Adding a Fauxdenza in the Office


The last time I checked in the office had just been painted. After a little hesitation, I decided to step outside of my comfort zone by choosing to paint my walls white for the first time ever! Since the office is pretty darn empty right now, the white does seem a little stark… and very plain… but I’m confident (and excited) to see how this looks transforms the space after we continue to bring in more furniture and decor. But before we get into the latest update (the DIY fauxdenza that I’m currently obsessed with), I need to back track a bit.

Office Floor Plan: DIY fauxdenza | DIY Playbook

Some of you mentioned that it would be really helpful to see a floor plan of this space. Thank you for that suggestion… I should have thought of that from the beginning! Here’s a very rough draft of the floor plan of the office and the layout I hope to use for the furniture. The scale is not perfect, especially with the furniture, but I hope this snapshot gives you a better sense of the layout. As we dive into the fauxdenza details today, you can see exactly what part of the room it’s in.

Inspiration

DIY fauxdenza | DIY Playbook
Adds Storage: DIY fauxdenza | DIY Playbook

Okay… now onto the fun part — fauxdenzas! Ever since Casey added one to her guest room, I’ve been pretty obsessed with the look. Not only is it super stylish, but it offers a TON of storage. AND I love that fauxdenzas can be totally customizable and are pretty darn affordable. My office is small and finding a piece of furniture that offers storage, but is still slim enough to fit in this space, has proven to be a challenging task. 

I always thought that I would someday add a fauxdenza into our small home because of the size + storage. I originally thought maybe I would add it to our someday nursery as a changing table but after we tackled this one as part of the Lowe’s Fall Makeover, I didn’t want to wait any longer to get to work on adding one in our home.

So when the office makeover popped up, I knew it was the perfect time to experiment with this DIY project. But instead of going with the dark wood like we did two times prior, I was excited to step outside my comfort zone once again and try something new!

DIY Fauxdenza with a light wood finish

Specific IKEA items used:

Use Cabinets: DIY fauxdenza | DIY Playbook

Total Cost for Cabinets and Wood: a little more than $200

Brace it: DIY fauxdenza | DIY Playbook

And that’s when I decided to go with the light, more natural looking wood to surround my DIY fauxdenza. I am so in love with the new look and so happy that I stepped outside my comfort zone (it wasn’t easy since I love the look of Casey’s so much!).

Step by Step Fauxdenza Tutorial

Measure: DIY fauxdenza | DIY Playbook

We teamed up with Zillow to create a step-by-step guide in assembling and hanging a DIY fauxdenza. If you’re looking to DIY your own, be sure to check that tutorial out here. Much like Casey did, I attached this IKEA wall bracket to the wall and hung the IKEA cabinets about 7 inches off of the ground.
But one thing I did do differently was cut out the back of the cabinet so that items inside of the cabinet could get plugged in while being hidden inside. (Secret Storage for the win!)

Done! DIY fauxdenza | DIY Playbook
Make it level: DIY fauxdenza | DIY Playbook

We’ll get to exactly how I’m using that outlet soon, but let me first tell you how much of a GAME CHANGER that was.
I hung the cabinets on the track and started attaching the new wood (specific details here). I used thick plywood from Lowe’s for the project and added an iron-on wood veneer edging to make the edges of the plywood appear to be finished. The wood veneer I used actually matched my wood pretty perfectly, but you can stain the veneer to match your wood if you need to. 

Rookie Mistake

Just to be safe, I did exactly that. I treated the veneer the exact same way that I did the rest of the wood.

Stain it: DIY fauxdenza | DIY Playbook

I used one coat of Pre-stain conditioner and brushed on three coats of protective finish.

Treat the wood: DIY fauxdenza | DIY Playbook

Rookie Mistake: If I were to do this project again (or any project that required light, more natural looking wood) I would NOT use the wood conditioner. Instead, I would start with a wood wax and then add the protective finishing coats. The stain had a slight yellow-orange undertone that I did not love. Luckily the wood dried more natural than I thought it would after I applied the first coat, but I wouldn’t advise others to use the oil based wood conditioner if you want more of a natural wood without the yellow/orange undertone. And technically I didn’t even need to use the pre-stain coat since I didn’t plain on staining the wood. #rookieprobs 
Somehow the wood turned out and I still loved the natural look! <— Thank goodness because thick plywood is not cheap and I wasn’t eager to buy and cut a whole new board for $50.

I eventually hope to add pulls to my DIY Fauxdenza but I’m waiting for more of the room to come together to make this decision. I’m leaning towards something sleek and black but I’ll know more when we make more progress in here. Any suggestions?

Secret Storage for the Win!
Secret Storage: DIY fauxdenza | DIY Playbook

Excuse the imperfection, but here’s a picture of what the room looks like this very second. I hope this shot gives you a better sense of the lay-out of the room and ALL that’s still left to be done in here!

Although there is still lots left to do, I’m super excited that this space is starting out organized! Wait until you see how much I was able to store in this fauxdenza. Spoiler Alert: The printer is in there… plugged in and totally functional!! Make sure you tune in tomorrow for all the details!

Bridget


The Year of Casey

Hey there!

Iโ€™m Casey Finn, the voice behind The DIY Playbook. I’m a Chicago gal teaching you how to design, DIY, and maintain your home…by yourself! Learn more about me right here.