Brick Mill Furniture is an American company that is passionate about making high-quality handcrafted live edge furniture. We are a family-owned business that operates from Pennsylvania, producing a wide range of furniture including solid wood desks and tables.

One of our bestselling pieces of home office furniture is our white oak standing desk. In this article, we're diving into exactly how we make this office desk. We'll also discuss the characteristics and advantages of white oak, its cons, and how to care for and maintain your desk.

Brick Mill Furniture Live Edge Standing Desk

Sourcing

We strive to source our real wood locally, to minimize the carbon footprint that would be associated with transporting the raw material.  We source different wood species from tree removal companies, and also get specialty slabs and wood from local millers.

We only acquire the highest quality lumber. We then dry the wood using our state of art vacuum kiln which dries the wood from the inside out, eliminating the possibility of warping or cracking in the future.

At Brick Mill Furniture, we deeply care for the planet and are keen to ensure our sourcing practices are sustainable. We have partnered with One Tree Planted to plant one tree for each piece of furniture sold. Therefore, for every product you buy from us, you support our business and efforts in environmental sustainability.

Craftsmanship

Our team consists of highly experienced and passionate woodworkers who craft and build the live edge desks. We work with designers to ensure that our pieces of furniture are functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Every piece of furniture is handcrafted, and made in the USA. We hand sand each real wood top to a high grit, then seal our wood with 0% VOC plant-based finish.

Finishing

We use high quality finish to ensure that your furniture serves you for a very long time. It makes it easy to clean your desk by simply wiping it with a damp cloth. Do not use harsh detergents or those that contain alcohol on the desk as they may thin the finish. After several years, you may need to reapply the finish to keep the desk in tip-top condition.

The process of reapplying finish on your white oak desk is simple and straightforward. You don’t need to sand down the desk unless there are scratches and dents.  Simply, rub the finish throughout the table and allow it ample time to dry. You can buy our specialty finish for our live edge furniture known as Renew.

Aside from regular cleaning and occasional refinishing, your adjustable desk should serve you for hundreds of years. Keep temperature and humidity levels in your home office within the normal level to prevent the desk from drying too much or accumulating moisture.

Final Product

Since we deal with natural wood, your custom desk might have minor imperfections such as wormholes, cracks, and knots. They do not affect the structural integrity of a solid wood desk. However, if the slab has large cracks, we fill them with epoxy and bow ties.

Each piece is unique. The photos you see on our website and shop are samples of previous customers’ pieces. Yours may exhibit some differences in wood grain patterns, texture, and the base color. Therefore, we can’t guarantee that the final product will look exactly like one of the ones on our portfolio. However, we can guarantee that it will be of high quality.

Custom Designs

Our live edge desks are all kinds of different sizes, coming between 36” to 96” long, with a thickness of approximately 1-1.5”. You can combine two desks to form an L-shaped desk that comes with a 3-legged base frame.

However, if you want a standing desk with dimensions that differ from what we have readily available, reach out to us for a custom design. You can also request a particular wood species for your desk if needed. We live in the former lumber capital of the world, giving us access to a wide range of wood species.

Turn Around Time

We aim to have your live edge standing desk ready in 2-4 weeks. However, the exact timeline is dependent on whether we have the specific wood species in stock and if it is already dry. Otherwise, it may take us up to 2 months to fulfill your order if we need to source the wood and dry it.

Nevertheless, we keep you updated with the production process, every step of the way. Our channels of communication are open during working hours and you can reach out to us with any questions regarding your order. 

Ease of Assembly

Our standing desks are easy to assemble with minimal handyman skills and tools. We ship the stand and desk top separately, so they may arrive a few days apart. Assembling mainly involves screwing the base frame on the desktop. You will need a drill or screwdriver and some screws.

You could do the assembling alone. However, larger and heavier standing desks require at least two people to assemble. If you feel unsure of your abilities to assemble the desk, hire your local handyman for professional services to avoid damaging the desktop.

Why White Oak for Live Edge Desk?

We use white oak as the standard wood species for our live edge adjustable desk. It has a beautiful grain and color that blends well with different décor styles including Scandinavian, modern, contemporary, and rustic.  It creates a warm and inviting environment in your home office that will boost your productivity.

Below is a look at the wood characteristics of white oak and its pros and cons.

Characteristics

The American white oak has a color that ranges from yellow-brown to pale reddish-brown, and sometimes with a pinkish tint.  The sapwood is whitish to light brown while the heartwood is light to mid-brown and in some cases even dark brown. There is minimal distinction between the color of the heartwood and that of the sapwood.

Generally, the grain on a white oak wood slab is straight and the texture varies from medium-coarse to coarse.  Its density depends on the growth conditions of the tree with southern-grown oak being denser than its northern counterparts.

White Oak lumber dries slowly and is prone to splitting. Therefore, it needs to be dried using specialized equipment such as vacuum kilns. Once adequately dry, it is easy to work on as it glues and stains easily. It also holds polish, nails, and screws well.

Pros

• Beautiful grain pattern and color
• Resistant to decay
• Strong and stable
• Easy to work on
• Excellent steam bending capabilities
• Easy to finish and stain
• Easily accessible when sourcing

Cons

• Weight: Although the high density of white oak enhances its durability and sturdiness, it also makes it quite heavy. It weighs 4 pounds per cubic foot compared to cherry and maple, which weigh 3 pounds and 2.8 pounds respectively. As such, the standing desk needs a sturdy frame to support the desk top.

• Price: Although red oak is relatively affordable, white oak is more expensive. Therefore, standing desks made of white oak are more expensive than those made of cherry and maple.

• Commonality: White oak is readily available across the USA. It is popular for making a wide range of furniture. If the uniqueness of your standing desk matters, you should consider rarer wood species such as mahogany and walnut.

Why Live Edge Wood?

Our products are designed and crafted for high end customers who are looking for statement pieces. Live edge wood brings out that sophistication. serving as focal points in your home office.

A live edge retains the wood’s authentic grain and edges, bringing nature into your office. Authentic wood is grounding and claiming It helps to relieve stress and anxiety. Ultimately, it boosts creativity and productivity.

Furthermore, well dried and crafted live edge wood produces heirloom furniture pieces that are classical and last for hundreds of years.  Our craftsmen are well equipped to meticulously work on live edge wood to produce high-quality and bespoke furniture.

In Conclusion

Our design, sourcing, crafting, and finishing process aims at producing heirloom products. Our live edge desks are built to superior quality using high-quality lumber that is sourced locally and sustainably.

Our woodworkers and craftsmen have extensive skill levels and experience to ensure you are satisfied with your wood desktop purchase. If you want a custom-made live edge adjustable desk, reach out to us. We will work with you closely to come up with a design and build a desk you will love.