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Build Your Own Home Office Furniture:

The number of people working from home is growing at an astonishing rate. In 1990 there were just 3.4 million people who worked from an office at home. Today that number is 32 million and is predicted to rise to 137 million by 2003. What does that mean for woodworkers? Every one of those millions of people needs a comfortable place in their homes to work, including a computer desk, file cabinets and shelving. And that's not all; as the baby boomers retire, they're installing home offices in their spare rooms as they head into the next phase of their lives. If you're not one of the millions building a home office, chances are that someone in your family or your neighborhood is, and that's why you're going to find that this will be an invaluable book in your library.

Most people aren't going to be content with having inexpensive stamped steel furniture in their homes. They want something that looks like the nice furniture in their living room or den. And that's what author Danny Proulx gives you in his latest project book. Build Your Own Home Office Furniture gives you the complete plans for 13 home office projects, everything from converting a closet into a home workstation to an executive's desk to file drawers.

Proulx has focused his cabinetmaking career on building sensible and sturdy kitchen cabinets, and he brings that brand of know-how to this book. For many of these projects Proulx advocates using man-made sheet goods, such as plywood, medium-density fiberboard and laminates. Why? He makes a convincing argument that these products will greatly speed up construction time, make for more accurate joinery, look good and are more environmentally friendly than hardwoods.

Even if you're a solid-wood purist Danny Proulx has got something for you. Three of the projects in this book (two desks and a perching stool) are made entirely from solid wood. And nothing in Proulx's construction methods will stop you from using solid wood in any of the 13 projects in this book.

Proulx has perfected the way he presents construction information. Each project features a full-page 3D drawing that is blown apart so you can see the insides. There's also a complete cutting list.

There's lots of possibilities for the home office, and Proulx does his best to cover them all. He begins the book by showing how to build a basic tabletop, raised-panel door and drawers. Once you get those basic skills in hand, you'll move quickly into the hand desktop organizer, which adds pigeonholes to any desk. And then on to the basic drawer base cabinet, which can be used in a wide variety of ways.

Other great projects include an executive work center, which is an L-shaped desk for computer work and projects. There's also a stand-up desk, which is great for people who think on their feet or want to work at a greater height to take in a view as they work.

If you're working from home occasionally, it will do you good to make yourself a decent workstation for your computer, your books and your files. You'll be more comfortable, and your spare room will look a lot more organized. And after you finish building that home office of your dreams, you might want to keep this book handy. You'll enjoy building this stuff so much that you can open your own business on the side. It sure sounds like you're going to have a lot of customers in the next two years. 

One of the many strengths of Build Your Own Home Office Furniture are the excellent 3D construction drawings. Armed with these, the cutting lists and the dozens of step photos, you'll be ready to get to work.

Build Your Own Home Office Furniture is filled with useful tips and hints Proulx has gathered over his career, including this ingenious jig for drilling shelf pin holes. Unlike shop-made wooden ones, this one will never wear out.

Sometimes a home office has to share space with the living room, bedroom or even the kitchen. That's why this armoire work center is a favorite. Once your work is done, you shut your office doors and leave the clutter and stress inside.

Reviews:

From Booklist

It is tempting, especially for those familiar with wood and tools, to try to build a functional piece of furniture. In one word, don't--until you use a beginning how-to book and then turn to Proulx's latest guide. This woodworking expert is no stranger to the art of crafts writing; after such titles as How to Build Classic Garden Furniture and Smart Shelving and Storage Solutions, he's now put together a home office workshop in print (with some help from Jim Stack, editor of Popular Woodworking) featuring 14 "must have" projects. Detailed directions include two types of cutting lists, hardware and supplies, 3-D illustrations of each component and how they fit together, tips (for instance, make sure drawers are one inch smaller in width than the cabinet's inside dimensions), construction notes (information about possible variations and additions), and photographic step-by-step instructions. What's more, he starts by building modules--laminate tabletop, file and storage drawers, desktop organizers--and graduates to such projects as an office bookcase and a writing desk. Suppliers and sources appended. -- Barbara Jacobs
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From Library Journal

Proulx offers a variety of designs for home office furnishings that are functional, professional looking, and well within the abilities of most woodworkers. Using sheetgoods, modern fasteners, and some solid wood, readers can make a workstation, several kinds of desks, bookcases, and a lateral file cabinet. Proulx offers easily followed instructions supplemented by a wealth of color photographs. Owing to the proliferation of home offices, there is sure to be interest in this title. Recommended for most public libraries.