Comments on: Raising the Desk

Question: Raising the Desk

Kwantsar — Thu, 16 Sep 2004 16:45:53 -0800

I have a (relatively light) four-legged desk that's about four inches too short for my chair. I'd like to raise the desk, but I'd like to avoid using something as crude as cinderblocks or lumber. Are there any simple and elegant methods, products, or materials that I might employ?
Shortening the chair is not an option.

By: mr_crash_davis

mr_crash_davis — Thu, 16 Sep 2004 17:13:54 -0800

What sort of legs does the desk have now? (a pic may be helpful here)

By: iconomy

iconomy — Thu, 16 Sep 2004 17:16:16 -0800

Can you just replace the legs? You can buy some nice ones at most building supply places - anything from elaborate lathe-turned wooden ones to simple cylinders. You can get trundle style bases too.

It's sort of hard to advise without seeing the desk, but could you add something to the top instead of the bottom? Like, a thick sheet of beveled glass or plexiglass, to give it some more height, or is the problem that your legs aren't fitting under it?

By: Kwantsar

Kwantsar — Thu, 16 Sep 2004 17:27:39 -0800

I see why my post was sort of crappy.

The desk is similar to this.

The problem is that the arms on the chair are so high that the chair will not rest with the arms under the desk. In other words, I can't push the chair in. In other other words, if the bottom of the desk is 33" above the floor, the armrests of the chair are 37" above the floor.

Replacing the legs is an option, but by the time I procure, finish, and attach them, I could have earned enough to replace the (inexpensive) desk. Hoping for something easier. Thanks for the suggestions so far.

By: Kwantsar

Kwantsar — Thu, 16 Sep 2004 17:30:35 -0800

Here's the desk.

By: kindall

kindall — Thu, 16 Sep 2004 17:36:26 -0800

What I got for a very similar purpose was these.

By: ParisParamus

ParisParamus — Thu, 16 Sep 2004 18:32:46 -0800

Aesthetically, I would go with blocks of wood, perhaps sanded and stained or painted appropriately. The desk legs probably won't fit into the BB&B cones, and I suspect, will look ridiculous. Then again, maybe you can paint the cones?

By: iconomy

iconomy — Thu, 16 Sep 2004 18:44:12 -0800

I really like the way the bottom of these legs are encased in some kind of metal. Adding a few inches of metal at the bottom that matched the hardware/drawer pull of your desk, might give you the elegant look that you're after. Maybe you could rig something up that you find by browsing the aisles at your local Home Depot-type store.

By: mr_crash_davis

mr_crash_davis — Thu, 16 Sep 2004 18:50:56 -0800

Get those lifts that kindall suggested, and then paint them with something kewl like Fleckstone.

By: rafter

rafter — Thu, 16 Sep 2004 18:53:10 -0800

Iconomy made me think of sticking the legs in some 2-inch copper piping (PVC-style) from your local hardware store. You could even use one of those neato elbow joints to add feet or other decoration (for instance, use four way joints halfway up to connect the back legs to the front ones and to eachother).

Spraypaint for color as desired.

By: kindall

kindall — Thu, 16 Sep 2004 19:02:30 -0800

Well, Bed Bath and Beyond also has wood block bed lifts. In the store, these are available in a couple different finishes, even. But they're not quite as tall as the plastic ones. (Which really don't look that ridiculous.)

By: ParisParamus

ParisParamus — Thu, 16 Sep 2004 19:35:12 -0800

Sorry kindall, I wasn't trying to be harsh; it's just that a metal bed and plastic go together better than a plastic and a wooden desk. And a computer....wait, on second thought....

By: Quinbus Flestrin

Quinbus Flestrin — Thu, 16 Sep 2004 20:33:41 -0800

How about brass casters? Perhaps something like this.

By: alan

alan — Thu, 16 Sep 2004 21:16:00 -0800

I'd reconsider the maligned cinder blocks, but buying a bolt of nice fabric to cover them in so they

1. Look nice and

2. Don't scratch things up.

By: kindall

kindall — Thu, 16 Sep 2004 21:50:39 -0800

And a computer....wait, on second thought....

Yes... exactly.

By: jeribus

jeribus — Thu, 16 Sep 2004 22:00:56 -0800

Has anyone actually tried the little booster blocks on a bed?

We were thinking about it, but have some deep concerns about them tipping over and smooshing something. Mainly, the pets who have a tendacy to sleep under the bed when given a chance.

By: weston

weston — Thu, 16 Sep 2004 22:29:15 -0800

I'd pick something similar to the floor. If you've got carpet, see if you can get the same thing and create some carpet covered wood risers (or even cinder blocks). Depending on the layout of the room, perhaps even extend them out waaay beyond what's necessary to raise the desk, which can make them look more like part of a scheme than a jerry-rigged solution to the desk problem.

By: taz

taz — Thu, 16 Sep 2004 23:36:27 -0800

Deskalators!

By: yoga

yoga — Fri, 17 Sep 2004 05:12:50 -0800

Take the arm rests off the chair.

By: iconomy

iconomy — Fri, 17 Sep 2004 06:53:42 -0800

Jeribus, I just bought the boosters for my daughter's dorm bed - the plastic ones that kindall linked to. They're super strong, very sturdy - work great.

By: crush-onastick

crush-onastick — Fri, 17 Sep 2004 07:13:51 -0800

jeribus--i had the booster blocks on a bed for several years. the 130 pound labrador retriever used to leap on and off the raised bed while chasing the 12 pund cat and not only did the bed never collapse, but it never *felt* like it was going to collaps or even really shifted.

By: MrMoonPie

MrMoonPie — Fri, 17 Sep 2004 08:17:50 -0800

jeribus, the B&B my wife and I stayed at on our honeymoon had them on their beds. I didn't like them--the bed felt wobbly when we, um, you know, wobbled. But the bed didn't fall down.

By: mecran01

mecran01 — Fri, 17 Sep 2004 09:09:15 -0800

I want to spray my palm pilot with Fleckstone.

By: Juicylicious

Juicylicious — Fri, 17 Sep 2004 12:53:29 -0800

Have you tried lowering the arms on your chair? Or, removing them all together like yoga suggested? If it were me, I'd buy a new chair.

By: Mitheral

Mitheral — Fri, 17 Sep 2004 14:07:45 -0800

If you go caster get the locking kind. Remember you need hard casters for hard wood and soft casters for carpet and lino.