Easy DIY Ideas: Make a Mobile Office

Mobility works! This easy weekend project lets you create a standing station that you can move to any room or area where you want to work. We’re very excited about this office project because it’s featured in the magazine Storage Solutions! See details at the end of the post.

 

I’ve been looking for a standing computer table that I can drag around the studio to sets or prop shelves. When we were pulling things to clear out and donate I came across this counter-height table that had definitely seen better days. It had painted-over pink contact paper on top and shelf, gouged legs, and a cheap-o plastic drawer pull. Not attractive, but just the right size.
If you find a good table that’s too short, either in your basement/attic or at a tag sale, consider adding a shelf and feet on the bottom to raise it up.

Gather Your Materials

• Counter-height table
• Sandpaper
• Drop cloth
• Primer
• Paintbrush
• White paint
• Drawer or bin pull
• Screwdriver
• Marble contact paper
• Scissors or craft knife and cutting mat
• Wallpaper smoothing tool or similar
• Drill and drill bit
• 4 locking casters

Start by giving the table a fresh coat of paint. Place the table on a drop cloth. Remove the drawer and drawer pull. Sand all surfaces to be painted and wipe clean.

Brush a coat of primer on the table and drawer and let dry. Paint them with white paint in a semi-gloss finish and let dry. Add a second coat for a durable finish.

 

When dry, attach the new drawer pull. I liked the satin finish of this cup pull, mostly for its looks but also because cords/cables won’t get hooked on it.

 

Measure the top and shelf or shelves if you have them and cut pieces of marble contact paper. Gradually pull the backing from the paper and slowly apply to the top and shelf surfaces. As you apply the paper, smooth out any air bubbles using a wallpaper smoothing tool or, in a pinch, the side of a credit card. Enlist a friend to help. You can do this on your own, but believe me, it’s a lot easier with an extra pair of hands.

 

Drill holes into the bottom of each table leg using a drill bit that matches the size of the threaded stem of the caster. Screw lockable casters into place. You want the desk to stay put until you’re ready to roll.

 

Now that it looks good, get it organized. Place a cup for pens and pencils atop the desk and stick it down with a piece of museum putty to keep it in place as you move about.

 

Make the drawer tidy by dividing it with trays or shallow boxes. Put only the stuff in here that you’re likely to need frequently.

 

The shelf will work harder with containers that keep supplies handy. File holders and document boxes maintain a tidy look.

 

Need your files close by? Use this convenient and spacious file cart from The Container Store. It does the job and it’s durable, too. We use these a lot.

 

Supplement your desk storage with a mobile cart to hold office supplies. This durable cart from IKEA has lots of space for stuff and it’s affordable, too—less than $30!

 

Opting for a metal cart means you can employ any number of magnetic add-ons like hooks for keys or small containers for thumbtacks or paper clips.

 

Place stuff you’re working on currently in magazine holders on the top tier of your cart. Another holder keeps reference material, catalogues, and magazines at hand.

 

Sort office supplies and notebooks into handled bins that can be removed and placed on your desktop or taken elsewhere as needed.

 

Place small tech in containers that keep all the parts—cords, batteries, cables, supplies—in one convenient spot. No more searching for the AC adaptor at the last minute!

 

Even though many of us may not relish the idea of a workstation following us around wherever we go, it has certainly made our job easier and more efficient! Give it a try and share with us in the comments or on our Facebook page if you’ve devised your own ways of staying on top of the daily grind.

 

See these office ideas and many more in the current issue of Storage Solutions on newsstands now. Or order a copy here.

 

© Caruth Studio