Office Remodel - This will take a while....

[Clark Harbaugh]

I plan on making this an ongoing thread, as there are several parts of this project that will take time to complete.

So, here is what I started with. A pretty mundane office with crappy piece-milled furniture. The only decent piece is the the desk (which happens to be my first woodworking project ever....). My plan is to go with a rustic/industrial theme.

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I started with floors and paint....

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I built a large floor lamp (I know, not woodworking....) and converted an old lantern into a wall light.

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Next was a large Texas wall hanging that I made out of some scrap material I had laying around and some some rustic shelves.

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The first real woodworking piece is in the next post....

[Clark Harbaugh]

Now for the woodworking part...

The first piece of the suite is the built in TV cabinet. Again, I was looking for a wood that would fit in with the 'theme' of the room, so I chose cherry with a sycamore accent piece. The cherry has been treated with potassium dichromate to give it that deep brown tone. Next will be a large credenza that will sit under the windows. It will match the design of the TV cabinet and will house all of my networking equipment. I'm still finalizing the design of the electronics storage, but the idea is to have them inside the cabinet (out of site), but obviously I'll need to address ventilation in an inconspicuous way. After that will be the final piece - the desk. One note on the wood choice - I know it blends in with the flooring. The desk, which is the focal point of the room, will site on an area rug which will serve the purpose of breaking up the wood on wood as well as helping with deadening the acoustics in the room.




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[Phil Mueller]

Looking good Clark. Love the light fixtures.

When you get to the desk project, I'd suggest giving some consideration to ergonomics. Basic proper seating posture requires back against the chair, elbows at no more than 90 degees, monitor at eye level and arm length away. This means your keyboard should essentially be in your lap.

It appears your current chair arms won't let you scoot up under the desk to put your arms/hands/keyboard in proper alignment. Consider a keyboard tray for your future build.

Better yet, consider a sit/stand desk option. You can source the legs/motor mechanism and build your own custom top.
Be happy to share some proper seating illustrations if you like.

Good luck on the project!

[Clark Harbaugh]

Yep. My desk design will include a sit/stand mechanism. There is a new one that is coming out called StandiT that looks like it will be relatively easy to incorporate into an executive style desk design.

[Phil Mueller]

Nice. I'm not familiar with StandiT, much more familiar with Jesper and Humanscale offerings. All can be used with a custom top.
Just for peace of mind, check the weight limit to be sure it can handle whatever top you plan to build and whatever you plan to have on the table.
Look forward to seeing the remodel progress.

[Clark Harbaugh]

It's only been a year and a half, but finally more progress. I wrapped up the credenza for my office a few weeks ago. Next will be the desk....

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[Jim Becker]

I really like that credenza, Clark. Very nice design and execution!

[Marlin Spencer]

Love the color and design of both custom pieces! Can't wait to see the desk in 2020! :p