Ben's steampunk desk and shelf

Ben and Angie like the look of the steampunk designs they've seen on Pinterest, so Ben thought he'd try a steampunk design for a new desk for Jake's room. Jake recently got an elevated bed, freeing up space for this new built-in desk, a reading nook, and his piano keyboard.

Ben used a piece of Formica-covered MDF that was originally a corner desk for a printer. He shaped the piece into a desk and a shelf, and hung the built-ins with approximately $50 invested in an assortment of half-inch, black-pipe (iron, gas pipe) lengths and fixtures purchased in the plumbling section of Home Depot. 

The shelf is supported with four braces created from black-pipe fixtures anchored into the wall with molly sleeves. 

Each supporting fixture for the shelf consists of  one floor flange, one street 45 fixture ( (this fixture is a 45-degree angle with a male fitting on one end and female fitting on the other end), one 2-inch nipple, another street 45, and a second floor flange. All fixtures are for half-inch pipe and all pipe lengths are half-inch pipe.

Close up of short brace for small shelf.

In addition to the black pipe bracing, the desk hangs from a 2 x 4 ledger strip screwed into the wall studs. Two large brackets supporting the long arm of the desktop.

Bracket formulation from shelf to wall: a floor flange, a street 45, a two inch length nipple, another street 45, an 8-inch length nipple, and a floor flange.

Close up of desk support brackets.

Ben used a de-greaser to wipe down the pipe brackets and sprayed them with clear coat before installation.

Ben said:

Its my first endeavor into the steam punk, utilitarian look. Its definitely brought some cool ideas and I plan to use it more. When we do the bathroom in the basement, the style is going to be steampunk. It's super strong, and minimalist so you don’t have clutter in the way.

Angie likes the style, too, saying it has a warm look that you don't expect with such utilitarian components.

Street sign on Jake's elevated bunk.

Reading nook under elevated bunk with quilt made for him when he was born by his Aunt Sue.