DIY: Spot for cutie's stuff

This super-easy-to-make workstation slots in between a cupboard and a wall, providing lots of space for kids to spread out. Photo / Michael Craig

Young Olivia loves her room especially with one of Greig Morgan's workstations in it.

The great thing about DIY is that you can make a project to suit or fit your own particular requirements.

Here in Olivia's room, we've created a made-to-measure workstation. We made the station to fit neatly between the wardrobe and the wall, giving her maximum bench space. It has "legs" that act as dividers for shelving, but they also double up as supports to stop the top surface sagging in the middle.

Just like a bought one, except this one fits perfectly.

Step 1

Measure the area required.

In this case, we measured the space between the wall and wardrobe.

Then, clamp a straight edge at either end of the pencil mark as a guide to run the skill saw when cutting along the waste side of the line. With the top now cut to length, measure and cut your panel to length for your legs.

We cut four legs at 700mm.

Step 2

Place the legs side by side and flush top and bottom, then measure and mark, with the aid of a square, fixture points for angle-bracket placement of the shelves.

Next, fix your angle brackets using 15mm screws, then fix brackets flush at the top and about 80mm in front and back of the legs, with the brackets facing inwards.

Fix a leg against each wall and fix to the wall framing.

Then, fix the top down before placing and fixing the divider leg to the desired position, flush with the top.

Step 3

With the workstation now assembled, measure the divider spacings and cut your panelling to fit in neatly, sitting the cut shelving on and fixing the shelves from the underside of the brackets.

And there you go, it's as simple as three easy steps.

Materials

Melamine panels
16mm
Angle brackets
Screws 15mm

Tools

Skill saw
Clamps
Tape measure
Pencil
Square
Screw gun