This Father’s Day, give the dad in your life a home office he’ll love. Steve Ford showed us how to transform a guest room or spare bedroom into the perfect home office space.
Download the project guide and follow the steps below to build your own!
Father's Day Gift Idea: Create a Home Office With Steve Ford
plans
LET'S BUILD!
Download the Home Office Plans
START WITH A FRESH SPACE
Choose a room for your home office project. Clear out all furniture and take down any hanging items. Any easy way to add visual interest to blank walls is board & batten—all you need is some 1x4 boards, a miter saw, nail gun (or hammer), nails, a level, and a tape measure.
Start by measuring the height and length of the walls and determine if you want to add board & batten to the full height of the wall or only partially up the wall. Once you have your measurements, you can get started:
Start by measuring the height and length of the walls and determine if you want to add board & batten to the full height of the wall or only partially up the wall. Once you have your measurements, you can get started:
- Measure and cut your wood to fit the dimensions of your room.
- Determine how far apart you want each of your battens and mark where each batten needs to be placed.
- Attach the highest horizontal board to the wall using a nail gun or hammer. Use your level to make sure everything is lined up all the way around the room.
- Add the battens, evenly spaced. For corners, cut each batten in half vertically, so they split the corner on either side.
- Use wood putty to fill in nail holes as needed.
Bring it all together with a fresh coat of paint, and voila! Your walls now have added texture and depth.
Build A New Office Desk
To bring the new office together, Steve built a beautiful, simple sawhorse table for a rustic yet elevated look. It looks more complicated than it actually is so don't be afraid to give it a shot. This is the perfect DIY for a beginner.
Tools:
Miter Saw, Circular Saw, Drill/Driver, Impact Driver, Orbital Sander, 18-Gauge Brad Nailer, Drill Bits, Countersink Bit, Tape Measure, Level, Carpenter's Pencil, Chalk Reel Set, Safety Glasses, Work Gloves
Materials:
Tools:
Miter Saw, Circular Saw, Drill/Driver, Impact Driver, Orbital Sander, 18-Gauge Brad Nailer, Drill Bits, Countersink Bit, Tape Measure, Level, Carpenter's Pencil, Chalk Reel Set, Safety Glasses, Work Gloves
Materials:
- (3) 1" x 6" x 8' Boards
- (5) 1" x 4" x 8' Boards
- (6) 1" x 3" x 8' Boards
- (2) 1" x 2" x 8' Boards
- (1) 3/4” Finish Plywood
- Wood Glue
- 1" Wood Screws
- 1-1/4" Brad Nails
- Sandpaper
Steps to Build:
Cut down your lumber following the cut list in the project plans.
Cut down your lumber following the cut list in the project plans.
build the legs
Start building the sawhorse legs. Take one (1) of your 24" 1x4 boards and mark the center at 1-3/4". On the other 24" 1x4 piece, mark center on end at 3/4". Use these two boards and the 24" 1x3 board and line up the points in an I-beam shape. Use a countersink bit to predrill evenly spaced holes placed 1" in from each end and in the center at 12". Screw together the top and bottom.
Attach the legs
Now you can attach the legs. Lay the I-beam on its side and mark in 1" from each end. Then, take the 27" 1x3 board and line it up with the 1" mark placed under the top of the I-beam (the top is the 1x4 side with the bottom as the smaller side). With the countersink bit, drill where screws are needed. Place one (1) under the top of the I-beam and two (2) into the bottom support. Repeat these steps to assemble the remaining legs.
Add the cross support
Add the 12" 1x2 cross supports to each pair of legs. Then take one of your 22" 1x2s and place it in the center between each set of legs as a cross-piece support. Repeat the steps for the other sawhorse leg.
Sand all surfaces down with an orbital sander and paint or stain in the color of your choice or leave the wood natural.
Sand all surfaces down with an orbital sander and paint or stain in the color of your choice or leave the wood natural.
For the tabletop, download the project plans for step-by-step instructions to build the exact same one as Steve. Or, if you prefer, you can create your own tabletop using an unfinished wood door, an interesting slab of raw edge wood, or a plywood sheet. The sawhorse legs can be screwed to the desktop from underneath, or the top can simply sit on top of the legs without screws.
Finishing Touches
Bring the office together by adding personal touches to suit your style, such as your favorite books, artwork, and other collectibles.
How will you transform your home office this Father’s Day? Share your photos and tag us on Instagram so we can see all of your home office projects! #DoItWithHART
