www.BrettDaniel.com

I briefly mentioned the small desk that came with my apartment. It did not take long for me to realize that it would not work for the several years I would expect to use it. The following terrible pictures captured from a video I sent to Dad and Sue when I moved in will illustrate the problems:

• I had to remove the annoying shelves over the desk so my monitors would fit.
• It had barely any space for my keyboard, much less paperwork.
• I used my filing cabinet to make space for the mouse, but the metal would periodically interfere with the wireless signal.
• It was crammed in the space between the wall and my bed.
• It had no storage space to speak of.

I seriously considered building a loft with an attached desk. I drew beautiful scale diagrams and went home one weekend expecting to build it. After poring over the plans and much discussion, Dad and Sue convinced me to instead use a drafting table we had stored in the basement. They also suggested moving my "office" to the living room where I have more space. I am glad they were so persuasive because it was an excellent setup (and my bed got to remain on the floor).

But it still felt like a temporary solution.

During the discussion that weekend, Sue proposed that I take her large executive desk because, as she said, "it is a real piece of furniture that would look good in your living room." I felt the drawing table was a better choice, but her idea got me thinking about a "real piece of furniture". Over the next few weeks I casually browsed some of the online office furniture retailers.

I eventually found The Desk. It was large (66"x30"), it looked superb, and the price was excellent.

I ordered it several weeks ago, and it arrived on Monday in two 100-plus-pound packages. With the promise of beer, I recruited Josh, a friend in the human-computer interaction group, to help me carry them up the stairs to my apartment. I started assembly on Tuesday.

First I had to unpack everything.

The top and sides came together pretty quickly.

Next, I had to put together the main body and supports.

The connectors that held the boards together were pretty interesting. Here are some videos that show how two of them work:

• Twist-Lock Connectors
• Cam and Cam-Screw Connectors

I also thought the drawer joinery was very ingenious. The sides had an angled tongue that would lock into place when perpendicular to the front. The other end of the side slid into a T-shaped groove on the back. The bottom slid into another groove and was held in place by plastic clips and nails. [Pat. #6413007]

I felt like an assembly-line worker while putting together the drawers.

After screwing in the final drawer handle, I was ready to take apart the drafting table to make room for its replacement. Fortunately, the drafting table packs up nicely.

It took some straining to turn the desk over and slide it into place. Yesterday I reconnected all the computer equipment, and now I have a large, well-lit, good looking, and enjoyable workspace.