Leaning Wall Media Center

Submitted by KatieLott on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 13:45

Recently I was a Crate and Barrel and I found the Sloane Leaning Desk and thought that it would be perfect for my media center. (See that wall heater under the desk, I needed that to be open and I was tired of my big wood box of a media center on the, now, couch wall.) So knowing that I had seen the Leaning Wall Shelf on this site I knew I could reconfigure it a bit to work out for my own needs.

First, I cut the dimensions down a bit. Instead of the 31 1/2" length on all of the shelves I cut them at 24". Then then all the back trim at 25 1/2". Then for the middle section, I cut the shelf and desk at 36" and the back trim to 37 1/2". The side trim for the desk is 14 1/4". The desk itself was 22x36" and the top shelf was cut from a 1x8x6. I did this because I could cut all the other shelves and the desk from one piece of 4x8' plywood. For added support I used a 2x4 as the brace under the desk and added 1x2 braces (cut at a 45 degree angle) for extra support on the front/ sides of the desk (see photo). I also left all the edges squared off for a more modern look, like the Sloane.

I hope this helps you and good luck with your project! FYI, this was my first build EVER, and with a little help from my dad cutting the wood and getting it level, I got it done pretty easily. Oh, and get yourself some large clamps or an extra set of hands to help hold things together while you're drilling.

Estimated Cost
$140
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I built the main supports and shelves separately then sanded, primed and painted them before assembling them in my home. For the primer I used 1qt. Zinsser 1-2-3 (1 coat), then used 1qt. of Martha Stewart, Seal (2 coats with a smooth finish roller) in a satin finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

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