Before & After: From Clutter-top to Disappearing Desktop!

Desks that reside in anything other than a dedicated office run the risk of being used for non-official tasks. Such was the case for Brighton resident, Jeremy, who was clearing piles of clothes from his bedroom desk every time he needed to study. The solution: flee from the temptation of clutter accumulation by building a desk that could disappear when not in use...

Jeremy said goodbye to the large footprint of a conventional desk and installed a drop-leaf table top that could be raised for working and fall flat when not in use. Even the chair folds flat and hangs neatly behind the door — successfully avoiding the temptation to pile clutter anywhere! We imagine there's also a sense of accomplishment each time the desk and chair get folded away, a feeling akin to leaving the office at the end of a long day.

Modeled after Ikea's own drop-leaf offering, this desktop was built using a $2 cabinet door from Ikea's As-Is section and a $7 wooden shelf bracket. The wood and hinges were $11 from Home Depot, painted white.

Great job, Jeremy! Got a project to share? Send it over to boston (at) apartmenttherapy (dot) com.

Comments (7)

GENIUS!!

posted by clampers on June 8th 2009 at 3:44pm
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I want to see the underside, by the way...

posted by clampers on June 8th 2009 at 3:45pm
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This would be great in a kids room or to use as a bathroom vanity area.

posted by baileyb on June 8th 2009 at 7:20pm
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I hate to tell you this, but the floor can become a cluttertop too, if there's no place else. But maybe you'll be more disciplined than I am.

posted by Lisa (Montreal) on June 8th 2009 at 7:34pm
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Hey all, that's my desk. Most of that crap in the desk was just crap that I threw away or gave to the Goodwill. The clothes on top, fit in the closet and are now put away everyday.

All in all, I love it and would recommend it to anyone that needs a desk, sometimes.

Jeremy

posted by plasticorange on June 8th 2009 at 8:20pm
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excellent idea!

posted by albaloo on June 8th 2009 at 10:43pm
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@Lisa - I wouldn't have the discipline to not start using this as a pile collector too. I'd WANT to not use it, but know I would. And the floor as well.

posted by home body on June 9th 2009 at 9:21am
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