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Built for a tiny house on wheels, this is a standalone desk with a drawer that becomes half of a dining table when two of them hinge together. Space that has to do double duty is the whole idea, and the mechanism is refreshingly simple: no sliding hardware, just hinges along the back legs of two matching desks so they fold face-to-face and open into a table.
The joinery is pocket-hole throughout, with a sensible rule of thumb: use 3/4" pocket holes and 1-1/4" screws whenever 3/4" material is involved, and 1-1/2" holes with 2-1/2" screws when you're joining two 1-1/2" pieces. The aprons inset 1/4" from the outside faces, which gives the desk a crisp shadow line and leaves room for the drawer face.
The one detail that makes the conversion work: if you're building the hinged pair, the tabletop must not overhang on the back and side edges that hinge to the second desk, or the two won't close flush. Plan the top's overhang deliberately. And because it's a tiny-house piece, the legs can be shortened to clear a wheel well — check your specific space before cutting them to length.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 2x2 board, 8 ftLegs and supports. | 3 each |
| 1x2 board, 12 ft | 1 each |
| 1x4 board, 8 ft | 2 each |
| 1x3 board, 8 ft | 1 each |
| 1/4" plywood, 16" x 23"Drawer bottom. | 1 each |
| Tabletop, min 19-1/4" x 51-1/2"Project panel or plywood with one smooth face. | 1 each |
| 16" Euro drawer slidesBottom corner mount. | 1 pair |
| HingesOnly if building the convertible pair — along the back legs. | 2 each |
| Pocket-hole screws, 1-1/4" and 2-1/2" | 50 each |
| Wood glue | 4 oz |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Legs2x2Shorten to clear a wheel well if needed. | 4 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 29 1/4" |
| Bottom side supports2x2 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 15 3/4" |
| Top side supports1x2 | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 15 3/4" |
| Top front/back supports1x2 | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 48" |
| Bottom support2x2 | 1 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 48" |
| Back apron1x4 | 1 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 48" |
| Side aprons1x4 | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 15 3/4" |
| Front aprons1x4 | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 12" |
| Drawer supports1x4 | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 16 3/4" |
| Drawer sides1x3 | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 16" |
| Drawer front/back1x3 | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 21 1/2" |
| Drawer bottom1/4" plywood | 1 | 1/4" × 16" × 23" |
| Drawer face1x4 | 1 | 3/4" × 3" × 23 3/4" |
| TabletopProject panel / plywood | 1 | 3/4" × 19 1/4" × 51 1/2" |
Buy 11 boards at 8 ft.
3 boards
1 board
2 boards
Build two leg sets with pocket holes — 3/4" holes and 1-1/4" screws when 3/4" material is involved, 1-1/2" holes and 2-1/2" screws where only 1-1/2" 2x2 meets 2x2. Make them match.
Join the two leg sets with the 1x2 top supports and the 2x2 bottom support, front and back, forming the desk frame. Keep it square.
Drill 3/4" pocket holes on all sides of the 1x4 aprons, including the top edges for grabbing the tabletop later. Attach the aprons to the legs and 1x2 supports with 3/4" screws and glue, insetting each apron 1/4" from the outside faces for a clean shadow line.
Drill pocket holes on the ends and top edges of the drawer supports and attach them inside the aprons with 1-1/4" screws and glue. These carry the drawer slides.
Assemble the drawer box and add the 1/4" bottom. Mount it on the slides, then attach the drawer face with a 1/8" gap along the bottom and sides — a larger gap on top helps it open and hides under the tabletop lip. Tack the face, then fix it with 1-1/4" screws from inside.
Remove the drawer, invert the desk onto the underside of the tabletop, and fasten through the predrilled apron pocket holes with 1-1/4" screws and glue, checking square. For the convertible pair, keep the top from overhanging the back and hinged side edges, then add hinges along the back legs so two desks fold into one table.
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1 board
1 board
2 boards
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 →