DIY Old Door Desk

DIY Old Door Desk. Learn how to take a chippy old wooden door and turn it into a beautiful desk for your cottage farmhouse home office.

DIY Old Door Desk

Hi yall! I hope you’re week is off to a great start! Did you see my Spring Home Refresh Ideas that I shared last week? It has some great practical tips and some pretty home decor finds too!

Today I’m sharing a fun project I’ve been working on for my home office. I took an old wooden door and turned it into a desk!

I have used a dining table in my office for several years now. It was a great desk, but it was just so big! It took up a large portion of the room and I really needed something that was a little more narrow and that worked a little better for my space.

I have seen others take an old door and turn it into a desk and I’ve always loved the look of it! Doing this is also a lot less expensive than going out and purchasing a new desk too! I also love that you can find really narrow old doors, which work great for a small spaces.

How to Turn an Old Door Into a Desk

To start, you need to find an old wooden door that will fit your space. I actually found mine on Facebook Marketplace. I paid $40 for 3 doors! Not sure what I’ll do with the other two just yet. 😉

When looking, I made sure to pick a solid wood door, and one with raised panels through the middle. I knew I would need to have a glass top on the door and wanted to make sure there would be plenty of raised panels to support the weight of all the things I have on my desk.

To prep the door, we first removed the door knob and hinges. Then I scraped off loose paint and sanded down the door using my hand sander and 120 grit sandpaper.

Once it was sanded down and smooth, I sealed both sides of the door with General Finishes Flat Out Flat Topcoat.

If you watch the video down below, you’ll see that I first used screw on legs and leg plates, but the table was very wobbly when I placed it right side up. So the screw on legs and leg plates probably won’t be your best bet if you’re wanting to make your own door desk. After I realized those legs wouldn’t work, I went to google to see what I needed to do instead!

How to Add a Skirt or Apron to a Door Desk

After a bit of googling and YouTube scrolling, I decided I needed to add a skirt or apron to the door to help sturdy it up. I measured my door, determined the length of 2×4’s, and then headed off to Lowes. I purchased one really long 2×4 and had them cut it down to my specific measurements. The only charged a few cents for the cuts, and since I don’t have a table saw or circular saw at home, it was worth it!

I also picked up this Kreg Pocket Hole Jig to help us drill pocket holes. This kit worked out perfectly for us and it was so easy to use! I did end up needing to purchase some additional screws, but everything else we needed came with the kit.

I watched this How to Build a Farmhouse Table video to help me understand what I needed to do. This Kreg Jig Series is helpful too, as well as this video on Attaching Table Tops using Pocket Holes.

Once we drilled all of our pocket holes, we used clamps to make sure everything was good and secure, and then we screwed everything together.

Painting the desk

I left the chippy paint on the door, but I wanted to paint the apron and the legs. I painted them with two coats of Fusion Mineral Paint in the color Raw Silk. Fusion Mineral Paint has a built-in top coat, so I didn’t need to add anything additional.

Glass vs PlexiGlass

I originally planned to have a piece of glass cut for the desk top, but it was going to be over $300! So I started looking into other options and decided to go with plexiglass. I purchased my plexiglass at Lowes and they were able to cut it for me at no charge. I have really been pleased with it. It is thick, sturdy, and doesn’t scratch or bow easily. It cost me around $70 for the plexiglass.

DIY Old Door Desk
How-to Video + Office Tour

Old Door Desk, Pretty Home Office Ideas

French cottage Farmhouse Home Office

I am so pleased with how my DIY old door desk turned out! It has saved so much room in my office and I love the look of it! I store product and craft supplies, ship orders, and work on my computer in this space, so I need it functional! It took me about 3 weeks to get this space cleaned and organized but I am so glad to have it done.

Do you like how the desk looks?

I’d love for you to say hello down below and let me know what you think! And if we’re not friends over on Facebook or Instagram, what are you waiting for?! ☺️

Are you on Pinterest? Come follow along for more French cottage inspiration!

Blessings,
Kayla C.

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