DIY Home Improvement Project: Easy Playroom Desk and Storage

If your house is anything like mine, you are endlessly searching for more storage for toys, craft supplies, games, and books. I found and easy and affordable way to create more storage as well as a huge desk surface for my kids to enjoy. I am not the handiest person around so this no-tools project was just my speed!

Materials:

Two large kitchen cabinets

One long piece of plywood - the width of the board should be a few inches more than the depth of your cabinets and the length should be the width of the two cabinets combined plus enough space for two chairs or barstools in the middle (maybe another yard and a half).

Instructions:

I started by visiting our local Habitat for Humanity Restore, where I was lucky enough to find two matching high-end maple kitchen cabinets that had minor flaws. These were brand-new cabinets of excellent quality for a fraction of the price found at a home improvement store. Although they are taller than a regular desk, I decided to use them with barstools, since barstools are so much more "fun" in my kids' eyes than regular old chairs anyway!

After finding the cabinets, I went to the local home improvement store and had them cut a nice sheet of wood to my specifications. I wanted a space between the two cabinets for the barstools so I had them cut the wood the depth of my cabinets (plus a few inches overhang). The length was the sum of the width of the two cabinets plus an extra yard and a half or so for the barstool area. They cut this at no extra charge and it cost about $40. We rented their truck for an hour at a cost of $19 to get the wood home, but for many with pick-ups and vans, this won't be necessary.

At home, we put some felt pads on the bottom of the cabinets to protect the wood floors and spaced them out along a large wall with enough room between them for two barstools to be pushed in. So, essentially, the set-up is: cabinet - empty space - cabinet. We placed the piece of wood on top of the two cabinets as a desktop. You could nail or screw this wood onto the cabinets for extra stability.

We located two maple barstools for $35 each at a local furniture outlet store and that was it!

I had originally thought of painting, staining, or sealing the desktop to protect it, but then I reconsidered. Why not just let the kids paint and draw freely and not worry about the $40 desktop? The paint splashes and doodling add a fun, creative touch to the room and we can always buy a new piece of wood to replace it if it gets too messy.

We hung a shelf (just a piece of wood and some brackets screwed into the studs) above the desk that is the length of the entire unit and holds at least a hundred books!

So there you have it. A no-tools (or maybe just a screwdriver and a level if you do the extras) easy desk/storage unit for your playroom or even for a home office or garage. Kitchen cabinets provide a lot of storage, including drawers for smaller items, and the huge desk surface is really useful for art projects, play-doh sessions, and homework!

Remember to check for seconds and clearance items to keep this project affordable! The Habitat for Humanity stores and similar stores are a great place to begin your search for decently-priced cabinets and barstools can be found on sale at most furniture outlets.