DIY Pipe Standing Desk with Drawer Storage

Thinking about investing into a standing desk but can't find exactly what you're looking for? Why not build your own? It's easier than you may think, especially using fittings and pipe.

This is exactly what John did with the custom standing desk seen above and featured in this post. John couldn't find a standing desk he liked, so he decided to go the DIY route and build a one-of-a-kind desk with all of the features he wanted. This was all made possible using Kee Klamp fittings and pipe.

In this post, we're going to cover the details of John's standing desk (as well as another sitting desk he built), the fittings he used and how to use each fitting so you can build on just like it (or be inspired to build your own custom design). Let's get right into it:

John's Standing & Sitting Desks - Project Details:

After searching for standing desks online, John couldn't find one with the features he wanted in a desk. Most standing desks do not incorporate storage (such as drawers or cabinets). John also wanted a slide out tray for his computer keyboard.

So with that said, John decided to build his own custom desk. He actually built two desks - one for standing and one for sitting. Let's take a look at the sitting desk first as it features a simpler design.

For the sitting desk, John used the following fittings:

 

The sitting desk uses just one type of fitting - the Flange fitting. This fitting has an open socket on one end to accept pipe. On the other end, there is a circular mounting plate with four countersunk holes. This fitting is used in all kinds of projects including desks, tables, railing, and other structures.

Here, it is used to mount the pipe legs to the bottom of the desk table top. Optionally, Malleable Plugs or Plastic Plugs can be used to cap the exposed ends of pipe at the bottom of the pipe legs.

This is entirely up to you if you build a desk like this one. However, we might recommend the Plastic Plugs if you build a similar desk and plan to keep it on a hardwood floor. This will prevent the bottom of the legs from scratching the floor.

Moving on, the table top for the desk was built from a sheet of hardwood plywood. The plywood was cut to size and there's even a notch cut out at the back corner to fit perfectly to the change in direction of the wall.

This type of desk is great if you don't want to spend a lot of time building a desk. It doesn't get much simpler than four pipe legs and a sheet of plywood as a table top.

Now, let's take a look at John's standing desk.

The standing desk features a more complex design. We're unsure if John built the table top (with integrated storage) himself or if it was taken from another desk. In either case, it looks great!

If you want to build a desk like this one, you could take the table top from a traditional desk that already includes shelving or drawers, remove the desk base, and then add in a pipe desk frame.

John's desk features two sliding trays, two drawers, and a cabinet on the left side of the desk:

For the standing desk, John used the following fittings:

 

The Flange fittings are used to mount the pipe frame to the bottom of the desk table top.

Again, Malleable Plugs or Plastic Plugs are optional to cap off the exposed end of pipe at the bottom of the desk legs.

Single Socket Tee fittings are used the connect the bottom brace (at the middle and right side of the frame). Lastly, the 90 Degree Side Outlet Tee fittings are used at the bottom brace and just below the table top cabinet. These fittings are used to create a "square" that the cabinet portion of the table top rests on.

Here's what John has to say about the project:

"I built a custom one of a kind standing desk! I built this because I couldn't find a standing desk to purchase that had all the features I wanted in a desk. This project took a little while to complete, but was well worth it. I hope my build inspires someone else to create their dream desk."

If you want to build your own sitting or standing desk, building one with Kee Klamp give you a few benefits. For one, you can build an adjustable desk, the fittings are easier to use than traditional pipe fittings, and Kee Klamp has a wide range of different fittings to build just about any structure imaginable.

Try browsing our inventory of over 80 different Kee Klamp fittings to find the best ones for your project. Alternatively, if you would like a simpler approach, we do offer a few desk frame kits. All you have to do is enter in your desired height, width, and length. Then, you can combine the kit with any type of table top you like.