Commissioning a Bespoke Walnut Office Desk: Setting the Brief

I thought it might be useful to walk through a recent commission for a bespoke office desk, showing how I approach a project from the very first conversation through to final delivery. If you’re thinking about commissioning your own piece of bespoke furniture, you can also find more details on my commissioning page.

Let’s start with the client’s review:

“I couldn’t be happier with my handmade desk! It’s an absolutely beautiful piece. The craftsmanship is outstanding, and you can tell immediately it’s been built with care and attention to detail. I gave Theo a broad vision and he definitely delivered.

The wood is stunning, with a natural finish that really brings out its character. It’s solid, sturdy, and feels like something that will last for generations. Every time I sit down to work, it brings a little joy. Thank you for creating something so special, it’s truly one of a kind!”

This client first got in touch in January to say he was moving into a new home in May and wanted to commission a desk for his home office. With more people working from home, a home office desk should be more than functional – it should be something you actually enjoy sitting at.

His brief was deliberately open-ended. He knew he wanted a large slab of solid wood for the top – something he could admire – and drawers for storage. He’d seen some waterfall-style tables and liked the look, but was open to ideas. Such freedom gave me scope to create something truly unique, which is often the case when clients seek custom made furniture: they want something of a kind and quality that simply can’t be found elsewhere.

Early conversations and inspiration behind walnut desk

I came back with some initial questions: dimensions for the wooden desk, where in the room it would sit, photos of the space, and details about his computer setup and cabling. Since he was travelling, we booked a call in for March. Beforehand, I sent over images of a few desk designs to get a feel for what he liked. Among them was a George Nakashima desk (below) – work I’ve always admired.

He loved the way Nakashima showcased natural timber, and confirmed that he wanted a single slab walnut desk top. I floated the idea of jointing two boards (an example of which is shown below, held together with bow-ties), but he was firm on one piece.

This raised some challenges. Most timber yards and woodworkers will warn against single slab tops, since solid wood expands and contracts with humidity, and a large slab can warp or crack. But I wanted to find a way. If Nakashima could do it, why couldn’t I?

I designed a reinforcement system using locking dovetails to attach a beam under the top. These dovetails are made in two halves with a spacer, then driven into a hidden groove on the underside. If the slab tried to move, the beam would hold it flat. I also added bowties to the underside, extra-deep, so they remain invisible while protecting the wood from splitting. These are the kinds of unseen details that underpin the high-quality bespoke furniture pieces that I am always seeking to produce: pieces that will last for generations.

Designing the office desk

The client was clear on three drawers, like the Nakashima example, but wanted something more interesting on the other side. I showed him my Coral Table with its sculptural base. He loved the idea and the natural forms but wasn’t sure he wanted the texturing. I sent sketches, small samples, and a simple 3D render. We settled on a smooth sculptural form for the leg – an organic structure that made the desk distinctive without being overpowering and would allow light to penetrate through into the room given the desk’s placement in the middle of the room and its relation to the windows.

At each stage, I gave him clear costings – for example, the difference in price between the organic leg structure and conventional legs. Transparency here is essential: my role is to present the options, their pros and cons, and costs; the client decides what matters most.

The final hurdle was sourcing the right slab of walnut. For stability, I wanted a cut close to the centre of the log (but not including the core). In the size we needed, this was difficult. Several timber yards had nothing suitable. A fellow maker suggested I try Surrey Timbers. They had just one piece. It was exactly what we needed – beautiful grain, natural curves, and plenty of character. I sent my client photos superimposed onto the 3D model of his walnut office desk, and he agreed it was perfect. I reserved it immediately.

The final design measured 1600mm (length) x 600mm (depth) x 700mm (height). The height was carefully chosen from anthropometric data, as outlined in Lawson’s Furniture Design (Lawson, 2021)[1], to provide the optimal working level for a keyboard and comfortable long-term desk use. These proportions created a desk that feels generous without overwhelming a room, perfectly balancing practicality with presence.

With the design agreed, I issued a pro forma invoice for 50% of the cost, which covers expensive materials like walnut. He paid that evening, and I collected the slab the next morning.

The build

While finishing another commission – a bespoke HiFi cabinet – I let the slab acclimatise in my workshop. By the time I was ready to start, my client had asked for minimal updates and preferred to wait for the finished piece. He was happy with the direction that I had spelt out and would leave the details up to me. Fun for him, pressure for me!

The organic leg structure came first. This required careful shaping and finishing, since the lack of surface texture meant every curve had to be exact. Joints at strange angles with curved pieces is challenging work but I can achieve this with a technique I have already developed with my coral table. Next I built the cabinet for the drawers. I rounded the front and back edges of the cabinet to soften its appearance and complement the organic leg structure, and I mitred the sides so the walnut grain would flow seamlessly around the carcass – a detail that quietly elevates the whole piece.

The legs and drawer pulls were turned by master woodturner Gary Rance, working from my sketches. For the drawers themselves, the client had opted for clean modern joints with soft-close runners rather than traditional dovetails. It’s always a balance between look, cost, and function, but quality is never compromised. The drawers vary in height for practical storage – an essential detail in any wooden home office desk.

We hadn’t agreed any specific look for the drawer fronts, so the decision to texture them was one I took in the workshop. The client had liked the idea of something more organic earlier in the design process, and while he had leaned towards keeping things simple, I felt that introducing a subtle carved texture would give the desk a real sense of depth and character without overpowering the clean walnut top. These sorts of details are often left to my judgement, and I always aim to go beyond what we first agree if I can see a way to make the piece truly special. In this case, the textured drawers provided a unique counterbalance to the smooth slab top, elevating the design into something unmistakably bespoke.

The drawer pulls were sycamore, cut from the same board as the organic leg structure and the same as my Coral Table. Turns out those offcuts can find the perfect place years later.

Textured drawer fronts with contrasting but delicate sycamore pulls

The finished piece

The result was a bespoke walnut desk that married practicality with individuality: a sculptural organic form supporting a solid walnut slab, balanced with a clean drawer unit. The walnut desk with drawers is not only functional but also unique, with features hidden beneath the surface that ensure stability and longevity.

For me, the aim with every piece of custom wood furniture is the same: build something that feels alive, that reflects the natural beauty of the material, and that will last for generations. As the client wrote in his review, this wooden office desk is something that will bring joy every time he sits down to work – a daily companion rather than just a piece of furniture.

This project highlights what’s possible when commissioning bespoke desks and other custom pieces. By starting with a simple brief – “a slab top and some drawers” – and working collaboratively, we arrived at a custom walnut computer desk that is truly one of a kind.

[1] Lawson, S. (2021) Furniture Design. 3rd edn. London: Laurence King Publishing.