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This isn't one desk, it's a system: a plywood carcass sized to sit under a countertop at desk height, which you can build as an open cubby, a door cabinet, or a drawer bank, and gang side by side for a built-in. The numbers in this plan are the standard recommendation — 28-1/2" tall for a 30" finished desk height once you add a top, 16" wide, 24" deep — but the whole point is that you change them to fit your wall.
Two details keep a plywood cabinet looking built rather than boxy. First, iron-on edge banding on every exposed plywood edge — raw plywood edge grain is the tell that gives away a shop project, and banding hides it in minutes. Second, the base: hold the carcass up off the floor with a toe-kick sized to your baseboard (5-1/4" here) so it reads like cabinetry, not a box on the ground.
Bay supports do double duty — they tie the cabinet together and let you use less plywood, which is where most of the cost lives. A 1x3 or 1x4 at the top and a visible 1x6 across the bottom front are enough. Keep shelf spans at or under about 36" or they'll sag under load over time.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 3/4" hardwood plywoodAmount depends on how many bases you build; one sheet does a base or two. | 1 sheet |
| 3/4" iron-on edge banding, matching veneer | 1 roll |
| 1x3 or 1x4, 8 ftTop bay supports — furring strips are fine. | 1 each |
| 1x6, 8 ftVisible front bottom base support. | 1 each |
| Baseboard moulding, 5-1/4" wideThe toe-kick base. | 4 linear ft |
| Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4" | 1 box |
| Brad nails, 1-1/4" | 1 box |
| Wood glue | 6 oz |
| Cabinet door with full-overlay euro hingesOptional — order or build. Height 1/2" less than the opening, width 1/2" less than the cabinet outside width. | 1 each |
| Drawer boxes, slides, and facesOptional. 20" or 22" slides; size faces to off-the-shelf 1x6/1x12 widths. | 1 set |
| Finish / cabinet paint | 1 kit |
Overall cost: $$$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Carcass sides3/4" plywood24" is the depth rip; 28.5" gives a 30" finished desk height with a top. | 2 | 3/4" × 24" × 28 1/2" |
| Shelves (incl. bottom)3/4" plywoodLength = 16" outside width minus two 3/4" sides. Add shelves as your design needs; keep spans ≤ ~36". | 2 | 3/4" × 24" × 14 1/2" |
| Top inside bay supports1x3 or 1x4Equal in length to the shelves. | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 14 1/2" |
| Front bottom bay support1x6On the outside, full cabinet width; measure and cut to fit — it's visible from the front. | 1 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 16" |
Buy 3 boards at 8 ft.
1 board
1 board
1 board
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →
Settle on your sizes before cutting. The standard recipe is 28-1/2" tall (for a 30" desk once a top is added), 16" wide, and a 24" deep rip; width can go up to about 36" before shelves start to sag. Rip the sheet into 24"-deep strips, then crosscut the sides and shelves to length.
Iron edge banding onto every plywood edge that will show, trim it flush, and sand lightly. Doing this now, on flat parts, is far easier than after assembly — and it's the single step that makes plywood look like furniture.
Attach the shelves to the sides with four 3/4" pocket holes on each end and 1-1/4" pocket screws. Leave a 5-1/4" gap underneath for the base moulding (or adjust to your baseboard height). Every base needs at least the bottom shelf; add optional shelves at any height.
For a pull-out printer shelf, cut a plywood shelf 1" narrower than the interior and mount it on a euro drawer slide.
Tie everything together with bay supports — a 1x3 or 1x4 at the top and a 1x6 across the bottom front. The inside top supports equal the shelf length. The front 1x6 sits on the outside and is the full cabinet width, so measure and cut it to fit; it's visible, so treat it as a finished face. Screw or nail and glue in place.
If adding a door, size it 1/2" smaller than the opening in both height and width and hang it on full-overlay concealed hinges. If adding drawers, use 20" or 22" slides and size the faces to off-the-shelf 1x6/1x12 widths so you don't have to rip drawer fronts.
Wrap the bottom with 5-1/4" baseboard as a toe-kick, then prime and paint. Add your countertop last to reach desk height.
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