We needed our office (11’x11.5′) to also serve as a guest room when people come to visit.  So, we wanted to have the abilty to close up the desk and put away all of the clutter so our guests wouldn’t be forced to look at it. At the same time, we wanted the desk and storage unit to look good in the room.  Hence, the desk/storage unit was born.  The big door on the main tower folds down and rests on the file cabinet that pulls out.  When the desk unit is closed up, we pull out the sleeper sofa and tah-dah, instant guest room.

Our material list…

4 – stock wall cabinets (W1530’s)

2 – 4x8x3/4″ plywood with birch skin

3 – scribe to cover edges of plywood

2 – pieces of 4- 9/16″ pre-primed crown molding

1 – black file cabinet with brushed nickel pulls

3 – 1x3x10 to create shaker look on file cabinets and front of main desk unit and for      nailer for crown

2 – brushed nickel pulls

3 – magnetic catches to hold the desk in the up position

2 – chain safety catches (these are there in case a child pulls on the desk inadvertantly)

1 – quart of black primer/paint 

3 – regular interior door hinges to support the desk 

We built the main tower around the size of the file cabinet because the file cabinet came built.  We purchased a file cabinet with casters so it would be easy to pullout.  Typical desk height is around 30″ so we added the additional height to the file cabinet so the desk surface would be level (or close to it in our case).  The wall cabinets were stacked two high on the sides of the main tower and screwed to the wall studs.  Then we built cubes to go on top of the cabinets to display awards (if we ever get any…you have to keep up hope right?)

We looked all over to find a piece of furniture that would serve this purpose…and nothing came close.  We feel the size and functionality of the new desk/storage unit is perfect for our needs.  Don’t overlook the possibility of a custom cabinet built-in to serve your needs…no matter what they may be.

Let us know if you need more specifics or more pictures.

Thanks!