Built in Desk Design help needed

[Lee Schierer]

I am currently working on a redesign of a room in our house. We want to have a built in desk and bookshelf arrangement in one corner of the room. The shelves to the right and above the desk area need to be adjustable except for the one fixed bottom shelf. My problem is the span for the shelves over the desk is 64-1/2" and the shelves to the right are 39' long. I'm trying to figure out how to support the shelves in the corner. I don't want to move the vertical support at the left side of the desk as there is a 1" jog in the wall I'm trying to hide. The original builder didn't get the framing aligned properly and there is no good way to fix it now. The knee hole for the desk is 48-1/2" wide.

Any suggestions?

Desk.JPG

Here's three ways I came up with:
Capture1.JPGCapture2.JPGCapture3.JPG
I'm leaning toward the boxed in corner, even though it would lose some shelf space, it would have better structure for support of the shelves.

[Dave Richards]

That space is troublesome if you leave it there. I'd box it in, too. It solves problems and doesn't create hard to use space. If you were so inclined, you might run the box to the desk top and bring power and network connections (if you need them) up into it. You could create hidden compartments in the box between shelves.

[Yonak Hawkins]

I agree with putting support boxes in the corners as that is, pretty much, lost space anyway. They might be security boxes for valuables with hidden openings.

[Wayne Lomman]

Put adjustable shelf pins in the back corner about 2" from the actual corner. You only need a solid timber cleat there to drill into and notch the back corner of L shaped shelves to suit. I have built dozens of corner units this way. You have a clear corner and simple construction. Cheers

[Bob Grier]

Even with boxed in corner, you are looking at over 5' span on shelves. If the shelves are supported along the back as well as the ends and are constructed of 3/4" plywood or solid wood, I think they will deflect (sag) along the front edge when loaded with books. I think they would be ok in a walk in pantry where the shelves are mostly loaded toward the back of the shelves and with items not as heavy as books. Also, sag along the front would not be that big of deal if it is out of sight. If you constructed your shelves with fixed joints at ends and especially along the back so that the joints develop a moment of force then they would probably be ok. That would take a glued joint along the back probably set in a mortise or some other way to fix the joint against rotation. Before you build what you want, make a trial shelf and see how much force it can take and whether you like it.

You could use thicker shelves or provide additional intermediate support. It could be that what you propose will work for you but I think you would be better off if you try it first before committing. That is unless you stay with standard book shelf dimensions. Here is a link to book shelves. Note they use 1" oak plywood and 36" span. http://www.coopercabinetsystems.com/...DF/shelves.pdf

Please be careful on this. That is quite a span for books. Will look nice but support needs to be carefully thought out. I have some 5' shelves in my kitchen but they are 1 5/8" thick solid wood with 2 heavy duty steel supports attached to wall studs. Of course they are thick enough to span 5' with just end support but would not look good in a book shelf.

[Lee Schierer]

Bob, you've seen my dilemma. The spans are long and even with a light load the shelves are likely to sag. I'm considering adding one vertical board attached to the wall behind the shelves. Since this is an old exterior wall of the house that was sheathed with 1 x ? lumber the supports would be able to support some of the weight of the shelves. We are also downsizing our books so it may be mostly nick knacks on the shelves. The added vertical member will make it a bit more modular for construction purposes.

[Bob Grier]

There is one other option you might want to consider that would cut the span and that is to use something like this:

http://www.countertopbracket.com/cou...FUtNfgod3DQJkw

It has 1/4" holes and could be screwed to a vertical board that is drilled for 1/4" pins at spacing consistent with the end supports. The vertical pin board could be recessed into the wall so it sits against a stud and is attached to the stud. The bracket would be attached with 1/4" diameter screws that go through the 1/4" pin holes into the stud. Or, if the back of the shelf case (maybe 1/4" plywood) could be drilled with vertical line of 1/4" holes centered on a stud and the brackets could be attached through the pin holes into the stud.

Or just use brackets when you install the shelves and then if you move the shelves at a later date, just move the brackets and plug the old holes.

There are other brackets less expensive that would work.

I started out making shelves for a pantry that would be adjustable like you envision. I gave up and made them fixed and supported along the back walls because the span was too long and I wanted access to the shelves to be open. I basically just took a shortcut to expedite the project. I made mistakes and some of the shelves ended up at different spacing than I planned. I connected the shelves in the corner like you show in your first sketch. I spliced a piece of hardwood inset into the bottom of the shelves at the joint to make them react as one solid shelf making the corner bend.

[andy bessette]

I think you're trying to cram too many shelves in there. Better to eliminate the shelves over the shallow L counter, and extend the long shelves full width, dividing them with a center divider to support the long span; the divider would run from the bottom shelf up. Also eliminate the vertical shelf support at the end of the L. It would look better and not feel so cramped at the desk.

[Lee Schierer]

After additional thought and input from here, the design has been changed to this.
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This takes care of the needed storage space and also eliminates the long span. I can build the right side, adjacent corner section and the left side as cabinet type modules, filling in the remaining short span over the desk to the left after the "cabinet" sections are in place. Cost is going to be a bit more, but this should be the last remodel for this room.