Front elevation, three rows of trays. Sharpies and gel pens up top, paint pens in the middle, colored pencils on the bottom row.
The unit is a shallow wall cabinet with three internal shelves, mounted to wall studs via a French cleat. Each shelf holds removable trays sized to the pen type that lives there. You lift any tray straight up and forward to take it with you, slot it back in when done. Pen tops sit above each tray rim so you can see what's where at a glance.
The pivot from the desktop stadium-tier concept is deliberate: a wall mount lets you reclaim 10" of desk surface, and a flat-paneled rack reads cleaner on a wall than a stepped box. The modular tray idea you wanted survives the pivot. It's still the core of the design.
MATERIALS
Wood · carcass
1/2" Baltic birch plywood, 4'×4' panel
back, sides, bottom, 3 shelves
qty: 1
Iffland Lumber
$45 to $65
1/2" Baltic birch ply scrap, ~26" total length
French cleat strips, both halves
qty: ~30 sq in
offcut from main panel
included
Wood · trays
1/4" basswood, 6"×24" blanks
small + medium tray walls and bottoms
qty: 5
Iffland special order or Rockler
$75 to $100
3/8" basswood, 6"×24" blank
large colored-pencil tray walls and bottoms
qty: 1
Iffland special order or Rockler
$22 to $30
Hardware · fasteners · finish
Wood glue, Titebond III
interior + exterior rated, 8 oz
qty: 1 bottle
Iffland or Hocon
$8
Brad nails, 18ga, 1" length
tray + carcass assembly
qty: 1 box
in inventory
included
#10 wood screws, 2.5" length
cleat to studs, 4 minimum
qty: 6
Hocon Lumber
$5
Sandpaper, 220 + 320 grit
5 sheets each
qty: 10 sheets
Hocon or local
$8
Pure tung oil, Real Milk Paint Co.
food-safe, no VOCs, warm finish
qty: 16 oz
order online
$28
A note on Baltic birch. Real Russian/Latvian Baltic birch has been hard to source since 2022. What Iffland calls "Baltic birch" today is often domestic Apple Ply or European birch, both of which are excellent for this. If they hand you a 13-ply void-free panel, you have what you need regardless of label.
TOOLS
Tool
Status
Notes
Impact driver
Owned
Pre-drill, then drive screws into studs for cleat mount.
Miter saw
Owned
All carcass cuts and tray-wall cross-cuts. Set a stop block for repeatable lengths.
Tape measure, square, level, pencil
Owned
Standard layout work.
Rubber mallet
Owned
Seating tray assemblies during glue-up without denting basswood.
Stud finder
Owned
For locating studs behind drywall. Mark stud centers with painter's tape before drilling the cleat.
1" Forstner bit + 1/4" drill bit
Owned
Forstner for the tray finger cutouts. 18 cutouts total. The bit pays itself off.
Brad nailer, 18ga
Buy · $65
You already have 18ga brads in inventory, so the nailer is what's missing. Pays for itself across this build and the next several. Ryobi cordless or Bostitch pneumatic both work well, $55 to $90 range.
Bar clamps, 12" · 4-pack
Buy · $40
Need 4 minimum for carcass glue-up. Worth owning, every Manor build uses them. Bessey or Pony at Hocon, or Harbor Freight if budget matters more than refinement.
Table saw or circular saw with guide
Owned
For ripping the 4'×4' panel into back, sides, shelves. Ask Iffland to break down the sheet on their panel saw. Most lumberyards do this for $1 to $2 a cut.
