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Each leg on this desk is built from multiple 1x3 pieces glued and nailed face to face rather than cut from one thick blank — the trick is lining every edge up flush as you laminate, which is what lets the finished leg read as a single solid piece and saves real sanding work later. Every leg piece is cut at compound angles (20° and 35° depending on which end), so lay out a full dry run before cutting anything for real; a dry run is what catches a mismatched angle while it's still just an arrangement of loose parts.
The two leg X-assemblies need to end up with an identical 23-1/8" spread at the bottom — check that measurement before the glue sets on each one, not after. The drawer, if you're building one, gets sized to the actual desk opening (1" narrower than the opening) rather than to a fixed number, and sits slightly inset when closed, which is the look this style is going for rather than a flaw to fix.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 1x3 board, 8 ft (sharp, square edges)Shop for boards with genuinely sharp, square edges — the laminated legs depend on tight glue lines. | 6 each |
| 1x4 board, 12 ft | 1 each |
| 3/4" plywood or project panel, 24" x 48"The desktop. | 1 each |
| 1/4" plywood or hardboard, quarter sheet | 1 each |
| Euro-style drawer slides, 16" | 1 pair |
| Finish nails, 1-1/4" and 2" | 100 each |
| Pocket-hole screws, 1-1/4" | 16 each |
| Wood glue | 6 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Long leg pieces1x3Both ends cut at 35° off square, parallel to each other. | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 35 3/4" |
| Shorter full leg pieces1x3Both ends cut at 35° off square, parallel to each other. | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 31 3/8" |
| Leg bottom fillers1x3One end at 20° off square, other end at 35°, measured to the longest points. | 4 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 17 1/2" |
| Leg top fillers1x3One end at 20°, other at 35°, longest-point measurement. | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 14" |
| Notch supports1x3One end at 20°, other at 35°. Dry-fit against your assembled legs to confirm orientation before final cuts. | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 18 1/4" |
| Side aprons1x4Both ends cut at 35°. | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 24" |
| Back and front apron1x4Front apron is optional — skip it if building the drawer version. | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 45" |
| Bottom stretcher1x3 | 1 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 45" |
| Desktop3/4" plywood or project panel | 1 | 3/4" × 24" × 48" |
| Drawer sides1x3Two layers stacked per side for extra drawer depth. | 4 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 15 1/4" |
| Drawer front/back1x3 | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 12" |
| Drawer face1x3 | 1 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 44" |
| Drawer bottom1/4" plywood or hardboard | 1 | 1/4" × 16" × 44" |
Buy 9 boards at 8 ft.
1 board
2 boards
5 boards
Lay out all the leg pieces for both leg sets before gluing anything — a dry run catches a mismatched angle now, while it's cheap to fix.
Start with the two longest leg pieces. You're building two mirror-image leg sets, so keep track of which is which. Attach the 17-1/2" leg fillers to the bottoms of the long pieces with 1-1/4" finish nails and wood glue, taking great care to line the edges up flush — that's what creates the illusion of a single solid leg and saves sanding later.
Do the same lamination for the shorter full leg pieces. The middle angles are all 20° off square; the top and bottom angles are 35°.
Position one short leg and one long leg crossing in the middle to form an X. Check the bottom spread measures exactly 23-1/8" before gluing and nailing down. Build the second leg set as a mirror image.
Fit the long top leg piece with its matching short filler piece and nail down.
Position the notch supports into the notch formed where the crossed legs meet, and glue and nail down.
The side aprons sit to the inside of the leg assemblies. Attach the back apron as positioned in your reference. For a drawerless desk, add the front apron the same way now.
The bottom stretcher is a 1x3, attached the same way as the back apron.
If you have a pocket-hole jig, drill 3/4" pocket holes in the aprons before step 7 and attach the desktop through them with 1-1/4" pocket hole screws. Otherwise, nail and glue the desktop down with 2" finish nails.
Build the drawer box from the sides, front, and back, and attach the plywood or hardboard bottom with 1-1/4" finish nails and wood glue. Check the drawer is square and overall 1" narrower than the desk's drawer opening.
Attach the drawer slide members to the bottom side corners of the drawer box, and the matching cabinet members to the inside of the desk, following your drawer slide manufacturer's instructions. When closed, the drawer should sit slightly inset on the desk front — that's the intended look, not a fit problem to chase.
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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 →