We needed a big working desk for our home. Something big enough for me and my wife to work side by side on laptops, and big enough to spread papers, fabrics, and tools across.

WHY THE SPACE MATTERS

Artists, architects, designers — they’ve always obsessed over their studios. Not just for aesthetics, but because the studio changes the work. Your tools and space define what you are able to make. The light, the layout, even the color of the floor — they all quietly push your work in one direction or another.

“A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.”

Virginia Woolf famously wrote this in her 1929 extended essay “A Room of One’s Own”.

Her core idea was that “creative work requires physical and financial independence” – specifically, a literal room and enough income to work without constant interruption.

She uses “a room” both literally and metaphorically. Woolf argued that without space and time to think, it’s almost impossible to create meaningful work.

The artist Tom Sachs teaches that the studio itself is “the greatest work of art.” Not the finished pieces but the system, the rules, the way things are arranged.

For most of us city-dwellers living in smaller apartments an idea of a private work room is a fantastical thought – unachievable luxury. So I thought: if I can't have my own room why not start with the desk? 

I googled desks, but an idea had already taken root: I wanted to make one myself. Because shaping your environment feels like a step toward shaping your future.

HOW I MADE IT

I built it with a painted yellow frame, plywood top, and two folding extensions that halve the surface area when needed. The legs have locking wheels so the whole thing can move, and I made it a bit taller than standard – better for standing and handling big sheets of paper or fabric.

The bright yellow reminds me of cranes, scaffolding, work-in-progress. It’s a color that insists on happy thoughts.

The desk can come apart if it ever needs to move. No glue, no screws but three horizontal beams joined with fishtail joints.

MY SYSTEM

It’s ready now, but I’ll keep adding to it: a roll holder for fabric, maybe a removable rack where I can hang backpacks and clothing for better tweaking.

And it's not entirely mine. I gladly share it with my wife but making my own desk gives me a sense of independence and command. It's not just a random desk but an important and considered piece in my own environment and daily practice. It's part of my system.

And here’s where I challenge you: take a critical look at your own workspace. Does it support the work you really want to be doing or is it quietly holding you back? Could a small change in how your tools and surfaces are arranged change what you make next?