Wall-mounted Fold Out Desk

A desk could occupy considerable floor space especially when you are pressed for real-estate. This can be minimized by making one fold out. The reclaimed space could be used for circulation and other purposes.

Step 1: Requirements...

1) A pair of 12" folding brackets.

2) 19mm thick and 3'6" and 1'9" plywood wood

3) 200ml varnish paints and a brush

4) 2" and 1" wood screws and some wall plugs

5) Power hammer drill

Apply two coats of varnish to the plywood with a gap of 6 hours. Varnish can be avoided if laminate or veneer is used for desk surface.

Step 2: Fix the Brackets

Position the folding brackets about 2.5" from the edge so that it could be accessed by hand from the top at the same time visually concealed.

To ensure the bracket is positioned perpendicular to the table edge butt the entire contraption against a wall.

Mark the holes on the plywood

Step 3: Drilling Holes for Bracket

Drill the holes on the plywood.

To ensure the hole does not go through and through, place a slab of plywood of appropriate thickness so that the drill chuck rests on it preventing the bit from drilling a through hole.

Place washers between the plywood and brackets in case the bracket folding mechanism rubs against the plywood.

Fix the brackets to the board using wood screws.

Step 4: Fixing the Table Height

Desk height is the crucial part. Few inches of error could cause great deal of discomfort.

Butt the desk on wall to a comfortable height(about 70cm) sitting on chair.

Mark the heights on either sides using a tape and draw a line connecting them.

Position the desk at the required height with the help of some shuttering.

Step 5: Fix the Brackets to the Wall

Mark the position of the holes on the wall.

Remove the desk and drill the holes.

Insert wall plugs on the holes and screw the brackets to wall.

Step 6: Dealing With OCD..

In case you are haunted by the idea that the desk is not horizontal but only visually appears so.

Then, use a spirit level to check for horizontality to convince your dark side.

Step 7: Check the Folding Mechanism..

Once the desk is mounted fold the table a couple of times to ensure its working smoothly.

Brackets not mounted parallel to each other will result in friction while folding. This can be avoided if step 2 is done cautiously.

Step 8: THE DESK

Tip: Keep the desk minimally loaded so that you can clear it off easily and fold it down more often.