How to Make a Modern Desk

Buy the kind of lumber you want for your desk. Plywood is cheapest, but more expensive woods can be more attractive. As of 2010, many designers think that lighter woods make for the most modern feel.

Cut all your lumber to the dimensions listed. If you're inexperienced in cutting long, straight lines, have them cut your lumber at the yard. Most yards will do this for a small charge or no charge.

Sand all faces of your lumber twice: one with rough grit paper and once with fine grit paper.

Apply one coat of wood stain to all surfaces of your lumber. You can opt not to stain the bottom face of your wooden sheet, as this will be the underside of your desk.

Set one 30-inch and one 40-inch strip in an L-shape, the end of the shorter strip abutting the inside face of the longer strip. They should lie on their narrow -- 1-inch-wide -- edges.

Glue the strips together along the point of connection. Reinforce with two nails from the nail gun. Wipe away excess glue, then allow to dry.

Repeat Steps 5 and 6 to build a second L-shape.

Arrange the two L-shapes into a single rectangular frame. Glue and nail the two open corners as you did the corners of the Ls. Wipe off excess glue, then allow to dry.

Apply a thin coat of wood glue to the top edge of the rectangular frame. Set the wooden sheet on top. Nail in place with one nail in each corner, plus a line of 10 evenly spaced nails along each edge. Wipe off excess glue and allow to dry.

Set one post in place against the underside of the frame, nestled in the corner formed by two strips. Screw in place using two wood screws driven through the wooden sheet and into the end of the post. Reinforce with one screw driven through the face of each strip and into the sides of the post.

Repeat Step 10 three more times to install the other three posts, forming the legs of the desk.

Apply a second coat of wood stain to all exposed faces of your lumber. Allow to dry, then set your desk in position.