My DIY Custom Wood Stained IKEA Standing Desk!

Making your own standing desk doesn't have to be complicated, or expensive. In fact, with a budget motorised standing desk from Amazon and a wooden desk top from IKEA, and a few dollars of wood stain, you can create your very own DIY masterpiece.
Products in this video:
⮕ Amazon standing desk frame: geni.us/standingdeskframe
⮕ Dell P3421W Ultrawide Monitor: geni.us/dellp321
⮕ Dell U2720Q 4K Monitor: geni.us/4kdisplay
⮕ Aluminum MacBook Stand: geni.us/travelstand
⮕ Leather Desk Mat: geni.us/leatherdeskpad
⮕ Logitech Wireless Mouse: geni.us/mxmouse
⮕ Logitech Wireless Keyboard: geni.us/mxkeyboard
⮕ Adjustable Monitor Mount: geni.us/ergomount
⮕ Philips Hue Lightstrip: geni.us/philipshuelightstrip
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00:00 Introduction
01:18 Why Make Your Own Standing Desk?
01:50 Finding a Frame
02:55 Choosing a Desk Top
04:36 Sponsor
05:42 Staining the Desk Top
07:37 Building the Desk
08:26 Cable Management
09:00 Extras
#desksetup #minimalism #IKEAhacks
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Disclaimer: Some of the above links are affiliated, and we may receive a small commission (at no cost to you) if you make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

[@CreatedTech]

Products in this video: ⮕ Amazon standing desk frame: geni.us/standingdeskframe ⮕ Dell P3421W Ultrawide Monitor: geni.us/dellp321 ⮕ Dell U2720Q 4K Monitor: geni.us/4kdisplay ⮕ Aluminum MacBook Stand: geni.us/travelstand ⮕ Leather Desk Mat: geni.us/leatherdeskpad ⮕ Logitech Wireless Mouse: geni.us/mxmouse ⮕ Logitech Wireless Keyboard: geni.us/mxkeyboard ⮕ Adjustable Monitor Mount: geni.us/ergomount ⮕ Philips Hue Lightstrip: geni.us/philipshuelightstrip

[@costirules]

hey, bud! now i understand why the links are generic since the product might not be available and also is region dependable, but i would very much appreciate it if you would drop a reply here mentioning the product name or product code for the standing desk frame, leather desk mat and adjustable monitor mount. thanks a lot! 😊

[@daviddeady6404]

Stains just color the wood. If you use a stain, you'll want to also apply a clear polyurethane coat on top of the stain. Polyurethane will protect the top (from water rings, etc) and it gives the color more depth and beauty (like nice wood floors; you can buy polyeurethane in glossy or matte finish). It makes a big difference! You can also find poly/stain blends that can be applied in one coat. Also, before applying a water-based stain, you'll want to dampen the desk with water first, wait a day for it to dry out, then very, very minimally sand it one last time with a 220 grit sandpaper (sand in the direction of the wood grain - ie longways). If you don't wet first, your water-based stain will make the fibers of the wood stand up (like whiskers) and it will have a fuzzy/cheap look/feel to it. By wetting it, you "raise the grain" and then knock it off with that last bit of sanding (2 swipes). Best bet is to ask an old woodworker about this stuff!

[@andrews13]

Exactly!

[@mingchai08]

he explained why he didn't apply poly at the top tho lmao

[@daviddeady6404]

​@@mingchai08 Most people watching this video aren't going to sand their desk again later and change the stain color. My comment was for them, so they can have great results. While his desk looks fine in the video, most novices don't realize how much better a project will look when the topcoat is applied. The stain he is using even says this in the instructions "Once your area is dry, make sure you seal it. The clear topcoat ensures lasting protection and fully develops the final colour - the most important step".

[@leoginto9373]

What matte Poly coat would you recommend?

[@mingchai08]

@@daviddeady6404 tbh not everyone is a fan of poly because of its fake plastic look. I do agree yes it provides the protection but I personally isn't a big fan of it. People get to have their own opinions and not everyone would want to apply poly to their wood computer desk, perhaps water ring isn't even a concern to the creator as you'd assume so. Maybe he wouldn't have a cup of water right there to even cause that water ring to begin with? People that watch this video are probably researching on their next DIY project so this probably won't be the one and only video they watch, they should be able to find that info just fine by their own research.

[@ChrisTheAppleOne]

Exactly the video I need… was watching your desk setup video and was like… I need to do that! And here we are haha

[@GuilelessDiamnd0029]

I'm so glad I came across your channel, I'm a student myself and I can relate to almost everything in your videos!