CUT LIST
1/2" Baltic birch · from one 4'×4' panel
Back panel
24" × 22"
qty: 1
Side panels
5" × 22"
qty: 2
Bottom panel
23" × 5"
qty: 1
Internal shelves
23" × 5"
qty: 3
French cleat strips, 45° ripped
22" × 1.5"
qty: 2
1/4" basswood · small + medium trays
Small tray walls (long sides)
3.7" × 3.5"
qty: 12
6 small trays × 2 walls
Small tray walls (short sides)
2.5" × 3.5"
qty: 12
6 small trays × 2 walls
Small tray bottoms
3.2" × 2.5"
qty: 6
Medium tray walls (long)
5.7" × 4"
qty: 8
4 medium trays × 2 walls
Medium tray walls (short)
2.5" × 4"
qty: 8
4 medium trays × 2 walls
Medium tray bottoms
5.2" × 2.5"
qty: 4
3/8" basswood · large colored-pencil trays
Large tray walls (long)
11.5" × 4"
qty: 4
2 large trays × 2 walls
Large tray walls (short)
2.5" × 4"
qty: 4
2 large trays × 2 walls
Large tray bottoms
11" × 2.5"
qty: 2
WEEKEND 1 OF 2
WEEKEND 01
Source materials and assemble the carcass
1
Iffland Lumber run, Saturday morning ~90 min round trip
Pick up the 4'×4' Baltic birch panel, glue, sandpaper, screws, and pin nails. Special-order the basswood blanks at the counter. They typically arrive within a week. Ask the panel saw to break down the 4'×4' into your major cuts to save time at home.
2
Final cuts on the miter saw ~2 hours
Trim Iffland's panel cuts to final dimensions. Use a stop block for repeatable lengths. Cut the back, sides, bottom, and three shelves. Set the cleat strips aside, you'll cut the 45° angle later.
3
Dry-fit the carcass ~45 min
Lay the back panel flat. Mark shelf positions: shelf 1 at 0.5", shelf 2 at 9", shelf 3 at 15.5" from the bottom edge. Stand the side panels and bottom in place. Confirm everything seats square against a level. Mark the inside face of each side panel where shelves land.
4
Sand all parts to 220 grit ~75 min
Easier to sand flat parts before assembly than to sand inside the cabinet later. Pay attention to plywood edges, they tend to be ragged. Knock down any tear-out from the panel saw cuts.
5
Glue and pin-nail the carcass ~2.5 hours including glue-up
Run a thin bead of Titebond III on each joint. Assemble in this order: bottom to one side, second side to bottom, back panel onto the back edges, then drop in the three shelves. Brad-nail at every joint while glue is wet. Clamp the case overnight and let glue cure 24 hours before handling roughly.
WEEKEND 2 OF 2
WEEKEND 02
Build the trays, finish, and mount
1
Pick up the basswood from Iffland 30 min
Or unbox the Rockler shipment if you went online. Lay all blanks flat for an hour to acclimate before cutting.
2
Cut all tray parts ~3 hours
This is the highest cut count of the build. Set the miter saw stop block once per dimension and run the cuts in batches: all small long walls, then all small short walls, then bottoms, then medium, then large. 92 cuts total. Label each batch with painter's tape so they don't get mixed.
3
Drill finger cutouts in the front walls ~1 hour
For each tray's front wall (the 3.7" or 5.7" or 11.5" piece), mark the cutout center 1.5" up from the bottom edge. Use the 1" Forstner bit on a backup board. Drill straight through, then slightly chamfer the inside edge with sandpaper so it doesn't catch on fingers.
4
Assemble trays ~3 hours
For each tray: glue the bottom to one long wall, add the two short walls, then close with the second long wall. Brad-nail at each joint. The walls overlap the bottom, not the other way around, so the tray sits flat on a shelf. Build all 18 trays in batches of 6. Wipe glue squeeze-out immediately with a damp rag.
5
Sand to 320 grit, dust everything down ~75 min
Light pass on every surface. Pay attention to tray rims, those are the parts your fingers will touch every day.
6
Apply tung oil ~45 min active, 24-48 hr cure
Wipe on a thin coat with a clean rag. Let sit 30 minutes, wipe off any residue that hasn't soaked in. Cure 24 hours, then a second coat. Tung oil takes a couple days to fully cure but the warm honey color shows up immediately. Skip this step if you want raw light wood, basswood and birch both look good unfinished.
7
Cut and mount the French cleat ~90 min
Rip both cleat strips at 45°. If you don't have a table saw, ask Iffland to do this when you pick up the panel, or use a circular saw with the blade tilted to 45°. Glue and brad-nail the upper cleat to the back of the cabinet about 2" below the top edge. Locate at least 2 wall studs with the stud finder, mark them. Drive the lower cleat to the studs through the cabinet's expected position. Hang the cabinet onto its mate. The angled mating faces lock it in place.
