, which I used big piece of 3/4 in. Plywood on that I framed out with 1x2s for a more polished look.

The Finishing Touches
I also decided to add some trim around the front of the desk to give it some more character and more of a vintage feel. This little detail made a big difference. I decided to drill a hole with a hole saw in the top so that I’d have a place for my cords to go through.
I stained it a really dark color, Minwax Polyshades in Classic Black.

I’ve gone back and forth on if I think this was a good color, but for now, I’m going to keep it. What do you think?


Desk Materials and Supplies
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