[@chadpenton2071]

I always thought you had that monitor for your MBA. I can see now you're running a nice little Mini underneath that setup. Sneaky! Love it though. Very sleek. Thanks for the video.

[@mooxart64]

You have inspired me. Imma do my own stuff, you made it look so simple and I'd would love to have something I made myself. TY.

[@carlostapia1991]

this was literally the video i needed. i am going to try and attempt this on my own

[@Alwaysgotthemunchies]

wow bro that desk is SO NICE. such a nice finish, love it.

[@MzansiMagazineTV]

Wow, clean setup studio I really love it!

[@BDUDE]

Really excited for this video!

[@MaiElizabeth]

Love your idea of applying stain on the desk we like but limited in colours.

[@FreedomX1979]

Wonder if you could fit an L-shaped piece of wood to a normal standing desk frame? Maybe with some support struts underneath the L part?

[@ACCollection]

Looking amazing!

[@Alex-os5co]

Awesome! I’ve always wanted a standing desk, I’m going to give it a go. What Mac mini mount did you use?

[@Vintuitive]

This is a great idea! 🧔🏻👍 I just recently bought a standing desk with a basic black top and am loving it. Seeing how easy it is to replace it with a more attractive wood finish I'm enthused to do it myself. Thanks for making this video. Hi from Adelaide! 👋

[@1Damstar]

Thanks! Just missing is the chair, which brand model is it? I like the transparent backrest, makes it look less cumbersome..

[@iFINNIX]

Another option is getting the karlby at the 42” deep option and cutting off 12” so you have a 30” deep top and then turn the 12” you cut off into a monitor stand

[@aldenhattlestad4512]

Wait that's smart

[@SheaHarris]

@@aldenhattlestad4512 Better to just get a real wood countertop at Home Depot for the same price as a Karlby.

[@druid2538]

SOMEBODY WRITE THIS DOWN

[@frizz1010]

hello , nice your setup! what is the lamp you put on the top of your screen ? Many thanks ;)

[@drtobyk]

Sorry if you have already answered this, but do you have a link or recommendation for the desk frame?

[@MuelaRicardo]

Looks so dope!! :D

[@Joerilla369]

first of all thanks for the effort and all the information. I might be late to the game, but which Adjustable Monitor mount are you using in the clip? the link redirects to a bunch of products. Anyone knows ?

[@Nowayciano]

Great video, where can I find the light on the top of your screen tho?

[@only_noma]

Hey :) Thanks for the sharing. What's the chair? Could you share the link to it please?

[@austineadah2843]

I like this.could you drop a link to all the materials and equipments?

[@changdaniel]

With the setup that has the monitorn arm all the way to the right of the desk, Does it wobble when it is in the desk high position?

[@MisterO.S]

Looks clean, good job 👍

[@yiannisspanos694]

I have a 150x75cm Linnmon tabletop from 2015. It has been my desk since then and Ive spent almost half of the past 7 years with my hand on that table. It hasn't broken yet, but I have made some scratches and I will look for a new table. I have 2x 24" monitors on arms, a laptop, 2 speaker, and some of the time a few heavy books on there. You don't need to fearmonger people to make the spend more money on a desk. Just say solid wood is better, more premium and it makes you feel nice.

[@gbecards]

Agree with that I have Linnmon tabletops for around 4 years, even held my weight! Its a very cheap and great alternative.

[@yiannisspanos694]

@@gbecards it's cheap because honeycombs are a very smart solution. It won't be my forever desk, but I'm definitely happy it lasted 9 years and I can throw it now that I'm moving abroad

[@dullisthenewnormal3945]

Ik not even interested in this topic ; but I surely had to watch it cause your videos are the best !

[@drumcorpsfan]

Great Video! The Gerton Table top is no longer available. Any suggestions?

[@divyansh8596]

the new outro is phenomenal dude!

[@hakuei7530]

Good content. Keep it up!

[@AJCoReTV]

Karlby seems nice, 26” deep is perfect. I’m trying to avoid that absolute hassle & mess of staining & treating wood.

[@Chernyavskiy]

26” is not enough. Wish it was deeper

[@user-lz5vh9bb5w]

66 cm is no where near deep enough... It needs to be roughly 75-80 or more if you're going to have a large monitor.

[@mje1625]

Gerton tabletop not available. Any suggestions for a replacement?

[@Djzapaxy]

I bought the karlby one. It has the perfect color no need to stain it. Its allready perfect dark

[@jaytpaul]

I feel so lucky that I got this tabletop a year or so ago in Socal. Not sure why IKEA would discontinue it when it would immediately sell out whenever they restocked it.

