Rugged Butcher Block Desk
Inspired by the creativity and ingenuity of the many happy customers that came before him, Brian, a recent Simplified Building customer, set off to build himself a custom DIY pipe desk. With an unlimited number of options available to him, Brian was only bound to the limits of his creativity. In building his new desk that creativity flourished. The Rugged Butcher Block Desk that you see today is the result of Brian's hard work and many hours spent to create something truly unique. The desk is a visually stunning piece that has caught the eyes of many and is something to be proud of. Let's take a closer at how Brian crafted this piece of art:
Creating the Table Top
Brian and his wife are big fans of Restoration Hardware of which Brian cites as being a main inspiration for creating the desk. He drew from the imagery of their designs having seen some of their pieces in-store or online. But, most importantly, Brian wanted the table top to "pay proper respect to the bold hardware keeping it aloft".
So Brian set off with a design in mind to create the look he was going for. He started with a solid core (all wood) door slab from Home Depot. Brian then cut the slab down to 28" wide by 58" long to create the start of the table top. From there, he got to work sanding the slab down until it was completely smooth. He progressively worked his down using less course sandpaper to open up the pores in the wood to ensure stain would absorb properly.
After some experimentation with different colors, Brian stained the desk a darker shade to emphasis the rugged, rustic look. Mid-way through his build, Brian decided he wanted to add an abused look to the desk. Enter his three children armed with a length of chain, claw hammer, and pry bar, the gang beat up on the desk until they were red in the face releasing all their pent-up aggression.
In addition to beating the bloody pulp out of the desk for the added character, Brian also decided to add hand cut strips of steel around the table top edges. He nailed them in place and then again beat them up with a mallet. As a final touch (as if the desk wasn't beat up enough!), Brian took a blowtorch to the top and sides.
With the destruction finally done, Brian coated the table top slab with 4 - 5 coats of high gloss polyurethane to emphasize the detail and make the desk "pop". The gloss finish also makes cleaning the desk a breeze.
If it sounds like a lot of work that's because it was. Brian himself can't even believe the amount of care and hard work that went into the desk saying "Wow...I forgot all of the love that went into making this desk until just now, reliving the process."
All the hard work paid off though. Brian's desk is truly one-of-a-kind. A piece that has all of his clients drooling about it and requesting their own. "Amazing...my clients love it. Lots of requests to fabricate clones. My business is technology and marketing so this is an exclusive edition." says Brian speaking of the reception he has received regarding the desk.
Assembling the Frame
The desk frame is built from one of our kits, the Rugged Table Frame Kit. The kit provides an simple solution to creating a desk or table and gave Brian the foundation for his new desk. Configurable in height, length, width, and even footing, Brian was able to get a frame that was simple to put together and built to his desired specifications.
Brian appreciated the number of options available to him from Simplified Building and really enjoyed the simplicity of putting together the frame. "I loved the options you had for creating a very bold/menacing/stable desktop platform and it seemed very straightforward and easy to assemble. I also really enjoyed the creativity displayed by other customers which inspired me to push beyond ordinary."
Simple Table™ Kits
- Modern, minimalistic look
- Easy to assemble
- Customize the height and width
- Heavy-duty construction
If you want to create a desk like Brian's, we're here to simplify the process. Our Rugged Table Frame Kit gave Brian the canvas to start building his desk and the freedom to create something unique. The simplicity of the table kit allowed him to focus on the extra features of the table top and avoid worrying about the construction of the frame. We have a variety of table kits suitable for any application and we're certain we have one that will work for you. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to our project's team.
