Chunky Console Table Desk with Flip-Down Keyboard Tray

Attach the legs to the desk shelf with your choice of fastener — brad nails and glue, 2" screws, or pocket holes, in any combination. Pocket holes make the strongest joint here and are recommended. Tip: use one of the 4" divider pieces as a temporary spacer to set your shelf height consistently.

Install the six Euro hinges at this stage — it's much harder to get a drill inside the project as it closes in. Screw them to the project with the flat front flush to the front edges; a scrap block helps hold them flush. Exact placement isn't critical, just close to the diagram.

Attach the inner leg pieces to the shelf — pocket holes recommended for strength. Then attach the top to the outer legs; 1-1/4" brad nails with glue are ideal here since they're the easiest to hide on a visible top surface.

Attach the dividers inside the project with 1-1/4" brads and glue. They're spaced to fit an 8-1/2" x 11" book or paper in each opening, but they're not structural — move them wherever suits what you'll store without weakening anything.

Position the 1x6 fold-down faces under the project — the center one is the keyboard tray, the two leg panels are storage doors — and attach them through the hinges with screws. They should swing down cleanly and sit flush when closed.

If the piece needs more support, enclose the back with 1x6 boards (attached with 1-1/4" brads and glue) to add rigidity. The keyboard fold-down can be further strengthened with a hidden chain or hinge support on the insides of the dividers, which stops it from swinging too far.

Sand and finish or paint.