I'm sure some of you have experienced this problem: too many projects and not enough desk space to hold them all! This project aims to solve my problem.

Step 1: The Current State of Affairs

As you can see, my laptop and the monitor take up a large amount of desk space, space that could be better utilised as storage! I set out to design my solution.

Step 2: The Plan

After taking all of the necessary measurements, I laid out my ideas on some graph paper. I then transferred the final design to SketchUp.

Step 3: Top Panel

I jointed each of the boards for the top panel and laid them out in a way that I liked. I had to cut a small piece at the end to fill in some empty space.

Step 4: Glue Up

With the boards arranged the way I wanted, I applied glue and clamped them. I clamped two boards on the top and bottom of the panel to keep them from bowing.

Step 5: Smooth It Out!

Now that the panel is together, I sanded it with 80, 120 and 180 grit paper.

Step 6: Trim the Ends

While the panel may be smooth, the ends are not straight. I used a jigsaw and speed square to cut them off at 90 degrees.

Step 7: Stain!

To finish the piece, I used a teak stain. I like how the dark stain brings out the rustic nature of the piece. I applied 2 coats, sanding with 240 grit paper in between each one.

Step 8: Raise It Up!

Now that the top is assembled, we need some way for it to stand off the desk. To do this, I cut 2 more sections of pallet wood to act as legs. I made sure that these would give me enough space so that I could use the underneath for storage.