A stylish and functional built-in desk made on a budget—perfect for maximizing space without overspending!
We had this long wall in our newly finished shed—soon to be our hot tub house—with a window right in the middle, and I wasn’t exactly sure what to do with it. The shed felt like a bonus space, and I kept imagining it as a peaceful little work sanctuary tucked away at the back of the yard.
We knew we needed some closed storage for tools, hot tub chemicals, and all the other random stuff we didn’t want out in the open. I also wanted a dedicated workspace, and I had this vision of making it a surprisingly beautiful little spot. As usual, we were working with a fairly tight budget, so the goal was to make something practical, pretty, and affordable.
I searched Pinterest for built-in desk ideas and from there landed on a general design concept. Like most of our projects, we started with a loose vision and figured out the details as we went. Since it’s just a shed, I felt like it was the perfect place to take a few more chances—fun wallpaper, cute sconces, and a space that felt a little more playful than our main living areas.
Challenges & Design Considerations For The Built-In Desk
I really loved the look of a long desk with storage below and two separate workspaces. The original plan was to use three Ikea Brimnes cabinets—one on each end and one in the center—with a desktop running the full length of the wall. It would've looked great, but once we measured everything out, we realized the chair spaces would be too tight for anyone to work comfortably.
Next we considered using just two cabinets—one on either end—with a wide open space in the middle. But then the center space felt too large and awkward.
We eventually landed on a layout with one central workspace, flanked by a Brimnes cabinet on each side and custom tall bookcase-style shelves on the outer edges. We wanted to buy ready-made shelving units, but couldn’t find anything that fit the dimensions we needed. Plus, I really wanted thicker shelf fronts—something that looked more like floating shelves. Since we were painting everything black, we made the shelves out of MDF to keep the cost down.
Materials For The Wall to Wall Built-Ins
- 2 Ikea Brimnes Cabinets
- 4 Gold Pulls
- Wallpaper
- 2 Sconces
- Black Fusion Mineral Paint for the Bookcases
- Large sheets of MDF - how much depends on the dimensions of your bookcases
- Mitre Saw
- Table Saw
- Wood Glue
- Clamps
- Nail Gun & Nails
- Trim piece for top of the wall above wallpaper
- 3 Cedar 2x6's For The Desk Top
The Process
Step 1 Plan and measure. Start by measuring your wall and mapping out your layout. If your space allows, you can go with the easiest option: three Ikea Brimnes cabinets evenly spaced across the wall with a desktop placed on top. That option requires minimal cutting and no table saw. If your layout is more custom, decide how wide and tall you want your bookcases, keeping in mind how much desk space you want in the center.
Step 2 Install the wallpaper. We chose to wallpaper only the upper portion of the wall—above where the desk would go—and left the lower half white for a clean contrast.
Step 3 Build the bookcase shells. Cut your MDF into three large rectangular pieces per bookcase to create a basic open box frame. Use wood glue and brad nails to assemble them.
Step 4 Make and install the shelves. For a quick and simple approach, you could use thick wood boards for your shelves. But if you want the thick black floating-shelf look like ours, cut additional MDF pieces. First install the top and bottom of each shelf inside the bookcase, then attach a thinner front-facing strip to give it that chunky profile. I inset my shelves slightly, but you could also install them flush with the front—just a personal preference.
Step 5 Fill and sand. Use wood filler to patch all the nail holes and seams, then once dry, sand everything smooth and wipe down the surfaces.
Step 6 Paint the bookcases. I used Fusion Mineral Paint in black. It goes on smoothly, doesn’t require primer, and has a beautiful matte finish. I applied it with a small roller and used a brush for corners and edges.
Step 7 Move the bookcases into place. If you have young kids or the bookcases are in a high-traffic area, be sure to anchor them securely to the wall.
Step 8 Assemble your Brimnes cabinets. Put the cabinets together, swap in your new hardware (I used gold textured pulls that fit the predrilled holes), and position them between the bookcases.
Step 9 Build and install the desktop. We glued together three 2x6 cedar boards using wood glue and clamps. Once dry, we simply placed it on top of the cabinets. It’s solid, simple, and looks great.
Step 10 Style and finish. Mount your sconces, style your shelves, hang curtains or a blind if needed, pull up a chair (or two), and enjoy your new space!
The End Result...
It ended up being more work than we originally planned—those custom bookcases definitely added to the project—but I love how it turned out. It’s beautiful, functional, and a total surprise when you open the big shed doors. Once you're inside, it definitely doesn’t feel like a shed anymore.
What It Cost, Design Tips & Lessons Learned
We were able to build this custom built-in desk and cabinet wall for about $900. Having my husband do the electrical work definitely helped keep costs down, and so did already owning all of the necessary tools.
Cost Breakdown
- 3 large MDF sheets - $186
- 3 cedar 2x6's - $81
- 2 Ikea Brimnes Cabinets - $200
- 2 Sconces from Wayfair - $108
- 1 Roll of Wallpaper for Wayfair - $66
- 1 large container of black fusion mineral paint - $100
- 4 Gold Pulls - $40
Design Tips
If you’re building something like this in a home office, kid’s room, or a bonus space like mine, don’t be afraid to go bold with the design. A fun, eye-catching wallpaper can completely transform the feel of the space. I love how it turned out in black, but white, dark green, or navy would have looked just as good.
We debated using a natural stone countertop for the desk, but ultimately had to remind ourselves that this is a shed—and we’re not rich. I’m so glad we went with the wood top instead. It added some much-needed warmth to balance the black cabinets and bold wallpaper, and it ties in beautifully with the sconces.
Lessons Learned
The biggest takeaway from this project was the importance of being flexible. Our original design didn’t work with the space, and we had to pivot. Being open to changing the plan not only made the layout more functional, but also led to a final design that we ended up loving even more.
