Suddenly find yourself working from home?
Or you’re just looking to upgrade your current office setup?
Then follow on to see how we added a solid-wood topped, smart standing desk to our home office. Hint: It started at IKEA & ended with a little easy DIY.
We Wanted: A Standing Desk
- Sit/Stand
- Large enough for 2 people (occasionally)
- A look which suited our home. (light, bright & natural materials)
The Problem: COVID-19 Shopping
During the run on home office equipment, finding any desk was no mean feat, let alone finding a specific type of desk.
We’d had our eyes on two standing desks from IKEA the BEKANT & the IDASEN. After a little research, we settled on the IDASEN, due to reports that the BEKANT was unstable in the standing position.
![](https://rodneycowled.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/IKEA_IDASEN_DESK_EXAMPLE_big.jpg)
When we arrived at IKEA, as expected, the home office supplies were pillaged…it looked like the toilet paper aisle in our local supermarket. The displays, the stock numbers & the staff all said “There’s nothing left”.
We decided to check a couple of the stock aisles at IKEA, in case we got lucky. And…we did, well at least in part.
We noticed that there were a lot of IDASEN smart office desk bases. The shortage was in the desktops. As the IDASEN desktops can be used with a number of different bases, this led to them running out first, prior to the standing desk base.
The Solution: Custom Smart Office Desk
My wife had spotted another desktop on the shelves which she liked, GERTON (which, now appears to have been discontinued by IKEA). Other similar-looking options are: ANFALLARE & LAGKAPTEN
It was approximately the same length & was made of solid wood. This was both a pro & a con. A con that it was heavier, but a pro because it meant that attaching this top to the IDASEN base shouldn’t be too much of an issue. Once I figured out how to carry it to my car that was….
![](https://rodneycowled.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Desktop-Wood-Look.jpg)
How to Make Your Own Custom Sit/Stand Smart Office Desk.
What you’ll Need:
- Desk Top: IKEA GERTON (which, now appears to have been discontinued by IKEA).
- Desk Base: IKEA IDASEN
- 8 x Wood Screws: 20mm Long
- 8 x Washers: Approx. 10mm wider than the head of your screws
- A drill & a drill bit – one narrower than your screws
- Cable management (option, but recommended)
- I used 4 conduit saddles They worked well.
What you’ll get: (What makes it smart?)
- Electric Sit/Stand Function with a timeless solid wood top.
- A smart app to control it all. The app can:
- Control the height of the desk (it works, but it’s faster to use the physical button)
- To set default heights. Very useful to save your & other’s ideal sit & stand heights.
- Track you sit & stand time & set goals to beat each day.
Step 1 – Unbox & Build the IDASEN Base
![ikea smart standing desk legs](https://rodneycowled.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/IKEA_standdesk_base_Parts.jpg)
Follow the IKEA provided instructions for the base.
Step 2 – Align the Base with the Top
![](https://rodneycowled.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/IKEA_standdesk_top2.jpg)
Unbox the top & place it upside down on a soft surface. Then place the base upside down on top of the tabletop. Use a tape measure to ensure the base is centred over the top. Tip: Use a pencil to make the right spot.
Step 3 – Drill Pilot Holes & Screw Top
![Solid wood top for smart office standing desk](https://rodneycowled.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/IKEA_standdesk_screw.jpg)
The pre-drilled holes in the GERTON top do not match the IDASEN base so we need to drill out own. Using a narrow drill bit, & the holes in the IDASEN top as a guide, drill a pilot hole into the top of the desk.
NB: Be careful NOT to go all the way through.
After you’ve drilled the pilot holes. Place a washer onto your screw & screw them into the pilot hole you’ve just drilled. Repeat 8 times.
Step 4 – Attach The Height-adjustment Switch
![Smart standing desk height-adjustement switch](https://rodneycowled.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/IKEA_standdesk_button.jpg)
Flip your desk over, right side up. It’s probably best to get help with this. The sit/stand base & the solid wood top make this desk heavy.
Now choose a spot for the height-adjustment switch. The cable is long enough to reach both sides & ends. Which you choose is up to you & your setup. As with the previous screws, drill two pilot holes & then screw the switch to the underside of your desk.
Step 5 – Cable Management (optional)
![](https://rodneycowled.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ikea_standing_desk_cable.jpg)
This step is optional, but adding some kind of cable management is recommended. I had these conduit saddles on hand so I used them, but many things could do the job – from a proper cable rack to some cable ties.
If you’re going with this option you’ll see that I only screwed in one side & left the other one open, which makes it each to thread cables into place.
A Custom Smart Standing Desk
There you have it, your own customised smart standing desk. Why stop there though? Fill your office with smart tech.
- Take control of the lighting in your home office with Smart Lighting:
- Hone your focus with Smart Audio.
- Make it comfortable with smart air conditioner control
If you’ve got any questions on smart home or smart office tech, then leave me a question. For more on smart tech, take a look through my other smart home posts.