8
Load it up 15 min
Sharpies and gel pens in the top row. Paint pens and brush pens in the middle. Colored pencil sets in the bottom row. Adjust by use frequency over the first week. Most-grabbed at desk-height, less-used up top.
COST SUMMARY
1/2" Baltic birch ply, 4'×4' panel
$45 to $65
1/4" basswood blanks × 5
$75 to $100
3/8" basswood blank × 1
$22 to $30
Glue, screws, sandpaper (brad nails owned)
$21
Pure tung oil, 16 oz
$28
Forstner bit (one-time tool, used many builds)
$12
Bar clamps, 12" · 4-pack (one-time tool)
$40
Brad nailer, 18ga (one-time tool)
$65
DIY total range
$308 to $361
Materials only, tools excluded
$191 to $244
Custom millwork, comparable size and quality
$450 to $750
The $117 in tools (Forstner, clamps, nailer) is a one-time spend that earns back across this and the next several Manor builds. Materials-only is what this specific project costs going forward once those tools are in your kit. The $450 to $750 millwork comparison is what an Etsy-style maker would charge for a comparable wall organizer, since no small shop quotes work this small.
WHAT COULD GO WRONG
Basswood walls flex when colored pencils are loaded.
A 11.5" wide tray of 1/4" basswood with 30+ pencils inside will bow over time. The cut list specifies 3/8" basswood for the large trays for this reason. Don't substitute back to 1/4" thinking it will be lighter, the failure mode is bowed bottoms and cracked walls within a year.
Drywall-only mounting will pull off the wall.
Loaded with pens, the unit weighs 8 to 12 lb. Mounted to drywall anchors alone, it will work for a few months and then sag or pull. The French cleat must hit at least 2 studs. Use the stud finder, mark with painter's tape, drive #10 × 2.5" screws into solid wood. Drywall anchors are a backup for the cleat ends only.
Front wall finger cutout drilled too low.
If you mark the 1" Forstner cut at the bottom of the wall instead of 1.5" up, the cutout breaks through the bottom edge and the tray's structural integrity is compromised. Mark every front wall before drilling. Confirm the cutout is fully bordered before pulling the trigger.
Tray fits too tight in its compartment, won't lift cleanly.
Plan 1/8" of clearance on every side of every tray inside its compartment. Basswood and ply both expand slightly with humidity. A tray that fit perfectly in the dry workshop binds in a humid kitchen-adjacent room in summer. Build in the clearance.
CROSS-EXPERT NOTES
FROM THE FINISH CARPENTER
This is a lot of small joinery. 18 trays, each with five pieces, is 90 separate parts to cut and 72 joints to glue. Batch your work. Cut all the same dimension at once. Glue 6 trays at a time. The build feels long if you treat each tray as its own project, fast if you treat them as a production run.
FROM THE STUDIO DESIGNER
Don't lock in tray contents on day one. Load it intuitively, work for two weeks, then move trays around based on which ones you actually grab most. The most-used trays should land at chest height where your hand naturally rests. Reorganize again every quarter.
FROM THE ERGONOMIC STRATEGIST
Mount the bottom of the cabinet at 30" above the floor. That puts the colored-pencil row at desk surface height when you're seated, and the top row at chest-to-shoulder height. Reach is comfortable across the full unit without standing or stretching.
DEVIL'S ADVOCATE
18 trays with three sizes is a complex first version. A faster path: build one row of 6 small trays as a prototype, mount it, use it for two weeks. Confirm the modular concept actually serves you before committing to 90 parts of basswood. If the prototype works, scale up with confidence. If it doesn't, you've spent one weekend instead of two.
FINAL NOTES
This isn't a project that needs permits, inspections, or a contractor. It's a craft build that happens to live on a wall. Keep it that way. Don't over-engineer the hardware, don't substitute pricier woods, don't make it permanent. The whole point of modular trays is that the system stays light on its feet.
Once it's mounted, the work it does for you is daily. You'll touch it every time you sit down to draw, write, or sketch. That makes it worth the two weekends.