Raising the Desk

September 16, 2004 4:45 PM

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.
posted by Kwantsar to Home & Garden (24 answers total)

What sort of legs does the desk have now? (a pic may be helpful here)
posted by mr_crash_davis at 5:13 PM on September 16, 2004

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?
posted by iconomy at 5:16 PM on September 16, 2004

Response by poster: 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.
posted by Kwantsar at 5:27 PM on September 16, 2004

Response by poster: Here's the desk.
posted by Kwantsar at 5:30 PM on September 16, 2004

What I got for a very similar purpose was these.
posted by kindall at 5:36 PM on September 16, 2004

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?
posted by ParisParamus at 6:32 PM on September 16, 2004

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.
posted by iconomy at 6:44 PM on September 16, 2004

Get those lifts that kindall suggested, and then paint them with something kewl like Fleckstone.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:50 PM on September 16, 2004

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.
posted by rafter at 6:53 PM on September 16, 2004

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.)
posted by kindall at 7:02 PM on September 16, 2004

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....
posted by ParisParamus at 7:35 PM on September 16, 2004

How about brass casters? Perhaps something like this.
posted by Quinbus Flestrin at 8:33 PM on September 16, 2004

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.
posted by alana at 9:16 PM on September 16, 2004

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

Yes... exactly.
posted by kindall at 9:50 PM on September 16, 2004

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.
posted by jeribus at 10:00 PM on September 16, 2004

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.
posted by weston at 10:29 PM on September 16, 2004

Deskalators!
posted by taz at 11:36 PM on September 16, 2004

Take the arm rests off the chair.
posted by yoga at 5:12 AM on September 17, 2004

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.
posted by iconomy at 6:53 AM on September 17, 2004

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.
posted by crush-onastick at 7:13 AM on September 17, 2004

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.
posted by MrMoonPie at 8:17 AM on September 17, 2004

I want to spray my palm pilot with Fleckstone.
posted by mecran01 at 9:09 AM on September 17, 2004

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.
posted by Juicylicious at 12:53 PM on September 17, 2004

If you go caster get the locking kind. Remember you need hard casters for hard wood and soft casters for carpet and lino.
posted by Mitheral at 2:07 PM on September 17, 2004