How to Create Office Furniture Using Shelves

You can make office furniture with plenty of storage.

Create a great work zone that offers comfort and style by using shelves and other materials you can find at most home stores. Bookshelves, a credenza, a desk--you can save a lot of money by making everything you need to get to work. A room full of spacious furniture isn't very hard to create; build or customize pre-made shelving units, bookcases or drawer units, and you're open for business.

Things You'll Need

• If building your own shelves:
• Pre-cut melamine panels with pre-drilled shelf pin holes
• Melamine glue
• Masking tape or clamps
• Safety glasses
• Wood screws
• Drill or screwdriver, Phillips or flat-head
• Plastic screw caps or self-adhesive screw covers
• Iron
• Edge banding
• Utility knife
• Coarse-grit sandpaper
• If buying pre-made materials:
• Spray paint
• Shelves, bookcase or drawers
• Metal L-brackets
• Countertop, wood or melamine
• Drill bit
• Doors and hinges

Instructions

Save Money by Building the Shelving Yourself

1. 

   Use wood screws to secure the melamine panels.

   Align the melamine panels to the dimensions desired, then disassemble the panels and run a bead of melamine glue along the parts of the panels that will be touching. Reassemble the pieces and use masking tape or clamps to hold them together until the glue has dried (see the glue label for drying time).

2. 

   Use a power drill to speed up assembly.

   Insert wood screws using a drill or screwdriver. Place a plastic screw cap or self-adhesive screw covers to cover the screw hole.

3. 

   Use a hot iron to place the edge banding.

   Iron on edge banding for a clean, finished look. Cut a strip a little longer than the edge, place it adhesive side down (on the edge of the melamine) and iron (set the iron on high). Let the edge banding cool for 5 minutes and trim to fit the length of the edge with a utility knife. Use coarse-grit sandpaper to file away any overhang on the shelf.

Customize Ready-Made Shelving

1. 

   Use paint to customize ready-made drawer units.

   Spray paint your ready-made piece if you wish to paint it. Allow to dry.

2. Place the L-brackets on the back side of the unit so the top of the bracket is placed on the counter top and the bottom of the bracket is on the top of the shelving or drawer unit. Mark the drill holes with a pencil, remove the bracket and pre-drill the holes with a power drill and drill bit (the drill bit should be slightly smaller than the width of the wood screw).

3. Attach the countertop by screwing in the wood screws. Use a drill or screwdriver, either Phillips or flat-head, depending on your screw head.

4. Tack on base molding and top trim with wood glue (if gluing on a wood surface) or melamine glue (if using a melamine surface) to change the look of a basic bookcase.

5. 

   Make a credenza by adding doors to shelving units.

   Attach doors to the shelves with hinges, if desired. Place the hinges so they touch the inside of the door and the inside wall of the shelves (you’ll need someone to hold the doors), and mark the screw holes with a pencil. Pre-drill the holes, then screw in the hinges.

Tips & Warnings

• Melamine glue is thicker than standard glues, so it’s less likely to drip or run down the sides of your project. It also has a long open tacking period, which allows you about 10 or 15 minutes to align your pieces before the glue begins to dry.

• Don’t overtighten the screws; the melamine may split or chip.

• Always wear safety glasses when drilling

References

• Popular Woodwork Magazine: "Build Furniture Without a Shop"
• Workbench My Home My Style: "Stackable Storage"
• Workbench Practical Ideas for Your Home: "Working With Melamine"

Resources

• Workbench My Home My Style: "One Size Fits All: Office Update"
• Ikea