Hey, friends!
I don’t know about you, but I get pretty tired of sitting down while I work on my computer. I like to have an option to stand so I can stretch my legs (and even do a few squats if I’m really feeling motivated). If you’re looking to change things up, today I’m sharing how to build an inexpensive standing pallet desk so you can do squats while you work, too! Or, at least give your legs and back a break from sitting.
We have a little wall between the kitchen and living room that really needed a little something. Because we have a big archway into the kitchen/dining room, there’s a funky 12 inch or so wall that sticks out. It’s way too small for a normal sized desk or table, but big of an area to leave blank. We have no workspace or desk anywhere that could fit downstairs and I really needed a place to put my laptop. I got really tired of keeping it on the counter and working at our breakfast bar! Thus, I put my creative cap on and tried to figure out what we could put on the teeny empty wall that wouldn’t stick out too far, but could still function as a small workspace.
Boom. A pallet! Not only would that be free, but it would be the perfect size for the wall and we could add some wood on top to make it a more functional “desk.”
After finding the perfect pallet that would fit the space, I sanded it down all over as best as I could so there was no rough wood anywhere. Because I have a baby that will soon be walking, I didn’t want any sharp edges anywhere on the pallet that could potentially hurt him if he tried to pull himself up on it.
After every edge was nice and smooth to the touch, I white washed the whole pallet. I just mixed a little white chalk paint with some water (about a 40/60 ratio) and carefully painted it on. I sanded the pallet down a bit when it dried to make it feel more rustic.
For the top “desk” part, I got a 1×10 and we cut it down to fit evenly over the top of the pallet. I then stained it with a dark walnut stain. Once dry, I sanded the edges and corners down to make sure there was no sharp edges. My daughter is slightly accident prone (she comes by it honestly!) and we could foresee her running right into a sharp corner on the desk. We took preemptive measures to cut down that possibility! 
We were then ready to assemble the pallet desk. My husband drilled holes through the top piece of wood on the back of the pallet, and then used a couple of very long screws to secure it to the wall. That bad boy isn’t going anywhere!
Once it was in place, he pre-drilled a few holes on top of the stained wood piece, and screwed it down onto the pallet.
Voila! A low-profile and functional standing pallet desk that is the perfect size to house my laptop, some pens, and a pretty plant. It’s all I need!
If I feel like sitting, I just snag a barstool from the breakfast bar and plop down to do some work. Side note, isn’t that barstool cute? I love them! I got them here for my breakfast bar, and they’re perfect! (affiliate link).
If I decide to just used it as a pretty table, I can do that too by removing my computer and adding some pretty decor pieces. It’s so versatile!
My most favorite part about this project? It was practically free! Pallets cost zero of course, and I already had white chalk paint, the wood stain, and screws. I just needed to purchase the wood for the top, which was like $8. The hubby was pretty happy with that price.
Enjoy the rest of your week!
