In an age where department store furniture is often made from laminated pressed pulp wood, there is a certain cache to having a reclaimed wood computer desk. Salvaged wood can be giving a second life by sanding, staining and shaping it for new purposes. The aged wood has a certain character not possible in plasticized laminate or even in newly milled wood.
A reclaimed wood desk can range in sophistication from an old barn door laid across two saw-horses to desks of finely constructed hardwood. You can purchase them commercially made or salvage your own wood for DIY projects. Good places to salvage wood (with permission – always ask first) is from older homes or farm buildings that are being torn down, or by collecting scrap lumber from construction sites. Construction companies sometimes throw away lumber pieces not needed after a project is completed because it is more cost-effective for them than to haul the pieces back to their home location. A sawn board that is a loss to them can be a treasure for the home DIY carpenter. If there are no such sources, visit your local lumber yard or sawmill and look for rough cuts of wood that are not normally used for fine work. These can often be sanded down with a belt sander, or even by hand if you have the patience and time, to reveal the wood grain.
A reclaimed wood computer desk can be a beautiful conversation piece. Wood of all sorts has its own internal beauty. Ordinary pieces such as pine can be stained to bring out the shape of the wood grain. Pieces that are so distressed or ordinary that they have little grain of interest, can be used to create a boat wood appearance. Of course, finding reclaimed wood pieces at flea markets and specialty shops is another kind of treasure hunt that can garner beautiful pieces for your home.