How to Create a Desk With Storage for Art Supplies

Most desks waste a lot of space. The area underneath is usually empty, the wall above is often blank, and the sides hold nothing at all. If you are wondering how to create a desk with storage without replacing the desk you have, the answer is to use those three zones: under, above and beside. With a few add-ons and a little carpentry, a plain table can hold a full kit of paints, brushes, paper and tools while keeping the work surface clear.

This guide walks through a storage audit, then step-by-step methods for each zone, with materials, timings and the measurements that keep things safe and usable. It is written for painters and crafters, but the methods suit any desk.

Step 1: Audit What You Need to Store

Storage fails when it is planned around furniture rather than supplies. Before buying or building anything, spend 20–30 minutes sorting.

1. Gather everything. Pull every art supply into one place, including the stuff in other rooms.
2. Sort by frequency. Make three piles: used every session, used weekly or monthly, and used rarely.
3. Sort by shape. Within each pile, group long items (brushes, rulers), flat items (paper, pads), small loose items (tubes, erasers, clips), and bottles or jars.
4. Measure the biggest items. Note your largest paper size and longest tool. These set the minimum drawer and shelf sizes.
5. Decide what leaves. Dried-out paints and duplicates take space a working kit needs.

The frequency piles map directly onto the zones below: daily items go on or just under the surface, weekly items go above or beside, rarely used items go into a closet or bin elsewhere.

The audit also tells you whether modifying your current desk is realistic. If your daily kit alone would fill three or four drawers and the desk has no room underneath, it may be more efficient to look at desks designed with art storage built in. If the numbers look manageable, carry on with the zones below.

Step 2: Measure the Desk and Room

• Desktop thickness. You need this to pick screw lengths for anything mounted underneath. Many desks are around 3/4 inch to 1-1/4 inch thick.
• Clearance under the desk. Measure from the floor to the underside of the top and the width between legs or panels. Leave knee space, usually at least 24 inches wide.
• Wall space above. Measure from desktop to ceiling and note studs, windows and outlets.
• Side clearance. Check whether there is room beside the desk for a cart, and whether doors or drawers will hit it.

How to Create a Desk With Storage: Under the Desk

Option A: Add a slide-out drawer (1–2 hours)

Under-desk drawers mount to the underside of the top and hold pencils, brushes and small tools without cluttering the surface. You can buy prefab under-desk drawers or build a shallow box.

Materials: A prefab under-desk drawer kit or a shallow wooden box, a pair of drawer slides or mounting rails, wood screws shorter than your desktop thickness, a drill, a pencil and a square.

1. Choose a position that does not interfere with your knees. Most people put it to one side, under the dominant hand.
2. Hold the drawer frame or rails in place and mark screw holes. Check that the drawer front sits slightly back from the desk edge so it does not hit your legs.
3. Pre-drill pilot holes, taking care not to drill through the top. A depth stop or a piece of tape on the drill bit helps.
4. Screw the rails or frame on. A 3/4 inch desktop typically takes 5/8 inch screws; check yours before drilling.
5. Slide the drawer in, test the movement, and load it lightly at first.

Keep loads light. Under-desk drawers are usually rated for modest weights, and the screws are holding against gravity.

Option B: Add a rolling drawer unit (30–60 minutes)

A freestanding drawer pedestal on casters slides under one side of the desk. It requires no drilling and moves when you need to clean or reconfigure.

1. Measure under-desk height and depth. Allow at least an inch of clearance above the unit.
2. Assemble the unit and fit casters with locks if available.
3. Assign drawers: top drawer for daily tools, middle for paint tubes laid flat, bottom for paper pads or heavier supplies.

Option C: Use a rolling cart (20–30 minutes)

A three-tier cart acts as a second desk. Roll it next to you during a session and under the desk afterward. It is the simplest way to get craft storage with a desk without modifying the desk at all.

Option D: Hang bins or a file holder underneath (20 minutes)

Under-desk hanging baskets, rails and clip-on file holders store paper pads, sketchbooks and reference prints. Mount them toward the back so they do not catch your knees.

Above the Desk: Using Vertical Space

Option E: Build a simple shelf riser (1–2 hours)

A riser sits on the back of the desk and creates a second level for jars, bottles and small bins, with space underneath for a pencil tray or flat paper.

Materials: One 1×10 or 1×12 board cut to the desk width minus a few inches, two or three 1×4 boards cut to 4–6 inches tall for legs, wood glue, screws, sandpaper and a finish.

1. Cut the shelf board and the leg pieces. A 4-inch height fits paint tubes and pencil trays underneath; 6 inches fits small jars.
2. Sand all edges.
3. Glue and screw the legs to the underside of the shelf, one at each end and one in the middle if the span exceeds about 30 inches.
4. Seal with a water-resistant finish such as polyurethane and let it cure according to the label, often a full day before use.
5. Set it at the back of the desk. It does not need to be fixed down.

