Rustic X Desk

Difficulty

Intermediate

Build your own farmhouse desk with free plans from Ana-White.com. Uses all off the shelf dimensional boards (no plywood!), easy to build with our step by step plans.

Collections

Rustic X Collection

For about $50 I built a new desk for my bedroom!

We have a desk area in our great room, but my toddler has been crawling all over me. So I decided I needed a desk behind a door for the next few years. Not wanting to spend a small fortune on a desk, I decided to build one.

Styled to match our super popular Rustic X Collection, my new desk is sturdy and beautiful, and very comfortable.

Watch me build it:

Rustic X Desk Plans

Dimensions

5 feet wide, 30" tall, about 2 feet deep

Preparation

Shopping List

3 - 2x4 @ 8 feet or stud length (92-5/8")

2 - 2x6 @ 10 feet

5 - 2x2 @ 8 feet (I used 2x2 furring strips)

1 - 1x10 @ 6 feet

Common Materials

2 inch finish nails

1-1/4" Pocket Hole Screws

2-1/2" Pocket Hole Screws

Elmer's Wood Glue

Cut List

6 - 2x4 @ 28-1/2" - legs

6 - 2x4 @ 17-3/4" - top and bottoms of leg sets

6 - 2x2 @ ~30" - X detailing

2 - 2x2 @ 17-3/4" - cleats for shelf supports

4 - 1x10 @ 17-3/4" - shelf boards

6 - 2x2 @ ABOUT 18-1/2" - measure and cut in the instructions

3 - 2x2 @ 28-1/2" - chair area 2x2s

4 - 2x6 @ 59-1/2" - tabletop

Cutting Instructions

NOTE: I changed the measurements shown in the diagrams at 18" to 17-3/4" so that all the cuts would fit on the boards by just making the base 1/4" less in depth. This does not change the height or the desktop.

Tools

Instructions

Step 1

Drill two 1-1/2" pocket holes on each end of the 2x4s @ 17-3/4".

Attach to the legs at the top.

Attach bottom with a 3" space underneath.

Keep pocket holes on the outsides.

Use 2-1/2" pocket hole screws.

Build three identical.

Step 2

Scribe the X detailing in place in the legs.

Cut out on a compound miter saw.

Attach with glue and 2" brad nails.

Add X detailing to all three.

Step 3

For middle shelf, attach 2x2 cleat with 2" brad nails and wood glue.

Do this only for two of the legs.

Step 4

Drill 3/4" pocket holes to connect two 1x10s together and attach with 1-1/4" pocket hole screws.

Then drill 3/4" pocket holes on all four sides of the shelves (2 on each side) and attach with 1-1/4" pocket hole screws to the sides.

Step 5

Take a measurement in between the two legs and cut six 2x2s to this measurement.

Drill a single 1-1/2" pocket hole on each end.

Then attach with 2-1/2" pocket hole screw and glue.

Also attach shelf to the 2x2 with 1-1/4" pocket hole screws through holes drilled in step 4.

Step 6

Attach the remaining leg set to the desk with 2x2s and pocket holes.

Step 7

Build the desktop first with 1-1/2" pocket holes and 2-1/2" pocket hole screws.

Attach base to underside of desktop.

Finishing Instructions

Finish Used

Golden Oak by Varathane

Help Improve This Plan

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Project Type

Desk, Desk Systems and Project Table Plans

Room

office

Style

Farmhouse Furniture

Rustic Furniture Plans

Comments

Shaun-Baird

Tue, 02/25/2020 - 13:08

How is this desk standing up…

How is this desk standing up to hefty weights/using as an office desk type thing?

Must say I am impressed!! :)

I'm not best at DIY but trying to improve..

I'm ok with the basics but this to me seems mind-boggling, but you have made it look easy

So thanks!

Shaun

Bryan G Price

Wed, 02/26/2020 - 06:09

Very Impressed with your Work!

Hello Ana,

I made a desk similar to this about a month ago. I like your design better though! The X cross pieces and the addition of the shelf for the printer is something I might even go back and see if I can incorporate into my current design.

Thanks for all you do!

Bryan.

boomdog

Wed, 02/26/2020 - 07:27