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10 Things You can do With Your Old Office Desk

You must be tired of working at the same Office Desk for years. Or, your Office Desk must be too old and rusty for further use.

Well, you must be wondering what you should do with your Office Desk that you are not going to use anymore.

You can consider many sustainable ideas to recycle and reuse your outdated Office Desk. Just make sure you do not send it immediately to the landfill. 

Recycling and reusing old Office Furniture has always been in trend. With minimal effort and planning, you can create a brand new idea on using outdated furniture. 

This article provides important information about ten things you can do with your Old Office Desk.

10 Things You can do With Your Old Office Desk

If your old Office Desk has been occupying your valuable space, you may consider removing or replacing it in the best way possible. 

Sometimes, not knowing what to do with the unwanted stuff creates a lot of hassle. 

Here are ten things you can consider doing with your old Office Desk which is of no use to you.

1. Refinish the Old Office Desks 

If you own a wooden Office Desk, you can choose to refinish it anytime. If your wooden Desk looks dull due to prolonged use but is proper in structure, consider refinishing it. 

Refinishing the old furniture helps in improving the luster and gives the table a shiny look. You can use different types of wood stains available in the market for this purpose. 

Before giving up on your Office Desk, you can always try some refinishing techniques. 

Always make sure to clean and dust off the Desk before you begin to refinish it so that no imperfections are left at the end. 

An old table near a blue office chair in a messy room.
An old table near a blue office chair in a messy room (Source: Rawpixel)

Some of the widely available stains you can use on your wooden Desk are as follows:

  • Varnish Satins: Varnish stains are usually made from aniline dye combined with varnish. These stains are used mainly in concealed and tiny spaces on furniture. 
  • Pigmented Oil Stains: Pigmented Oil Stains are made of mineral spirits, linseed oil, and other different solvents. These types of stains are easy to use and do not cost much. 
  • Penetrating  Oil Stains: Penetrating Oil Stains are suitable for hardwood and softwood. These stains are durable, and they settle deep into the wood. 
  • Water-based stains: Water-based stains are generally environment-friendly. These stains are easy to apply, and they dry very quickly. Water-based enhanced paints are popular for strengthening the wood quality. 

Also read: Cool Gaming Desk Accessories for Gamers

2. Convert the Desk Cabinets into Planters

Your Office Desk must have some cabinets built for storage. You can easily convert such cabinets into planters.

A simple way to use an office desk cabinet is to wrap the drawers in plastic and fill them with soil.

Always ensure there aren’t any big pores on the bottom of the drawers. Otherwise, there are higher chances of water seeping into your office floor. 

Growing plants in cabinets will also ensure cleaner air and a fresh feel in your office. You can feel more homely and create an environment-friendly workspace.  

Research conducted on Psychological Benefits Of Indoor Plants says indoor plants in the office helps to create a positive atmosphere and eventually increase work productivity. 

You can watch the video to get the idea of converting your Desk cabinets into planters.

3. Convert the Desk into a Vanity

Converting your old Office Desk into a Vanity is an interesting idea.

You can utilize your Office Desk to create a beautiful personalized vanity space with a bit of effort. Make sure to use different DIYs to generate more features. 

Choose a perfect mirror that matches your space and place it above the Desk. Round mirrors are highly recommended for vanity.

Your mirror looks more beautiful if you string some LED lights around it. Some people also use a ring light as an addition. You can use the drawers for storage purposes. Make good use of the wall around the vanity.

 Adding some floating shelves enhances the beauty of the entire look. Put your favorite items, flower pots, or photo frames on the floating shelves.

Make sure to get the perfect chair to prepare yourself for the day. You can choose a comfortable stool or a classic chair to complete the entire vanity setup. 

Your supplies will do the job of decor. Showcase your favorite collections and keep some accessories in a serving tray.

Also, watch the full video to get the idea to turn your old Desk into a vanity.

4. Turn your Old Desk into a Kitchen Hutch Buffet

You can usually convert your office desk into a Kitchen Hutch Buffet that is very functional in every household possible. 

If your office desk has some cabinets, it can turn out to be a beautiful Kitchen Hutch Buffet. You can also add some shelves if you want to. This refurbished item can be of great significance for a busy family with more members. 

Make sure you use some DIY chalk paint as a primer and add color. A quick light coat over the entire piece is considered okay.

You can also add a second coat of paint after the first one dries up. If your office desk is too deep and takes too much space on the floor, you may cut the desk depth into a desirable one. 

You can easily store large serving plates and utensils since plenty of space is available. You won’t be needing many modifications in this project. Just paint and add some shelves as per your desire.

Also read: How to Build a DIY Gaming Desk: Step by Step Guide

5. Make Tiny Little Shelves from the Desk Drawers

You can make cute little shelves from the drawers on your Office Desk. This is a very simple and easy project. 

Dismantling furniture and saving the parts can be of great use most of the time. You will be holding a lot of scraps and, at the same time, creating something entirely new. 

You need to separate the frames to make a tiny shelf out of an office desk drawer. Use a piece of plywood or just a part of another drawer as the shelf board.

Make sure to add a coat of primer and an off-white colored paint to give the shelf a vintage look. 

Beautiful wall shelve
Beautiful wall shelve (Source: Pexels)

A shelf made from a drawer looks very petite and can hold small items like books and tiny flower pots.

