I needed a big space for my two kiddos to do art projects. I also needed to get rid of an old dresser we were using to store games, puzzles, and art supplies. The shelves underneath provided the space for all the things previously housed in the dresser and gave my girls 9 feet of glorious work space. Now we don't have to interrupt their creativity to eat dinner.
I modified the parson tower desk by adding a third shelf beneath to hold the longer (9 foot) desktop that I needed. Instead of MDF I used paint grade pine panels. It was only a little more than MDF for the pieces that I needed (1 @ 3/4 x 16 x 96 and 2 @ 3/4 x 16 x 72) and didn't come with the toxic sawdust.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100 including polycrylic, but I used stain and white paint that I already had.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Primer (1 coat) then Behr Ultra Pure White Semi-Gloss Paint on base (2 coats). Minwax Water Based Wood Stain in Terracotta (2 coats). Minwax Polycrylic Protective Finish in Clear Gloss. I did 3 coats of the poly with light sanding (500 grit) between each coat. Then I wiped down with cheesecloth before applying the next coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner