Leaning Wall Ladder Desk

Build all the shelf boxes first. Attach the backs, then the sides, with 1-1/4" nails or staples and wood glue. The shelves step from deep at the bottom to shallow at the top to suit the lean.

Cut the top back corner off each leg, leaving a 2-1/2" flat that is square to the top of the leg. This flat is what the back support lands on so the desk meets the wall cleanly despite the lean.

Attach the back support (top rail) to the tops of the legs, matching the square cut from the previous step. Then attach the shelves to the legs at their heights.

Lean the desk against the wall in its final position. Place the remaining bottom rail level with the floor — it will NOT be square to the raked legs, and that's correct: the legs lean, so the rail follows the floor, not the legs. Screw it in place, then sand and finish.