Option F: Mount wall shelves (1 hour)

1. Locate studs with a stud finder and mark them.
2. Position the lowest shelf about 15–18 inches above the desk so tall jars and lamps fit under it.
3. Fix brackets into studs or use anchors rated for the expected load.
4. Use shallow shelves (6–8 inches deep) so you do not bump your head when leaning forward.

Option G: Install pegboard (45–60 minutes)

Pegboard makes a wall endlessly adjustable. Hooks, cups and small shelves can be moved as your kit changes.

1. Cut furring strips or use the spacers included with a pegboard kit so hooks have room behind the board.
2. Screw the strips to studs, then screw the pegboard to the strips.
3. Hang the most-used items in the center, at roughly eye level when seated. Heavier items go lower.

Option H: Add a hutch

Some desk lines offer matching hutches that sit on top and add cubbies and shelves. If yours does, it is the tidiest way to add storage above. If not, a separate bookcase placed behind or beside the desk can serve a similar role.

Beside the Desk: Side Storage

• Clamp-on caddies. Clamp-mounted cup holders or trays attach to the desk edge and keep brushes and water within reach without taking surface space.
• Side hooks. Screw-in or adhesive hooks on the desk side hold scissors, headphones, a rag or a tote of supplies.
• Magnetic strip. Mounted on the wall beside the desk, it holds metal tools like palette knives, scissors and rulers.
• A narrow bookcase or cube unit. Sketchbooks, paper pads and bins fit well in a narrow unit beside the desk.
• A paper-towel holder. Mount it to the side panel near the wet zone so you can tear one off one-handed.

On the Desk: Keep the Surface Clear

Adding storage only helps if the surface stays usable. A few rules keep it clear:

• Only the current project lives on the desktop.
• Use one caddy for daily tools. If it overflows, something needs to move.
• Set aside a dedicated wet zone with a tray on the dominant-hand side.
• Use a turntable in a back corner for bottles of ink or paint.

Combining Zones: Three Sample Builds

Organizing Inside the Storage

Once storage exists, how you fill it matters just as much.

• Paint tubes: Lay flat in shallow drawers, sorted by color family, caps facing up or toward the front.
• Brushes: Store dry brushes upright, bristles up, in jars sorted by type. Long-term storage can go flat in a roll or box.
• Paper: Flat, in drawers or a flat file. Standing paper upright invites curling.
• Bottles and inks: Upright, on a shelf or turntable, ideally in a tray to catch leaks.
• Small items: Drawer dividers or small bins keep erasers, clips and tape from migrating.
• Labels: Label opaque drawers and bins on the front.

Safety and Durability Notes

• Check screw length. A screw that pokes through the desktop ruins the surface and creates a hazard.
• Respect weight ratings. Under-desk drawers, clamp caddies and adhesive hooks all have limits. Paint and ink bottles are heavier than they look.
• Anchor tall units. Bookcases and drawer units can tip; use anti-tip hardware.
• Keep heat sources away from solvents. Store solvents and flammable mediums in closed containers, away from lamps and heaters.
• Watch cables. Route cords along the back edge, away from water.

When to Upgrade Instead

Adding storage can stretch a desk a long way, but some desks resist it: glass tops cannot take under-mounted drawers, very thin tops will not hold screws, and narrow desks leave no knee space once a drawer unit is underneath. If you hit those limits, a desk designed with drawers, shelves or a hutch may save effort. Our comparison of art desks with plenty of built-in storage is a good place to see what is possible. If budget is the constraint, the IKEA art desk with storage hack shows how to build one from flat-pack parts.

FAQs

How can I add storage to my desk?

Use the space under the desk with a slide-out drawer, drawer unit or rolling cart; the space above with a shelf riser, wall shelves or pegboard; and the sides with clamp-on caddies, hooks or a narrow bookcase.

How do I add drawers to a desk without drawers?

Mount an under-desk drawer kit to the underside of the top using screws shorter than the top’s thickness, or slide a freestanding rolling drawer unit underneath if you prefer not to drill.

What is the best craft storage with a desk?

For most small studios, a combination of a rolling cart, a shallow drawer unit and wall pegboard gives the most flexible craft storage around a desk. It adapts as supplies change.

How do I organize art supplies on a desk?

Sort supplies by how often you use them. Keep daily tools in one caddy on the desk, weekly supplies in drawers or shelves nearby, and rarely used items in a closet. Separate wet and dry supplies.

Can I add storage to a rented space without drilling?

Yes. Freestanding drawer units, rolling carts, desk risers, clamp-on caddies and a bookcase beside the desk all work without drilling into walls or the desk.

How high should shelves be above a desk?

About 15–18 inches above the desktop is a common starting point. It clears lamps and tall jars while keeping the shelf reachable from a seated position.

Next Step

Once you have added storage, arrange it so the right tools end up in the right places. For lighting, reach zones and layout tips, see our art desk setup ideas for small home studios. And if your current table is fighting you at every step, compare a few purpose-built art desks with drawers and shelves before investing more time in modifications.