Using an L shaped desk in your home is a great way to save a ton of floor space, and give yourself easier access to the items that you need on top of your desk. These desks usually run around the same price that you would pay for a larger executive desk or workspace. Some owners will argue that the layout of the L shaped desk actually makes it easier for you to utilize the entire desk top when compared to other types of desks as well, which makes them an incredibly wise decision when you are looking for corner computer desks. 

Do You Prefer All-Wood Or Wood And Glass Together – This is one question that you will need to ask yourself before you start shopping. The L shaped desks are often marketed with both wood, and glass sections. The price that you pay is going to be substantially different, as glass typically costs less than an all-wood desk will run you. Think about how much money you have to spend if you are considering an all-wood model, because you may be tempted to upgrade yourself while you are shopping around. If you do not know how much money you have to spend, you could easily find yourself going over budget.

Take Your Time While You Are Shopping – One of the biggest ways to save yourself money while shopping for a new L shape desk is to simply take your time while you are shopping around. The biggest problem you could run into is by making a purchase on the first desk that you come across. What you may end up finding out at a later date is that you could have saved yourself a lot of money, possibly even hundreds of dollars on the cost of the same model desk through another vendor.

Consider Purchasing Shipping Insurance – Another tip you’ll want to take into consideration is to purchase shipping insurance with your order. Because of the awkward shape of the boxes that these desks are shipped in, shipping companies have a habit of damaging the corners when enroute to your location. To have these problems fixed without any further frustration on your part, you will want to buy, and utilize the shipping insurance. If the desk arrives with damage, simply call the manufacturer and shipping company to ensure that it is replaced in an expedited manner.

There are quite a few myths that come along with owning, or purchasing an L shape desk. This is especially true when you are having one built from your own design, or are even purchasing the desk over the internet without seeing it before you actually place the order. Some of the more common myths are listed below, with reasons to exactly why they are only a myth, and not the true reality of buying and owning an L shape desk.

Myth #1) Expensive To Have Designed & Built – When you think about contacting a local craftsman to have your desk designed and built, you may think that it is going to cost a large amount of money. The fact is that these types of desks require small amounts of materials, so you are not going to be spending near as much as you would initially think. The amount of work that goes into an L shaped desk is also minimal when compared to other projects, so you will not be taken to the cleaners in the cost of labor, either.

Myth #2) Requires A Large Amount Of Floor Space – L shape desks actually take up less floor space than most executive desks. Their design helps to utilize the most amount of space available, by providing you increased work space, as well as a layout that makes it easy to utilize the entire desk. When compared to other desk layouts, an L shape desk speaks for itself in terms of usability.

Myth #3) Wood Is The Only Material Available – While you are ordering you may also think that wood is the only material that you can have your desk built from, or find available for ordering. This simply isn’t true. With advances in manufacturing processes over the last 20 years, you can literally find desks available in almost any material you can imagine. From glass, to metal, and even some plastic desks, the options that you have are almost endless.

Myth #4) L Shape Desks Are Expensive To Order – This greatly depends on the size of the desk that you are planning on ordering. What typically happens is that the larger, more expensive desks that you would think are expensive to ship are actually free to ship because the company is making more off of you purchasing the desk than it would cost them to pay for shipping it to your house.  Also, you could opt to have your desk come without the standard corner hutch cabinet. 

Step #4) After you have fastened the 1” x 8” board to the plywood sections, and have created the L shape of your desk, you will need to install the legs of the desk. You can purchase desk legs from the internet for around $20 per set of two. You will want at least 5 legs underneath your desk. Two on both sides of the L shape, as well as one more behind where you installed the 1” x 8” joining bracket.

Step #5) Once you have installed the legs for your desk it is now time to begin painting the unit. With a heavy duty epoxy or oil based paint, add on the first coat. Make sure that you cover every square inch of the desk to avoid any paint peeling or chipping off later. After the first coat has had sufficient amount of time to dry, you will need to put down two more coats to complete the paint finish. Three thick coats will give you a durable finish that will last for many years to come.

Step #6) After the paint coats have cured, you will need to install the trim around the outside edges of the plywood, to help prevent any splinters or rough edges. The most common type of trim used is 1” quarter round. This will create a rounded, or bevelled edge that will prevent your arms from getting rubbed raw, while also prevent damage to your chair when it bumps into the desk. Use finishing nails to attach the trim to the plywood, to avoid splitting the quarter round while also making sure that you can hide the nails later on.

Step #7) Once you have installed the trim you will need to give it the first coat of paint. This first coat is going to soak into the wood, much in the same manner as what happened during step #5, so you will need to plan on going over it again at least 2 more times. Take your time while applying the first coat to make sure that you do not create any runs or drips on the desk, or create thicker areas on the plywood where you have already painted. Once the first coat is dried, add two more additional coats and give them ample amount of time to cure.

Now that you have painted the desk, and have the legs installed, you can place the desk into your home office and begin enjoying the fruits of your hard labor.

Building your own L shape desk is a great way to save money over purchasing one from the internet and having it shipped to your physical address. As long as you have a do-it-yourself attitude, and some time on your hands, as well as the tools required to complete the job, you can build a wonderful L shape desk. Follow the steps below to get started on building your own, and remember that you can customize the layout as you go, to suit your particular needs.

Step #1) First you need to take a 4’ x 8’ sheet of plywood and measure down 24” on each side of it. This is going to be cut in half, giving you the two sections of desk that you need to complete the L. You want to use at least 1” thick plywood to ensure the desk remains stable and durable.

Step #2) After you have cut the plywood in half you will need to measure a 1” x 8” board at 24”, and proceed to cut it. This piece of 1” x 8” board is going to be used to fasten the two sections of the desk together. Once you have the board cut you will need to make a mark down the center of it, length wise. This line will separate the areas where you will need to drill in the fasteners to hold the two sections together.

Step #3) Now that you have the 1” x 8” board cut and marked, you will need to create marks for your pilot holes. Start by measuring 1 ½” in from both sides of the boards, and then measure 1 ½” in from the mark that you created down the center of the board. Now on these lines, you will need to measure down lengthwise at 4” intervals, and create a mark where the two measurements intersect.

This should leave you with 8 pilot holes per side of the line down the center of the 1” x 8” board. Once you have all 16 pilot holes marked you can layout your plywood sections and center the 1” x 8” board where they meet, and begin drilling through your ¾” coarse threaded screws, or other fasteners.