Office Furniture Design - Feedback?

[Dave Boxmeyer]

I'm designing a simple set of furniture for my office. I'm posting some pictures that I've built below in sketchup with the hopes that folks here can provide some feedback on both the furniture design as well as the sketchup work.

I've learned a tremendous amount from this forum, hopefully some of it shows in this design - I did my best to leverage components / groups / layers and construction geometry to ensure everything is correct. This design sure went quicker than my previous project, which is a reflection of the wonderful information from this forum.. so thanks!

The furniture is based of the existing pieces in the office which are from Pottery Barn (I know, I know.. but it was what was there!) Anyway, I've tried to keep a consistent style while tailoring the peices to my need / office space. Any feedback would be most appreciated. The exisitng pieces are highlighted in pink in one of the screenshots below.

Materials that I plan to use are MDF and popular - similar to the existing pieces. All of this will be spray finished with white opaque USL or poly (Jeff Jewit at homestead recommended Target's WB poly spray coating instead of USL - I'm still researching that call.) In any case, panels are MDF and the rest will be popular. I tried to use standard sizes for everything since I do not yet have a planer so I need to stick to standard thicknesses (esp on panels!)

Even after using components and the "purge model" command in sketchup, I can't get the file below 140k, so I can't attach the sketchup file. However, I'd be delighted to PM the file if anyone is willing to spend a few moments to review my work.

Thanks again for all the helpful posts in this forum - posts like the wonderful tutorial that Dave is building and the opportunity to bounce my basic designs off such a group has immense value for me!

Screenshots below:
Office Furniture View #1.jpg
Office Furniture View #2.jpg
Office Furniture View #3.jpg

[Jamie Buxton]

If you really want painted MDF and poplar, okay. However, you'll find that real wood isn't much more expensive for you to build. On a production line, the cost of materials is the dominant portion of the total cost, so manufacturers have strong motivation to use materials like MDF and melamine. In a home shop, the dominant cost is your time. You can build the furniture out of real hardwood-veneer plywood and solid hardwood, and the amount of time you'll spend will be about the same as for painted MDF. Put it this way... You're going to invest a lot of time and sweat in this furniture. At the end you can have white-painted stuff, or you can have real wood.

[Dave Boxmeyer]

Jamie,

Thanks for taking the time and providing some feedback. I understand what you are saying, you are correct that the big cost here is going to be the time and effort required to build the furniture, not the added money for materials. Especially since I don't have extensive experience and am likely to be going slow.

However, I'd like to use the existing peices of furniture which are already finished in white - so I figured the best bet was to match the finish I already have. Assuming my wife really likes the look of white furniture, is this a reasonable plan?

I'm posting some more details of the construction in case it helps see the construction design I've put together.

The first screen shot is a semi-transparent view of the large project table we'll be using when we need to spread out for a project (my other hobby is photography.) The second shot is a basic shot of the drawers which are part of the suite, and finally the last shot is the basic desktop design. The simple frame on the bottom is what holds the desktop in place on it is placed on top of the drawers.

Project Table.JPG

Desk Drawers.JPG

desktop bottom.JPG

[Dave Boxmeyer]

In case anyone is interested, here is the sketchup model of the furniture. Still interested in feedback. You will notice there is little tothe joinery here, most everything will be done with pocket screws - I'm not looking for anything fancy here.

Keeping that in mind, any advice on ways to improve the looks or strength? Any about suggestions for improved sketchup modeling? Thanks!

office furniture.zip

[Ken Garlock]

Hi Dave. Way back when I bought a corner computer table like yours at Office Depot. In those days a monitor weighed in at over 40 lbs. The top is made of 1" thick MDF, and it has not warped in the 10 years I have owned it. With todays LCD monitors and the like, warping may be a thing of the past. I thought I would pass along my observation that thicker is better.

As I have heard somewhere else on the creek, when in doubt, build it stout.

[Dave Boxmeyer]

Ken,

Thanks for the advice!

I agree totally. The desktops will all be 1" thick - I'm figuring I'll laminate two pieces of 1/2" together to get the 1" dimension. Most of the remaining panels will be 3/4", although there is some 1/2" as well (but nothing that will be support pieces.)

It's crazy to think how heavy and how much heat the old monitors used to throw off. I'm using a 24" LCD these days and the difference is remarkable - so much clearer and less heat too!

[Brian Triplett]

dave,

my questions are considering the island section, are you planning on sitting around this seems a little high for that. Also if you are not sitting at this island why not fill in the opening with some shelf or some more drawers with some kind file folder holder. just my two cents.

[Dave Boxmeyer]

Hi Brian,

Thanks for the input. My hope is to create an island like table that allows for both sitting or standing. I figured I could sit at a stool if wanted or else stand when working - leaves me options. Now that you mention it though, perhaps the space underneath doesn't have to be as wide or go all the way through. Great idea - I'll have to think about it. Any suggestions you might have would be most welcome. I'm attaching a photo to this post that has the original table I used for my idea in case you find it better than my descriptions.
img83l.jpg

[Brian Triplett]

dave,

I know my wife loves storage, as soon as I build something with storage, it is full in about a hour and I guessing your wife is to. So with that being said, how about doing what you mentioned with the stool opening on one side and shelves on the other? again my two cents.

Brian

[Robert Schaubhut]

Dave, Your SU work is very impressive to me.
Some of the office stations I have built stretch out that keyboard corner. You have the pink (SU) existing cabinets. Can the cabinets used elsewhere?
Shaz

[Dave Boxmeyer]

Brian,

Thanks for the suggestion. You are correct on the storage front... I think I'll try ot make a verison like you suggested and see how it looks (and how it fits into the room.) I'll follow up when I've had a chance to look into it.

Thanks,
-Dave

[Dave Boxmeyer]

Robert,

Thanks for the kind words on my sketchup model.

Can you point me to an example of the stretched out keyboard corner you mentioned? I have the one that is in pinnk in the model in my office and it seems to work well with the flat screen monitor - however, I'm always interested in looking at other options. How much further would you extend the keyboard section?

Thanks,
-Dave

[Robert Schaubhut]

Dave,
The design goes something like this,
modify the pink area by #1 cutting a rectangle the size of the pull out tray for the keyboard plus 6"deeper (about 12") straight into the existing flat front of your corner unit. #2 (with the cabinets under the pink wings eliminated,) from the deep inside corners of the rectangle you just cut in the center of the corner unit measure out about 8" and make a point on the left and right side of the rectangle you just cut.#3 run a line "parallel to the wall " on each side from that point moving away from the corner. #4 Run those lines out about 24". #5 below those wings install pencil drawers. #6 At that place , 24" from your keyboard, increase the depth of your decktop another 3" to 4" by adding a transition of angular or curved movement in the deck top.The purpose is to add depth for file cabinet drawers.
With the designs you have I think you will be unable to access the cabinets left and right of the keyboard without really backing away. With pencil drawers it also makes more of the desk top useable from the seated position.
Explain how I can get a drawing or photograph from my computer into a post and I will try to draw you an example.
Shaz

[Robert Schaubhut]

Dave,
Here is a visual rendering I just did in "paint" with the pencil tool. Hope this helps.
Shaz

[Brian Triplett]

Ok, now my wife wants a new desk and quess which one she picked, you guessed it, the same one you have sketchuped. My quess is, have you found the metal hanging file rails? I can only find the plastic ones and I was hoping to find some a little bit more rigid. Thanks for posting your sketchup file, it really saved some time.

Brian