Building an Ever-expanding Ikea PS 2014 Secretary
As the global pandemic around COVID-19 started to take hold across the world, working from home full time was quickly becoming a reality. In a two-bedroom apartment with a three year old and my wife, however, I needed to find a setup that met a few criteria:
- Aesthetically pleasing, as my work area would inevitably be in our bedroom to avoid curious toddler fingers
- Able to be closed away, so that I can maintain a healthy boundary between work- and home-life, while everything is still at home
- Able to accommodate a large monitor for work
In searching for a setup and doing some measurements, I always loved the look of the PS 2012 Secretary desk. Discontinued, I looked at local classified ads and found someone who actually had one new in box and was willing to ship it. One contactless delivery later, and I was able to give it a shot.
The 27" monitor I had would technically fit, but was scraping the top and bottom of the interior, so I decided to give myself some more vertical space:
- Moving the ceiling of the interior space to the top of the desk still allowed for a place for plants and nicknacks
- Changing the face panel of the top area into a hinged panel allows a 27" monitor to be mounted at an ergonomic level
- Adding a stay-up arm keeps the top flap open during the work day
Additionally:
- For maximizing the open space on the desk, the monitor was mounted on a short VESA arm and bolted through the back panel
- A small shelf was built behind the monitor to house a power strip and keep cables out of sight
- Because the top of the monitor was no longer accessible, a webcam is mounted to the side of the monitor via command strip
- For audio, a speaker was affixed to the bottom of the monitor with (black!) command strips
- An additional hole in the back allows for some cables to route to the top shelf without being visible.
- Attached the desk to the wall for added stability to prevent monitor wobble
- Added a laptop mount out of sight on the side of the desk for accessibility and connectivity
Finally, there wasn’t space for a second monitor, but sometimes it’s needed. Using two short drawer rails and 270 degree hinges, I built a flip out shelf out of some scrap IVAR shelf wood to hold an iPad, to be used with either Duet Display or Apple’s Sidecar.
And for fun, I attached the desk pad with blu-tack so that it will stay in place even when closed.
Process:
Top shelf:
- Given the trapezoidal shape, align the top shelf where you’d like it at the ceiling, leaving roughly 1cm of space for a lip
- Remove the roughly ~2cm of overhang on the flat side of the ceiling panel (so the front angle is maintained) with a saw
- Drill pilot holes and use long wood screws to affix to the sides and rear of the top portion
- Mount the hinges so that the top panel is aligned
- Install the gas hinge one side so that panel stays up
Hinges: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B0777J293F/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Lift arm: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B012RU3QEC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Side shelf for iPad:
- Using two rails reduces flex and shearing as the shelf is extended
- Using a hinge greater than 90 degrees allows for clearance as the shelf is re-inserted when closing
30mm hinges: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B01MFAQ3NK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Rails: Set of 2 (1 Set) Drawer Runners — Ball Bearing Slide Telescope Rail L 214 mm Nut 17x10 mm — Livindo
Right angle USB-C adapaters: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B078YRKTKM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Speaker attachment:
- A small project, but makes a large visual difference, using black command strips creates an integrated look, and right angle plugs keep things out of sight. A black permanent marker minimizes the upside down logo on the grille.
Anker SoundCore 2: https://www.amazon.de/Anker-Lautsprecher-Dual-Treiber-Reichweite-Eingebauten/dp/B01MTB55WH/
Black command strips: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00X7792D4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Right angle micro usb cable: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B01N26RAL6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Right angle audio cable: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B004G7U40Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Monitor mounting:
- Using a shorter VESA arm allows for a shallow mounting depth, but requires careful measurement to ensure the correct height.
VESA arm: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00E7TNI7C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Metric bolts including 25mm M4: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00B22VDEC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Desk pad:
- Simple blu tack affixes a desk pad that stays put when closing the desk shelf.
Desk pad: https://novelkeys.xyz/products/modern-life-deskpads
Laptop Cubby
Finally, I wanted a way to keep my laptop out of sight, but still easily accessible when I want to work away from my desk — and thermally sound, so that the computer won’t overheat. I used a jigsaw to make a bowed bar out of the same spare IVAR shelf to allow for proper clearance and stability for the laptop in the recessed cubby on the side, with usb-c cables from the back routed to the side.
All in all, I’m very pleased with this project — it lets me have a modern, professional setup that can be easily put away when work is done. And, it’s a hell of a lot of fun.
