Howdy friends!
Today I’m going to share some DIY home furniture plans– the Channing Desk & Barn Door Headboard, as I’ve gotten some requests.
We recently moved across the country and the one thing that didn’t survive was our desk. So our “desktop” computer has been sitting on the floor for 1 month now. Well rather than buying a new one {which would be at least $100 for a decent quality desk} we decided to build one. Over the last year or so, the hubby and I have stocked up in the tools department. To be specific, we use Ryobi tools, which I highly recommend. It’s not top of the line {like Dewalt} but Ryobi tools are good quality, affordable, and it gets the job done.
Building furniture has become a hobby that my husband and I enjoy doing together. It all started last Valentine’s Day when we purchased a miter saw to build this DIY barn door headboard. Click on the link to learn how to build this headboard designed by the Little Yellow Barn. When building furniture, you’ve got to have a plan. After this is when we discovered someone great… A lot of you may already know of her, but for those of you that don’t, let me introduce you to Ana White. We are obsessed with this lady’s DIY furniture plans. She makes it so easy with her step-by-step instructions and it becomes a joy to build furniture.
Another great source for DIY furniture plans comes from Ashley & Whitney at Shanty 2 Chic. They often pair up with Ana White to create these DIY building plans. Both have their own websites {which I’ve included in the links} and Ana White also has a book called The Handbuilt Home which you can find at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or Indie Bound. My husband and I personally own a copy of this book and love to browse through it on the couch. Ohh what to build next!
So, this weekend we built her Channing Desk. I’m very pleased with the finished project. This desk comes with a single drawer and a single shelf which is great for storing your printer. Ana while provide you with a list of materials that you need for each project. She will also provide you with a cut list. After you’ve purchased the materials, cut your wood, and built the desk, it’s time to sand. We used 120 grit sand paper. When you’re done, make sure to clean off all the sanding debris with a tack cloth. And now you’re ready for the fun part– the finish.
We painted the base of the desk with black latex paint and stained the top, giving it a two-toned look. First, we flipped the desk over and painted the base, but do whatever works best for you. It took us 2-3 coats of paint. Once it was dry, we flipped it back upright and stained the top. We used 2 coats of Special Walnut followed by 2 coats of Weathered Oak. Both of these are Minwax stains. Allow for drying time between each coat of stain. The fun in building furniture is picking out the stain color. Be selective and maybe try out a few of your favorites on a scrap piece of wood before starting. After you finish staining, you’ll want to use at least 3 coats of polyurethane to protect the surface. It took us 1 day to build the desk and 3 days to paint/stain.
I paired this desk with the Jackson Metal tub chair from World Market. Post your finished project under Brags on Ana White’s website. Here’s our brag on the Channing Desk.
I hope this helps you to discover DIY furniture and that it brings as much joy to your home as it has to ours. There’s nothing like the feeling of a finished project!
& as Ana always says, Happy Building!
DIY BARN DOOR HEADBOARD & CHANNING DESK
CHANNING DESK
Healthy Life of a Military Wife 