[@badhonmannaf7352]

maybe supply chain and stock issues so they got fed up and decided to carry it in only in high volume countries? not sure, but its a conjecture.

[@adam_the_kiwi]

Hi there, what did you use to mount your hard drive / mac under the desk? Thanks

[@YuvalHalfon]

What is the size of the table top? what sizes are fit for the IKEA uppspel?

[@eagle3284]

I`m looking for a similar color that is a bit more affordable and avalible in germany. If someone knows one, please let me know.

[@klbk]

I was mainly looking for some DIY desk frame ideas, but stumbled upon your video. That table top you picked is the exact size I need, so I just went to IKEA site. Sadly these aren't available to get in my country. What a sad moment :(

[@Runiiredd]

Someone plz answer but I wanted to know If I could the uppspel table top and use the idasen frame from ikea. Is it possible that I cohld use these two different brands?

[@lizzyh5808]

Great job. What is that light over your monitor ? 😀

[@tefrok]

Verry nice Video helped me a lot 👍

[@norelmilihov2941]

Good video bro , can you send the link to that countertop from ikea? i cant seem to find it

[@HighPeakMapping]

The link to your discord has expired on your about page. Do you have an updated one? Great video btw

[@kevinngo2642]

Did you use a pocket hole to screw it or just direct screw to the table ?

[@xtremel1]

Which frame are you using for your desk?

[@creal_]

nice vid man. I do have a small question. Did you drill any holes prior to drilling the screws into your custom desk? Or did you just drilled them in ? Keep it up!

[@randomdudeontheinternet9926]

I’ve been told that it’s best to predrill holes the diameter of the core of the woodscrew. I don’t know if it’s true or not.

[@MikeHawksBig69]

Anyone built the desk yet here? Did you guys have to pre drill holes?

[@creal_]

@@MikeHawksBig69 I did, and also did pre-drill holes which made it easier to get them in.

[@MikeHawksBig69]

@@creal_ what counter top did you get?

[@KiomEl]

Would you recommend just having the tabletop sit ontop of the frame without any drilling?

[@5TA1KR]

Man, the color you chose looks amazing! Great video.

[@slymeszn]

wonder if they will ever restock this table top

[@pierreromki]

KAPUTT 😍 greets from Germany

[@skatingmagician]

Where do i get a standing desk frame, and which one do you have?

[@mangowett9967]

The gerton is discontinued !! What do I go with then?

[@daishi711]

Check the big box home improvement stores near you for unfinished butcher block countertops.

[@FiveStarPicks500]

Nice, for creativity, an interesting video, keep it up.

[@gold.gorilla]

Looks like the Gerton has been discontinued in Australia unfortunately! Looks like a great desk top.

[@Matt-ym3if]

Same in America

[@klops9696]

@@Matt-ym3if Same in Germany

[@luisanthony1080]

@@klops9696 Same in Indonesia

[@raymondreddington6521]

Lagkapten could be a replacement 160x80

[@OthmanAlikhan]

Thanks for the video =)

[@koDiacc]

did you predrill the holes in the table before inserting the screws?

[@paulomiguel20]

Do you know if the frame linked to your description hold the Karlby 75 long?

[@mayureshs80]

Nice video! Can you share the wallpaper link?

[@arno.claude]

3:29 Where'd you get that black moving background from?

[@ikid1217]

Do IKEA have them table tops In shorter lengths like 120 x 60

[@xe6h]

How were you able to find the gerton at ikea? its been discontinued.

[@Memerle0815]

Looks like mine exactly Hahah!:D would Love to send a picture 😅

[@PeterBlaBla]

wow, Awesome!

[@Hotshy]

but what kind of seat are you using? looks nice

[@fortnitegamer7999]

Why do you use apps in windowed mode why not fullscreen?

[@Jared10112]

This is great! Unfortunately that solid wood top no longer exists… and the only ones from ikea are 25” deep and the cheapest is 215$

[@brois841]

This is the problem... what are people doing instead?

[@Rubicon1985]

@@brois841 I bought a sheet of harwood ply, routed the edges, sanded and varnished. Hardwood ply at 18mm supports dual ultrawides and speakers fine. it's about £50 from a timber merchant in the uk for a similar size

[@druid2538]

Don't know why Ikea decided to get rid of it. Their price hikes are bad enough to begin with. I wonder if home hardware stores like Home Depot, Lowes, etc. have similar options. Or the local lumber yard. You'd probably have to sand and stain them though.

[@digibluh]

@@druid2538 HD does, you can get the 35" deep one and cut it to 30" if it's too deep but you do have to finish them.

