At its most simple (and therefore most useful), a desk is nothing more than a horizontal surface laid on top of two upright pieces. Interpretations of this basic concept vary wildly. Ours, shown above, features an antique door from a beach house in Mexico, with peeling red paint atop weathered grey wood. We added a huge piece of thick custom-cut glass to provide a smooth work surface, and rested the whole thing on top of two giant, hand-carved limestone x-shaped columns. The weight of the door and the glass is enough to keep the top stationary, without needing to attach the top to the base.

The whole thing ended up being no more expensive than a desk from Ikea or an office supply store, although unlike the pressboard monstrosities you find at Office Depot, this one will last forever. I also really like the mixture of materials, and how visually satisfying it is to lay computer equipment on top of old, peeling wood. The only thing I would add is this solution for using plastic rain gutters as a cable management system, which is downright genius.

Of course, there are hundreds of ways to turn an old door into a desk. Why not try using an American antique door, or laying your door on top of sawhorses? You could even experiment with adding some tile, stenciling on some birds, or going all prefab with some high-gloss Ikea remnants. Just remember, it’s the work you do on your desk, not the work you put into it.

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