Free writing desk plans for a minimal 1200 mm-wide desk with a 600 mm-deep top, two side panels acting as legs, a back modesty panel for cable management, and two drawers in the bay. You get the parts list, dimensions, material breakdown, and an optimized cutting diagram you can download as a PDF and take to the workshop.
The desk is sized for a laptop and an external monitor, with enough surface for paper work without becoming a piece of furniture you regret moving house with. The work surface lands at 738 mm (29") - standard desk height - and the whole build comes out of two sheets of 18 mm plywood.
Cut list for a writing desk
The full cut list for this desk is 14 parts across 7 part types: 1 desktop, 2 side panels, 1 modesty panel, and 10 drawer parts (2 fronts, 4 sides, 2 backs, 2 bottoms). Every dimension is in mm so you can move straight from cut list to saw fence without converting.
Ten of the fourteen parts are small drawer components, and that's exactly where hand-scribbled cut lists fall apart - small parts get squeezed into leftover corners in the wrong grain direction, or forgotten entirely. The optimizer below nests all fourteen parts with kerf applied to every cut and prints the arrangement on a PDF.
What's in the PDF
- Parts list with dimensions - 14 parts total across 7 part types. Every part labeled, quantified, and dimensioned in mm.
- Optimized cutting diagram - generated from 18 mm plywood sheets (2440 × 1220 mm / 4'×8'). Color-coded by part type so you can see at a glance which piece is which.
- Sheet count and material cost estimate - this build packs into 2 sheets; the PDF shows the exact layout and cost.
- Kerf accounted for - 3.2 mm (1/8") default, adjustable to your blade.
Click "Open in Optimizer" below - your parts and stock are pre-filled, you just download the PDF. No signup needed for a single optimization.
Tools you'll need
- Table saw or track saw for the desktop and panels; a circular saw with a guide works too
- Drill driver, plus a pocket-hole jig for the carcass joints
- Router with a rabbeting bit for the drawer bottoms (or a table saw with a dado stack)
- Pair of 500 mm side-mount drawer slides and screws
- Edge-banding iron and flush-trim bit for the visible front edges
- Clamps and a square - the drawer boxes have to be dead square or the slides bind
Time estimate
Half a day to cut all parts and edge-band. Half a day for the carcass and drawers. An hour to fit the slides and adjust. A weekend including finish - and a desk wants finish, at minimum a couple of coats of wipe-on poly on the top.
Build sequence
1. Cut the desktop first and use it as the reference for marking everything else. It's the most visible part - give it the cleanest edge of the day.
2. Cut both side panels at one setup so the desk can't rock. Then the modesty panel.
3. Cut all drawer parts in one session. The sides, fronts, backs, and bottoms share thicknesses and heights - batch them at fixed fence settings.
4. Edge-band the desktop and the front edges of the side panels before assembly. Iron, trim flush, sand.
5. Join the side panels to the modesty panel with pocket screws and glue. The modesty panel sets the desk's squareness - clamp and check diagonals.
6. Attach the desktop from below through pocket holes in the sides and modesty panel, so no fasteners show on the surface.
7. Build the drawer boxes - butt-joined sides with the bottom captured in a rabbet, no dovetails needed. Square each box before the glue sets.
8. Mount the slides and hang the drawers. Side-mount slides forgive a millimeter of error; undermounts don't. Shim until the drawer fronts sit flush with an even gap.
9. Finish. Two coats of wipe-on poly on the top, one everywhere else. Felt pads under the legs.
Drawer slides: side-mount vs undermount
The cut list assumes side-mount slides - cheap, tolerant of small errors, installed in minutes. Undermount slides look better (fully hidden) but demand tighter drawer-box tolerances and cost three times as much. If you go undermount, subtract the slide manufacturer's specified clearances from the drawer box width before cutting - edit the drawer side and back dimensions in the optimizer and the diagram regenerates.
Material options
- Plywood (18 mm) - the default. Cabinet-grade for the desktop and sides; shop-grade hides inside the drawers.
- MDF - the paint-grade choice, dead flat with no grain telegraphing through. Heavier, and the desktop edges need sealing before paint. Use the MDF calculator.
- Melamine - pre-finished, wipes clean, no finishing day. Edges need banding to hide the chipboard core. See the melamine cut calculator.
- Hardwood top on plywood base - a glued-up oak or maple slab as the desktop upgrades the whole piece. Same cut list minus the desktop.
Common mistakes
Out-of-square drawer boxes. A parallelogram drawer binds in its slides forever. Measure diagonals on every box before the glue sets - it's a ten-second check.
Cutting drawer parts to the opening size. Side-mount slides need 12.7 mm (1/2") clearance per side - size each drawer box to its opening minus the slide clearance, and check your slides' spec sheet before cutting the drawer parts. A drawer cut to match the opening exactly will never accept the slides.
Skipping the modesty panel. It looks decorative but it's the only thing resisting side-to-side racking. A desk without one wobbles when you write.
Finishing after assembly. Inside corners are miserable to sand and poly. Finish the desktop and drawer fronts before final assembly, tape the glue lines.
FAQ
Are these writing desk plans really free?
Yes. The plans, parts list, dimensions, and PDF cutting diagram are all free during early access. No card, no part limits, no watermarks.
What does the PDF include?
The optimized cutting diagram (sheet-by-sheet, color-coded by part), the full parts list with dimensions, kerf settings, and total sheet count. Designed to print at letter or A4 and be readable next to a saw.
How many sheets of plywood do I need?
2 sheets of 4'×8' (2440×1220 mm) 18 mm plywood. All 14 parts, including both drawer boxes, pack into two sheets. Exact layout is in the PDF.
Can I make the desk wider than 1200 mm?
Yes. Stretch the desktop and modesty panel together in the optimizer. Past 1500 mm, 18 mm plywood starts to sag under a monitor arm clamped mid-span - add a center support panel or a hardwood stiffener strip under the front edge.
Can I skip the drawers?
Yes - delete the ten drawer parts in the optimizer and the desk becomes a 4-part build that fits on a single sheet. Add a cable tray behind the modesty panel with the saved material.
What height should a writing desk be?
The standard is 736-760 mm (29-30"); this build lands at 738 mm. If you're taller or shorter than average, adjust the side panel height - your elbows should sit at desktop level when seated.
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