You can also display your beautiful picture frames or dolls. This kind of shelf looks excellent on the corner walls of your room and gives an aesthetic vibe to the interior. 

6. Use it as a Potting Bench 

A potting bench must be your crucial requirement if you have a gardening hobby. 

You can easily build one out of your old Office Desk. If your office table has sufficient flat space, transform it into a potting bench. 

To give your potting bench a good finish, you can always spray some colorful paint on it. You can store the supplies such as flower seeds and manures on the cabinets. 

Potting benches always add charm to your home and garden. This project doesn’t require much effort. So, if you have an old Desk lying around, do not let it go.

A potting bench
A potting bench (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

7. Recycle the Desk 

You can also consider recycling your old Office Desk. Recycling can be the best option if the Office Desk is good enough to reuse.

Recycling is an eco-friendly solution that prevents you from contributing to landfill waste. 

You can find a lot of environmental agencies that can help you recycle your old office furniture, including your old Office Desk.

Your Desk is first dissembled into different material types. All the nuts and screws are removed, and each desk part is used to create something new. 

Recycling plants turn the parts of your old furniture pieces into sustainable products. 

Since most office furniture is treated with paints, varnishes, and adhesives, recycling becomes challenging due to excessive chemical use.

However, if your Office Desk is made of less treated wood, you can recycle them easily.

Recycle the product
Recycle the (Source: Pixabay)

Most of the services pick up your furniture and charge a few amounts of a fee. Some recycling companies also donate usable parts of your table to charities.

You can also use the recycling locator tool on earth991 to look for furniture recycling companies nearby your residential area. 

Ally Waste Services, Road Runner Recycling, and Industrial Pallet are recycling companies based in the US. 

8. Donate your Office Desk

If you do not want to sell your old Office Desk, you can consider donating it. You can donate the Desk to charities, organizations, or groups nearby. 

Make sure always to reach out and find such charities that accept Office furniture, equipment, and other essentials.

Donating your Office Desk is the best way of replacing it because the act of donating in itself is worth so much. 

If you cannot find any charity around your living area, you can also use Gumtree and Facebook market to offer your unwanted Office Furniture free of cost.

Therefore, always make sure to explore such options before throwing your old Office Furniture into nowhere. 

9. Sell your Unwanted Office Desk 

Sometimes, you may want to replace your old Office Desk with a new one before it gets too old.

If your Office Desk is not completely shiny and fresh but still has some life on it, you can consider selling it to someone. It is a much better option than immediately disposing of it. 

Make sure your Office Desk does not have too much wear and tear. Similarly, the Office Desk should be clean and in a not-too-bad condition.

You can also look for companies around you that buy old and outdated furniture in bulk for selling purposes. 

An old office desk for sale
An old Office Desk for sale (Source: ebay.com)

Selling your old Office Desk is a good idea because you can also generate some income out of it. And not to forget, someone may benefit from it.

Make sure to create a proper pricing structure so that you can sell your Desk easily. Some of the thrift buyers in the US, along with their locations, are listed in the table;

Thrift Companies Location
Kaiyo New York City
Adams Unlimited, Inc Hawthorne, New York
Used Furniture Seattle, WA, United States
Wertz Brothers Furniture Inc. Los Angeles, United States

10. Dispose of the Desk 

Disposing of your old Office Desk is the last option for you. If you do not want to use your old Office Desk anymore and want to get rid of it, consider disposing of it.

People choose to dispose of their furniture if there are major tears, scrapes, or damages. There are various ways of disposing of your old furniture, including the old Office Desk.

Here are some options you can consider choosing to dispose of your old furniture. 

Hire a Junk Removal Nearby 

You can find a Junk Removal Service nearby your residence. The professionals of a Junk Removing Company will visit your home for the service and charge you a few amounts of fees for the removal. 

Hiring a Junk Removal Service is a good option for getting rid of large pieces of furniture. Make sure to agree on the service charge before carrying out the process.

You can always contact Junk Guys USA via their general number +1334-721-5865.

 Dumping it on the Landfill

You may also dump your old furniture by yourself in the landfill. Hire a right-sized pickup truck, load your old Office Desk and take it to the local landfill.

Some dumping locations are not open to the public. Therefore, make sure to do good research beforehand.

You can easily dispose of your old Office Desk in a public landfill. Some landfills also offer bulk disposal of waste free of cost. 

Make dumping your office furniture the last option because it is always better to recycle and reuse. 

 Use a Roll-off Dumpster 

Using a roll-off dumpster is an affordable and quick way of getting rid of your old office furniture, including an old Desk. 

Make sure to check for the availability of a dumpster nearby your area. There are a variety of dumpster rental sizes you can choose from. You can easily load the furniture into the bin. 

Once you fix the required size of the dumpster, the service providers will drop it into your home. When the job is done, you can also schedule the pickup. 

Also, watch the full video to get more ideas on refurbishing your old Office Desk.

Final Verdict 

It is always better to look for different options before getting rid of your Office Furniture. There are always other options available to reuse and recycle. 

Recycling old furniture is an excellent way of contributing to solid waste management. Furthermore, it is beneficial to you, the earth, and the people living around you. 

The entire process of reuse and recycling helps to save energy and helps to increase sustainability.

When you are using your old furniture again and again for different purposes, you are contributing to the prevention of natural resource exploitation. 

Related Article: How to Build a DIY Gaming Desk: Step by Step Guide

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