Upgrading a Big-Box Store Desk With Hairpin Legs

Cait Geddes
by Cait Geddes
2 Materials
$50
1 Hour
Easy

My daughter has been asking me for a new desk in her bedroom forever! I'm all about scouring second hand stores, garage sales and online for pieces to upcycle, but I couldn't find anything that was trendy enough for my 12 year old tween!!

Normally, I hate supporting big box stores that mass produce furniture, but my kiddo loved this desk from JYSK, so I caved and bought it for her a few weeks ago. I waited for it to go on sale, (because who pays full price?!?!) and snagged it for just over $100 bucks.

JYSK - ABBETVED Desk (White)


Fast forward a couple of weeks, and my daughter's poor desk suffered quite the injury...



I was moving the desk to give her room a good vacuum and stupidly tried to drag it across carpeting... alone... and literally ripped the whole bottom off!! The top piece is made out of particle board and the legs were screwed in with pretty dinky screws... not the most sturdy desk. So sliding it on carpeting was SO not smart!!! OMG!!!! She's going to kill me!!! She loved that desk :(


I remembered I had these awesome 28 inch Penck Hairpin Coffee Table Legs from Amazon sitting in my basement DIY stash awaiting the perfect project.



They are so easy to install because they literally come with everything you need, including screws! They are super trendy, and plenty sturdy enough to withstand a heavy table top.


Because my desk top was particle board, I didn't even have to pre-drill holes in it. I just lined up the legs on all four sides using the cardboard packaging that was protecting the top of the leg!! I love shortcuts!!



Unfortunately, the screws that were included with the hairpin legs were too long for this particular desk top. They would have poked right through. Once again, I went shopping in my DIY stash and found shorter screws. The ones I used were just 1/2 inch. Normally, a half inch screw is a bit small to support table legs, but these hair pin legs have 7 pre-drilled holes. So by the time I screwed in 7 screws, that leg wasn't going any where!!


Again, I love a good short cut, so I used my power drill rather than the screwdriver that was provided.



I attached all 4 legs in like 5 minutes!! SO easy and look how amazing it turned out!!




I like it a million times better now!! It's WAY more sturdy, and now it's completely customized.


I may just tell my kiddo I broke the other legs on purpose.. because these hair pin ;legs are definitely an upgrade!!

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