Custom PC - UK (2020-08)

intothelivingroom,ratherthan

lookingata wall.

Also,oneofthethingsthatalways

bugsmeaboutcomputersetups

is themonitors.They’rebigslabs

ofblackthattakeupspaceand

blockyourview,andI wanttobe

abletousethefullsizeofthedesk

whenI’mmarkingupdrawingsor

doingdesignworkonpaper,soa lift

mechanismwasthewayforwards.

What’s your background in

furniture making??

Martin: I got into it around seven

years ago with my first build, after

not doing any woodwork since I

MartinMcDonaldwantedtobuilda desktohousehistwo-

monitorPCsetup,butalsoformarkinguplargepaper

designwork.Theresultis thisuniquepieceofcarpentry,

withautomatedmonitorliftsanda controlconsole

Maple Corner

Readers’ Drives

Sohowdidthis

projectstart?Why

didyouwantto

builda woodenPC

deskwithmotorised

monitorlifts?

Martin:Wehadjust

movedhouse,anda

lotofourfurnitureis

made from natural

wood with copper

accents. However, the

PC desk I had at the

time was white, so

it didn’t fit with the

other furniture, plus

I wanted to sit facing

/MEETTHYMAKER

NameMartinMcDonald

Age 41

OccupationDesign

engineer

Location Kent

Main uses for PC

Work and gaming

Li kes Gaming, cooking,

designing and DOTA2

Dislikes Mushrooms,

salad and DOTA2

MODDING / READERS’ DRIVES

MORE PICTURES

AVAILABLE AT

custompc.co.uk/wlcustom

was at school. I needed a PC at the

time, but didn’t have space for a

traditional desk setup, so I came up

with a design for a coffee table with

a touch-screen PC and Xbox 360

inside it, which I could use while

sittingonmysofa.

How did you go about

planning how it would all

fit together?

Martin: All my designs start with

the space where it’s going to be

located. I take a photo of the area,

and draw a rough sketch of where

the setup would be located and how

I want it to look. Then I draw it all up