Wouldn't it be cool if you could "fold" your home-office furniture and free the space for other activities?

The desk has the shape of a bean. It is more ergonomic than conventional rectangular designs.

• Size: 110cm wide x 75cm deep x 110cm high
• Size in storage: 110cm x 75cm x 8cm

1. Download the design files
2. Email the files to a few local joiners/cabinet-makers for a quote
3. Choose the type of the top from the materials and colors they offer
4. Pickup the desk from the joiner a few days later

See more detailed ordering information at the end of this post.

The pictured design was made out of 18mm thick New Zealand Pine Plywood with Danish Oil coating. It was chosen for its strength and environmental qualities. Other suitable choices include:

• coated and uncoated PLY, 18mm or thicker
• MDF, 20mm or thicker with or without melamine or other protective coatings

The novel part of this desk design is how it packs away and comes back up in just one minute using a scaffolding clamp.

The clamp is held tight inside a special cut out. Its main connection point is through an M10 bolt at the back.

Our workshop went into a total lockdown over COVID-19 and I had to photograph the very first prototype I use at home, so excuse the extra holes and ugly screws you see in some of the photos.

1. Push both parts of the interface, insert the clamp and drill a hole for the M10 bolt
2. Fix the interface with the clamp to the bottom side of the desk using dowels.
3. Make sure all surfaces are pressed tightly and have no gaps.
4. Leave the clamp pushed tight into the interface.
5. Let the glue set.
6. Drive 2 or more additional screws into the interface at 45-degrees to press the clamp closer to the surface of the top board.

The interface parts are cut out of the same sheet as the top board. You may need to stack more than 2 layers if your sheet is thinner than 18mm.

The diameter of the dowels can be changed to match the diameter of your main cutter.

The legs are made out of 50mm aluminium tube cut to a set length (1100mm in this case). Any reasonably priced aluminium tube with wall thickness between 1.5mm and 3mm is suitable for this purpose.

Recommended configuration: 50mm OD, 1.6mm wall thickness, 1100mm for a 180cm tall person, 3 legs per desk.

A 3-legged desk is sufficiently stable with a symmetrical load like a single extra monitor in the center or 2 extra monitors, one on each side. Use 4 legs if the load is asymmetrical.

This desk is higher than most commercial models we see in furniture stores. Placing the top of the desk just under the elbows gives better body support for a more upright and relaxed posture. This is a matter of preference - you can choose any height of the legs to suit your needs.

According to the golden ratio model of human body, a person 178cm tall has 112cm floor-to-elbow height. Multiply your full height by 0.63 to calculate your desk legs height or measure it with a tape. Take into account the footwear and an anti-fatigue mat you may use while standing at the desk.

The feet consist of two round cutouts made from the same sheet as the top. The smaller one goes inside the leg. The other cutout has the same OD as the tube (50mm) and sits comfortably between the tube and the floor. Join the two halves together with a dowel and push hard into the leg to set it in place. Use padding such as paper or fabric if the foot is a bit loose inside the tube.

Extra stability from tipping (e.g. if someone pushes it) can be added with small bags of salt stuffed inside the legs.

Use coarse salt in a sock or a stocking. 3 cups of salt per leg add enough extra stability even for a strong push.

The latex band hooks onto the clamps and holds the legs in place while in storage. Amazons and fitness stores have plenty of latex bands on offer, but a generic elastic band from a discount store will do just fine.

• Latex band: 1000mm x 20mm x 4mm

It's easy to damage the surface of the desk while carrying it or leaning other things onto it while in storage. The bag is not a guarantee, but it does offer some protection.

• Material: jute / burlap fabric, 900-930mm wide x 2.4m long
• Eyelets: 15mm x 3pcs
• Ties: 6mm ... 10mm cotton cord, 700mm long x 3
• Tie ends: use metal crimps or wire or glue to stop the ends from coming apart

We used cotton cord for ties to keep our design completely plastic-free. You can use a synthetic cord that can be easily melted at the ends to stop them from fraying.

Refer to Design Details section above for more info on the components. Understanding how they fit together will make ordering easier.

You should be able to order everything locally. Any town with 400,000+ people should have all the supplies you need and at least several joinery companies to cut out the top board.

• Ordering everything yourself: allow 30min to an hour to find suppliers and place orders. Ship everything to the joinery for the final assembly.
• Asking the joinery to order everything: this is an easier option, but expect an extra charge for shipping and handling.

Look for a company that makes custom flat-pack furniture, such as kitchens or wardrobes. They usually have a special machine called CNC router that can cut all the parts you need within minutes. A good joiner should be able to cut and assemble your desk with ease.

Email them all the files from ordering folder and a link to this post asking for a quote. Additional questions to ask:

• what 18mm ... 22mm sheets of plywood they have in stock
• can they order the legs and the clamps for you
• how long it make take them to complete the job

Remember, the desk can be made with 3 or 4 legs. Adjust the quantities for aluminium tube and clamps accordingly.

1. One sheet of PLY or MDF, min size 1200mm x 1100mm

2. Global Truss Mini 360 or Mini 360 QR or BeamZ SWL-100 clamps, x3 or x4 pcs (for 3 or 4 legs)

3. M10 zinc-plated or SS nuts, x3/x4 pcs to replace M10 wing-nuts on the clamps

4. 6G x 20mm chipboard screws, x12/x16 pcs

5. Aluminium tube 50mm outer diameter (OD) x 1.6mm ... 3mm wall x 1100mm long , x3/x4 pcs

   • Google search: https://www.google.com/search?q=aluminum+tube+cut+to+size
   • The choice for the tube may be confusing and overwhelming. Ignore the finer details. Choose any reasonably priced aluminium from whoever can cut it to size and ship the legs to you.
   • Request 1mm cut precision.
   • Request the sharp edges of the cuts to be smoothed out

6. 1m long latex loop or another elastic band, medium strength

   • Check your local discount store. It's a $5 ... $10 item.

7. Bag order - refer to Bag section for details.

   • Do you even need a bag?
   • If you do, find someone local who works with jute fabric: https://www.google.com/search?q=custom+jute+bags or https://www.google.com/search?q=custom+jute
   • Email them this image for a quote
   • The job should take them about 20 minutes: 1 cut, 2 stitches, 3 eyelets.

Courier services should be able to ship the desk to your door.

Get the bag shipped directly to the joiner. It's the easiest packaging option. Ask the joiner to line the inside of the bag with a sheet of cardboard to protect the edges and surfaces while in transit.

• Packaged size: 110cm x 75cm x 8cm
• Packaged weight: 10kg

A standard 1.2m x 2.4m sheet of plywood or MDF can fit 3 desk cutouts, but the cost of cutting and assembling all three is about the same as making one. You can order 3, sell 2 with 50% markup on eBay and get your money back.