So what does designing a piece from the ground up look like?

12/3/24, Texas: I recently did a Youtube live where I designed a desk for my kids' piano. It's functional, custom-sized, and, most importantly, something they’ll love and use. I wanted something simple, but I'm going to actually build it, so I also want to have some fun! I could just jump into the build and work my way through it, but I want to do this properly (read in a post British accent). So where do we start? We start with ideas and paper. 

If you think you can’t sketch or draw, let me stop you there—because you can. Sketching isn’t about creating perfect, museum-worthy art; it’s about getting your ideas out of your head and onto paper. Nobody’s judging your squiggly lines or uneven proportions—it’s just a tool to help you work through your design. Start small, with basic shapes and rough proportions, and let the details come later. The beauty of sketching is that it evolves as you go, and each line gets you closer to your vision. Remember, the end goal isn’t a masterpiece on paper—it’s a fully built piece of furniture. So grab a pencil, take a deep breath, and dive in. You might surprise yourself.

Step 1: Thumbnail Sketches

The process starts with simple thumbnail sketches—quick, small drawings that help you brainstorm ideas. These aren’t about perfection; they’re about exploring shapes, proportions, and features. For the piano desk, I sketched out several options, from a minimalist modern style to a design inspired by kids' wooden toys. I kept these sketches loose, playing with ideas for leg shapes, storage solutions, and tabletop size.

Step 2: Full Sketch

Once I settled on a general direction, I created a larger, more detailed sketch. This is where I refined the proportions and worked out the specifics, like the height to accommodate a piano bench and the depth for sheet music storage. I used architectural scale ruler to get some basic dimensions down and added details.

Step 3: Isometric Sketch

The next step was creating an isometric sketch. This 3D drawing captures the design in perspective, showing how the various parts fit together. Isometric sketches are incredibly helpful because they allow you to visualize the piece from multiple angles and can serve as a guide for translating the design into a CAD model. For this desk, I focused on the clean lines and elegant joinery while making sure it remained sturdy enough to handle kids leaning on it!

Accompanying Video

For those of you who learn better by watching, I’ve created a video where I walk through each step in real-time. 

In the video:

Coming next: I'll run this sketch into CAD