Standing Desks Don't Have To Be An Eyesore With This Aesthetic Home Office DIY

With more and more people aware of the pitfalls of sitting in an office chair all day long, standing desks are all the rage for both workplaces and home offices, allowing the user to adjust the height between sitting and standing to change up their posture and positioning throughout the day. Some people even add a walking pad, or small treadmill, underneath to get some steps in while they are on the clock. However, these standing desks come in a limited number of looks, and can often appear rather utilitarian with their metal legs, standard tops, and visible motor mechanisms. So, while functional, most standing desks do not add to the aesthetics of your home office.

One Instagrammer, Kate Hewitt, shared her creative solution to help hide her less-than-attractive standing desk with a simple DIY desk project anyone can build. By using only lightweight MDF (you don't want to burn out the motor), miter adhesive, and a saw, she was able to disguise a basic black standing desk with a DIY oak veneer MDF surround to give it a more aesthetic look that better suited the look of her home. Try this easy DIY at your home to transform your eyesore of a standing desk into a beautiful home office focal point.

To transform your standing desk, cut three pieces of oak veneer MDF to surround each leg (two sides and front), using a 45-degree miter cut where the pieces meet. Secure the pieces together with miter adhesive to form a three-sided surround you can slide on each leg, being sure to make additional cutouts as necessary for any motor equipment underneath and tucking in any visible cords for a clean look. For the top, simply cut a piece of MDF to size and a 6-inch high apron piece for each visible side, using a 45-degree miter and miter adhesive to attach them. Since the desk was against a wall in the video, the creator simply created a two-sided surround, sliding it over the desktop to meet the wall.

Depending on your standing desk type and location, you may need to make some modifications. If your desk is visible on both sides, create a three-sided surround and slide it in from the front. This DIY will work for desks with freestanding button control units, which can be mounted on the new surround. Avoid this DIY for a completely floating desk, as the legs and top do not have a back side, or for desks with built-in controls or drawers, as this surround will block the function. If you have the right kind of desk, this fabulously simple DIY will transform your basic standing desk into an aesthetic statement piece in your home office.