[@routeone4790]

any alternative table tops as this is on ikea anymore?

[@InventiveImagery]

8:48 do you have a link for the mac mini holder? Or can you steer me in the right direction

[@la_meczla]

Hey, maybe a stupid question, but I like carpet in your room. Possible to buy it online?

[@johngonzalez3104]

awesome vid thanks

[@nathanaelhowe6914]

This video has been SUPER helpful. Thanks mate!

[@hassanreshat8487]

Looks mint! What colour are the walls in your room? Iam doing up my office and that's the colour I'm looking for.

[@leslie7872]

Will ikea cut wood counter tops?

[@AlexFernandes89]

Like your idea 💡

[@rasta86]

Ayyy ikea springwood 😉

[@ccheww]

electric adjustable standing desks are actually highly customizable... and pretty affordable for just the legs and motors

[@bentn1996]

Looks pretty good. Use a pre-stain on there next time and it wont turn out as splotchy

[@TheCodeTinkerer]

Why didn't you use a clear coat? Won't the stain bleed, when you put a glass on the table without a table protector?

[@noevalencia1908]

What chair was in the intro of the video at 0:16 and is it comfortable?

[@withtiago]

Which brand is your sd? You are mentioning the Topsky Desk in the link, but the product in the video isn’t absolutely the Topsky.

[@bernios3446]

8:47 - how do you switch on the Mac mini underneath??

[@etaolon]

Whats the type of this Dell monitor, looks nice.

[@ItsJustMeStevie]

Omg I love your desk but am lazy to make it lol

[@diaa7495]

Love it

[@dturtleboy9115]

IKEA USA does not sell the Gerton anymore but u can find them on the second market fro pretty much the same price and the same condition

[@rasmusalexandersen8760]

what is the name og the lamp they got mounted on your moniter? :)

[@SWSW560]

Re the crank style desk, I prefer this over the motor. Yes it take physical effort (God forbid) to adjust the desk height but its usually within 10 seconds...far less if you are in a rush and I am over 6 feet....nowhere near 2 minutes. I have what could be considered a "cheap" one (brand name Vivo , cost $150 US at the time) , no problems thus far with over a year of daily use. It is safer, uses no electricity, no motor issue which apparently is common especially with some that use 2 motors. Just sharing my two cents, cheers.

[@iMadeThisThat]

Ikea does not have GERTON tabletop anymore. I could not find any tabletop on IKEA website with Beechwood.

[@felixjohnson4295]

Whats the name of the light you have on top of your monitor

[@kevinhuddy4470]

"Up to 8..." Dude that's my bare minimum.

[@Chinydwarfinat3r]

What brand are the legs and the remote for it??

[@seanalequin5127]

Are the legs you linked the same as the ones you used ?

[@TT_PLEB]

I love the idea but hate when the desk wobbles back and forth, especially when I use a wheel or flightsticks, but the 4legged sit stand frames are stupidly expensive

[@GurpreetSingh-kx7lj]

How and where to buy these adjustable size legs?

[@alexpiguillem]

What is the monitor arm used in the thumbnail and intro? 😊

[@mrzipapupa]

Does the lift mechanism lift a heavy worktop easily?

[@EthosAtheos]

The one I got off Amazon is rated for 300 lbs (136kg). My sold birch butcher block top, weighs about 80 lbs (36kg). That gives me about 220 lbs ( almost 100kg) of usable weight. When you get legs just make sure to note the carrying capacity. I paid a little more for my legs for more lift capacity.

[@mrzipapupa]

@@EthosAtheos thank you, beautiful setup 👍

[@saibfps8929]

Sadly it looks like Ikea doesn't sell the Gerton Table Top in the U.S :(

[@Tony-nl6pf]

Yea I had the same issue.

[@duke222222]

@@Tony-nl6pf Funnily enough they don't sell them in Australia either (as of now), so maybe it was EOL stock.

[@connorthompson6452]

yeah big sadge all particle board now

[@kenigjack7654]

they discontinued

[@Vinterdum]

in russia too :(

[@ianpratt4109]

Which desk frame did you go for?

[@rahimnealyakoob5968]

how is the desktop holding up with the monitor mount? thinking of putting a 38 inch monitor on an arm on the karlby but worried about warping

[@CreatedTech]

A solid wood desktop is best for heavy monitors like this. I think the Karlby is also solid wood? If So it should be fine. Mine has no warping. Avoid the flimsy, cardboard desktops from IKEA though.

[@rahimnealyakoob5968]

@@CreatedTech yeah think the karlby is actually veneer, was £200 so hopefully it holds up decent

[@carolineroy9034]

What is the mac book holder support?