Materials: 3 Expedit 2x2s, 1 Expedit drawer, 1 Vika Amon Tabletop, 8 Ekby Stödis brackets, optional: two Vika Kaj legs
Description: I was looking for a desk that would fit the width of my home office (2.4 meters wide, the desk ends up at 2.3 meters) perfectly so that I don't waste to much space. After taking a few measurements I noticed the the cheapest thing to do would be to grab two 2x2 Expedits and a Vika Amon tabletop and combine them with some brackets to make a wide surface. While walking through Ikea I found the Ekby Stödis white plastic brackets at €0,50 a piece an grabbed 8 of them for more stability (2 per corner, read below for an encountered problem). Then just screw the brackets to the Expedits and the tabletop, your wide desk is done!
I just missed one detail while planning this, the Expedits are a bit wider than the tabletop is deep, so at the back you will only be able to apply one bracket per side and there will be a small gap if you align the desk to a wall. The gap isn't that bad though since it gives you space for cables and i.e. optional LED-lighting. To test stability I sat on the back of the desk (with only 1 bracket per side) and it held my weight, but to be on the safe side I added to Vika Kaj adjustable legs at the back.
To finish it off I added the third Expedit with two drawers to the right side of the desk. It's just standing there, no screws or anything. The right Expedit part of the desk is now missing the vertical separators to make room for bigger stuff like a printer (not on photo) while the other one holds folders and stuff I don't need that much in those boxes that are made for the Expedit.
~ Andy, Germany
very cool hack! great job!! love it and might do something similar with my desk too
ReplyDeleteSchön und praktisch!
ReplyDeletelooks perfect!
ReplyDeletewhat is the name of the minimalist stand beneath your MacBook?
Very nice!
ReplyDeleteAndy, Wow! This is awesome. Thanks for sharing dude.
ReplyDeletenice! And I too would like to know what stand (for your MacBook) that is.
ReplyDeletePretty sure that's a Griffin iCurve.
ReplyDeletehttps://store.griffintechnology.com/desktop/elevator Not called the iCurve anymore, I see!
ReplyDeleteLooks great, but Expedits aren't really designed to have ANYTHING screwed into them, so I'd be worried the front of the desk might become unstable over time. I probably would have gone with adjustable legs for all four corners of the desk, and used long flat metal braces, each the length of an Expedit compartment, to join the desktop to the shelving units (just to keep gaps from opening up between them).
ReplyDeleteMy other concern would be the tops of the Expedits themselves - that painted finish isn't terribly durable. I think the ideal solution would be to find a tabletop (or have something cut to fit) that covers the whole footprint, and rest it atop both Expedits (perhaps bolting it down using 4 small, hidden L braces).
I'm a little confused here. The measurements for the Table top is as follows:
ReplyDeleteWidth: 62 cm
Height: 4 cm
Length: 123 cm
The measurements for the 2x2's are as follows:
Width: 41 cm
Height: 25 cm
Length: 81 cm
Andy mentioned is was just a little off and he a little room for cable management. That's over 20cm between the tabletop and 2x2. What am I missing here?
@bpeter34 - I had same confusion, but then realised the IKEA website is a little misleading. The dimentions you've stated are the size of the package the 2x2's come in. The assembled dimensions are found futher down the product details page:
ReplyDeleteWidth: 79cm
Height: 39cm
Length: 79cm
It's still a 17cm gap mind....
I think Andy took a Table Top which the measurements are :
ReplyDeleteWidth: 75 cm
Length: 150 cm.
As you can see : http://www.ikea.com/fr/fr/catalog/products/10071172
Including the two Expedit, we get the 2.3 meters.
31 inches tall for a desk seems awful high. Does it strain your back?
ReplyDeleteNeat. Excellent.
ReplyDeleteExcellent office. We just build are own one. Thanks for posting!
ReplyDeleteLength: 79 cm => Does this desk look too much high ? Sory for my english
ReplyDeleteVery Cool! I actually have an expedit and want to expand it a bit more to make it a corner workstation. Need to shop around :)
ReplyDeleteHey, sorry for taking so long to answer your questions! I'll go from top to bottom.
ReplyDelete@Filip Baranski: It is the Griffin Elevator
@Anonymous: The Screws that go into the expedits are around 20cm long so they find enough of the honeycomb stuff inside to grab on to. I am having more problems with the finish of the Vika Amon than with the Expedits since they are not in the area that it am permanently moving stuff around on. You idea with resting a tabletop on the expedits was what I had first done, but that was way to high to sit at for hours.
@ bpeters: Like anonymous noticed, there are two different sizes of Vika Amon. I went for the bigger one which is 75cm deep.
@ Anonymous: The hight works for me since I am quite tall. I guess for anyone under 1,90m it could be a bit high up.
@kobibr: Sorry, I don't know what you are asking...
Wow! I want an expedit desk, (to go with a 4x4) but for close to the same money I can do a 2x2 and the Amon desk that you've got here, and it will be a better length! thanks!
ReplyDeletePerfectly clean and minimalistic workspace! Love it. What is the lightning in the back? LED?
ReplyDeleteI really like this desk design. Does anybody know if it will work using the Galant glass black table top (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S99848216/) instead of the Vika Amon tabletop? What brackets and screws would I need? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI've been hunting high and low for the perfect desk, and this is it! I'm a little concerned about how secure the table top is though, being bracketed into the honeycomb of the Expedits, as it's been over a year on, can you tell me how it's holding up? Crossing my fingers that you'll see this!
ReplyDeleteDid you use composite wood screws or just regular screws?
ReplyDeleteHi, tried answering already but it didn't seem to be posted so here is another attempt.
ReplyDelete@philipp: Lighting is just plain white LED's.
@Wole: My guess is that the glas tabletop is to heavy, I wouldn't try attaching it with simple brackets.
@Catherine: The brackets are holding up perfectly and have lasted longer than the tabletop itself (picks up scratches real fast and began to sag in the middle). Didn't have to change it, but while I was at Ikea anyway I picked up a replacement and screwed it in. I've moved to a new place and even after taking the whole thing apart and putting it back together, it's still works great.
@SaveTheArctic: I just used normal screws although I must mention that they are somewhere around 20cm (the ones going into the expedite) long to grab enough of the honeycomb.