From Sketches to Success: Building 5 Custom Workstations

The Commission and the Challenge

When the client approached me about building five custom workstations, I felt equal parts excited and nervous. Excited because this was an opportunity to showcase my skills on a grander scale, and nervous because, well, five identical pieces meant five times the potential for mistakes. This was the largest project I had taken on—not just in terms of size but also scope and value. As a one-person woodworking business, tackling a project of this scale meant stretching my skills, my shop’s capacity, and my time management to their limits. It was an opportunity to push my boundaries and create something impactful, and I was ready to take on the challenge.

Design and Planning

I'm very familiar with the client as I have built a number of things for them in the past, and I know the state of their current workstations. These workstations are used every day and take a beating from water, sharp objects, trash cans, and more. They also needed plenty of storage, as each designer uses their workstation to hold odds and ends for daily needs. The client’s vision called for sturdy, functional workstations with a clean, professional look and an enhancement of knee space. These folks tend to take their lunch breaks at these desks, and they don't offer a comfortable seating option today. After a few rounds of design discussions, we settled on a plan that balanced aesthetics and practicality. Each workstation would be crafted from high-quality materials, ensuring they could stand up to daily use while maintaining a sleek appearance.

I spent a couple of weeks mapping out every detail, from the dimensions to the material requirements, and created a step-by-step plan. Since making cabinets isn't my day job, I ran my plans by a local cabinet shop (they built my whole house years ago) to get feedback and input. Organization was key—building five identical pieces meant I needed a workflow that minimized wasted time and materials. I even made some adjustments to my shop layout to accommodate the sheer size of the project.

Building in Bulk: Challenges in the Workshop

The plan was to build one station, use it for a few weeks to get feedback, then adjust and build the remaining four. Constructing the first one wasn't too bad—I got it cut, assembled, painted, and delivered relatively easily. After some feedback, I got the green light to assemble the final four.

Constructing four more identical workstations was a completely different story with its own set of challenges. My biggest hurdle was transforming my one-off woodworking shop into a temporary production line. I had to rethink my workflow entirely—setting up each tool for specific tasks, like cutting or sanding, and completing those tasks in batches for all four pieces. Another challenge was managing the sheer volume of materials and workspace, often navigating tight spaces cluttered with lumber and partially assembled workstations. At one point I even used half build workstations as tables to store supplies. My workshop is designed for custom, one-off builds, so creating a production-line setup required some creativity. I had to change my mindset from "complete a piece" to "complete a step (4x)."

The scale of the project quickly became apparent as I was constantly moving things to make room for something else. At one point, I found myself navigating around piles of lumber and partially assembled workstations, realizing I was working at full capacity both physically and mentally. There were a few moments of improvisation—like when I received a separate order for a wind chime stand mid-assembly—but problem-solving is all part of the process. It was a demanding experience, but seeing all five workstations come together piece by piece was incredibly rewarding.

As I have talked about before, my shop is not currently temperature-controlled, and I was doing this build in December and January, so the weather was yet another challenge. Besides my fingers and toes freezing, painting became a real issue. I have a spray booth, but it’s not big enough for a 6' x 3' workstation, much less four of them. I had to haul everything up to the house and commandeer my garage with space heaters to get everything primed and painted. And since I didn't want paint all over my garage, it was by brush and roller—no easy spray for me.

Lessons Learned Along the Way

This project taught me more than I could have imagined. One of the biggest takeaways was the importance of efficient workflow management. I learned to embrace batch processing and how to stay organized when juggling multiple pieces at once. I also discovered the value of preparation—investing extra time upfront to plan, get organized, and carefully map out the steps paid off in spades.

On a personal level, this commission reinforced my confidence as a woodworker. Tackling such a large and complex project showed me that I could adapt, problem-solve, and deliver results even under pressure.

The Big Reveal

After weeks of hard work, the moment finally arrived to deliver the finished workstations. Seeing them all lined up on the trailer, ready to go, felt like a small victory parade. When I arrived at the client’s location and unloaded the first piece, the look of excitement on their face was priceless. They even joked about how these workstations might just outlast the building they were going in. That moment, knowing I had exceeded their expectations, made all the late nights, cold toes, and garage-painting sessions completely worth it. Seeing all five pieces set up in their new home was a proud moment—a testament to the effort and care that went into every cut, joint, and finish. They were thrilled with how the workstations turned out, and knowing that my work would be a part of their daily operations was incredibly fulfilling.

This project was a milestone for me and my business. It pushed me to grow, adapt, and take on challenges I’d never faced before. As I reflect on the experience, I’m excited to see what future opportunities will come my way. For now, I’ll celebrate this achievement and the five beautiful workstations that mark a new chapter in my woodworking journey.