Upgrading home studio

[JStraitiff]

Im going to build a new desk this weekend that will double as my guitar workstation and my studio workstation. I have this corner in my bedroom that i have found very little purpose for. I cant play guitar at a desk in the far back because there is only 4 ft between the walls. So it makes it pretty much useless for recording. Its also too small to lay a guitar down and be able to access the headstock so it makes it hard to restring there too.

Heres a photo of the space.

Obviously some new organization.

Here is a mockup of the desk im planning to build.

Im planning to use the space to the left side for recording and such. I am planning to build in a slide out drawer for my M-Audio keyboard so i can keep it right under the computer. I dont think there is any conventional desk that has a keyboard drawer for an 88 key keyboard lol.

Even though the keyboard spans so far to the right, i wont use that much space for the recording gear. Which should give me plenty of room to the right for my guitar/electronics work area. Im building the desk to be 19" deep so that i can easily fit my chair between the wall and the desk in that tight spot.

Im pretty happy with the plan. I figured i would show the results. Any other ideas that i should add in? Im thinking about putting in a much more shallow keyboard drawer mounted to the underside of the midi keyboard drawer for my computer keyboard and mouse. Ill have to double check the knee room on that one. Im not even sure about the knee room as is

 

[KingAenarion]

Any other ideas that i should add in?

Drink bottle/cup holder

 

[JStraitiff]

^ thats actually the kind of thing im looking for. I want this thing to be kind of tricked out lol. Ill probably put a build in rack in the thing or something like that.

 

[Kamin]

I would add another leg on the end of the bookshelf. If I am seeing it correctly, that is. Nice plan though!

 

[JStraitiff]

^
im planning on attaching that end to the wall.

 

[JStraitiff]

This evening i started work on putting the desk together. I went ahead and cut all the legs/supports and one piece of the top. I installed the first section. I also installed the drawer sliders. Im going to have to add in a support ridge either on the front or the middle because theres a pretty good bow in it. Otherwise its turning out pretty well. Its not polished yet but its coming together nicely.

Im thinking ill install a lamp like this one because the windows are right there. This way i can swing it over top of the desk to light the desk and then when i want i can swing it over the bed to read or something. Ill probably install one on the other side too when i put that in (estimated friday)

In retrospect i should have taken that old desk out before i installed this new one.

 

[mikemueller2112]

You don't have any support under the middle of the desk? It's already very bowed and there is next to nothing on it.

 

[JStraitiff]

You don't have any support under the middle of the desk? It's already very bowed and there is next to nothing on it.

The bow is the natural bow of the plywood. I could have mounted it the other way and it would have had an arch. As i said im going to add a support tomorrow when i work on it again to correct the current bow and to prevent any more from happening. Worst case scenario ill replace the top with a heavier plywood.

 

[JStraitiff]

I replaced the top today with 23/32" plywood. Im about as far as i was the last time but now with a great new top and a new bracing system. Instead of screwing in from the top into the legs, i added strips along the edges of the legs. Then i screw in from the bottom. The walls in the room are off by a bit so i have to shave off a little bit more in order to get the pieces to fit right. Im going to do that tomorrow.

Starting to come together nicely.

 

[JStraitiff]

Just about finished. The construction is pretty much done. The only things im thinking of doing are changing out the desk drawer with the thicker cabinet grade stuff i used for the tops. Im also probably going to rebuild the shelves. They measured out right when i put them together but now that i look at them they are off by a lot. So ill redo those eventually. Im also going to put some half round moulding on the edges of the desktop. I may or may not put some black laminate on top as well. But for now its very usable.

 

[Kamin]

Nice job getting that together. Particle board usually has a lot less warp-age than the...whatever its called that you're using.

 

[JStraitiff]

thanks. And its plywood

 

[Kamin]

Wow. I knew that and for some reason thought there was a more specific name...durrrr