Building a Custom Corner Office Desk
There's something about ambrosia maple that draws people in—it’s either loved or hated. Fortunately, the majority seem to adore it, and I’m no exception! This project had me particularly excited—a custom-sized corner office desk crafted from ambrosia maple paired with soft maple. The desk was intended for my client, a retired engineer who had very specific requirements regarding the size and orientation to suit his office space. It was another chance for me to blend different woods, which I thoroughly enjoy doing. For this desk, I used ambrosia maple for the entire base and paired it with soft maple for the top.
Designing the Office Desk
Given the dimensions of the room, there were precise size limitations I had to adhere to in order to accommodate doors, floor vents, and more. Additionally, the desk had to be disassembled to fit through the hallway and door. Armed with this information, I began sketching out various design concepts. We agreed on having cabinets—or something similar—on both the left and right sides of the corner desk. Should they be open cabinets? Drawers? We were still undecided at first. Since this desk was going to be in a corner, a support post was necessary in the back corner; this too had to be removable.
Wood Selection
The base of this corner desk is entirely made of solid ambrosia maple wood. This meant I needed quite a bit of 4/4 stock for most of the base, along with some 8/4 to construct the four posts for the right-side cabinet. Here are some of the 4/4 ambrosia maple boards I managed to acquire—lots of beautiful ambrosia streaking!
For the desk top, I aimed for a finished thickness of 1 inch, so I selected clear 5/4 soft maple boards. I also purchased 12-foot-long boards to create the left and right sides of the top, eliminating any unnecessary waste.
Milling, Gluing, and Building
Constructing the base and top of the desk involved standard cabinet-making techniques, but there were a few considerations due to the design. First, the entire piece is made of solid wood, so wood movement had to be accounted for. For instance, the left-side cabinet consists of two solid panels forming the front and back. I added trim pieces to the top and bottom of both the left and right cabinets. However, on the left side, with the solid panels, this meant the trim would be placed cross-grain relative to the panels. This posed a potential problem—if glued or nailed in place, the panels could crack as the seasons changed. To address this, the trim pieces on those sections were attached with elongated screws from the back. This allows the panels to expand and contract without damage.
On the right side, where there was no solid panel issue, all the trim pieces were simply glued into place. To enhance the trim’s appearance, I added a roundover to the bottom edge of the upper trim pieces and a small ogee profile to the lower trim pieces. All the corners were also mitered.
Adding Functional Features
Both the left and right side cabinets include one adjustable shelf in the middle. The idea was to store books in the left cabinet and keep the right side open for a printer and paper. The shelves can be adjusted to accommodate different printer sizes and book heights in the future.
During construction, the client requested adding a drawer to the right side of the desk. This presented a challenge since that side wasn't very long, so we had to be cautious. I built a simple, full-extension drawer with an ambrosia maple front.
Finishing Touches
The top was mostly straightforward. I ensured it was perfectly flat and level, as the mitered seam would look terrible otherwise. Due to its size, the top had to be disassembled to fit down the hall and into the room. I used my track saw and a large 45-degree angle gauge to cut the two halves. Then, I aligned the halves and locked them together while allowing for easy disassembly. To achieve this, I used a Festool Domino to glue dominoes into one side of the top and cut corresponding mortises in the other side. These align the left and right pieces. For fastening, I used large tabletop knockdown disks. These work by screwing half-disks into each side of the top and securing them with a cap that twists to lock the two sides together.
Final Details
To enhance the natural beauty of the ambrosia maple, I opted for Tried and True Danish oil. I applied two coats with a rag and buffed them out after a few minutes. After the finish cured, I wiped the entire piece with 0000 steel wool and paste wax. This added another protective layer while giving the piece a nice sheen and smooth texture.
Conclusion
Though this project was relatively basic, there were distinct challenges in designing this corner desk. Having specific parameters to fit within was helpful in keeping the design simple. Engineering the desk to be easily disassembled yet remain sturdy was tricky, but I believe I succeeded, thanks partly to the top's weight and the robust locking fasteners.
I hope you appreciate this design and the look of the ambrosia maple. Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. If you enjoy these articles, consider subscribing for future updates. Thank you!
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