During this mini office makeover, I’m realizing I never blogged about how we upgraded the desk. Previously, we had this $100 Office Depot special with a metal base that was wobbly beyond belief. It had no storage and didn’t leave a lot of leg room. (Plus it had a place for a computer tower and keyboard tray that we didn’t need anymore.)
So last summer, we roadtripped to IKEA and picked up a couple of these metal drawer units (HELMER). They were super affordable at $40 each and offer so much storage, I don’t think all the drawers are even full.
The old desk base went out to the recycling, but I kept the thick glass top, which was still in good shape. We set it directly on top of the drawers, but it needed an inch or so more height to be ideal. A year later, I finally took some action on that.
I found a couple of pieces of wood (that were actually already stained and sealed, leftover from my DVD shelf project). I sandwiched those between the cabinets and the glass top, and played around with the placement until everything felt stable. I didn’t use any fasteners or anything; the glass top is heavy enough that it stays put with normal use. That small difference adds just enough height to make it more comfortable for typing, etc.
Not crazy beautiful or anything, but I think it looks nice enough. And it didn’t cost anything.
With the desk taken care of, we also swapped out the shabby 12+ year old office chair. This new bungee chair is shorter, visually lighter, plus a ton more comfortable. It hugs your back and is seriously pretty great.
I’m still working on finishing a few new details for the room. Stay tuned!
do you have all your cords in that little basket?
sorry, dave did not ask that question. i’ll try again.
do you have all your cords in that little basket?
Yes! I figured that was the easiest way to keep them looking tidy because Dan’s always transporting his laptop back and forth. Plus they can still breathe.
I did something similar to disguise our wireless router and all the wires that go with that, and it has worked pretty well. Photos of that here: https://www.lansdownelife.com/2011/02/living-room-update-furniture-shuffling.html
I really like that chair! And who wouldn’t like a few extra hugs during the day?
Thanks, it’s from The Container Store! Hugs included!