How to Build a Fold-Out Closet Desk

Working from home has become a reality for many, but not every home has a spare bedroom to turn into a home office. Even if you don’t work from home, you might long for a dedicated space for your craft or hobby, or a place for kids to do their homework.

Converting a closet allows you to gain space without taking over a room or remodeling. I’ll show you how to transform your closet into a multipurpose work space using hollow-core doors and basic tools. You can find doors at a reuse center, as I did, or buy them new at a home center.

Make Filler Strips

After you cut the door slabs to fit your closet space, you need to make the filler pieces that fit inside to reinforce the hollow core.

Measure the inner door cavity. Mine measured 1-1/8-in.; that’s typical, but it can vary. You can cut filler pieces to that size from a 2×6. I have wood-topped sawhorses, so I fastened down the 2×6 with 2-in. screws. Clamps would work just as well.

With the blade depth set to 1-5/8-in., make a short test cut to be sure the edge guide is set to the right width, and the zero stop on the saw’s bevel gauge is cutting at 90 degrees. Keeping the wider part of the saw’s baseplate on the 2×6, I was able to get two passes with a solid footing of my saw’s baseplate on the board, which ensured accurate cuts. Despite some waste, this is a safe technique if you don’t have a table saw.