In addition to all my wooden boats over the years, I have made bespoke furniture from time to time for my family. The last item was a baby cot for my grand-daughter. I used Tassie Pink Myrtle for that cot, a wonderful coloured and patterned timber that shows pink traces through the clear coat. There is a Tassie timber merchant that has an online store on ebay, it is worth checking out. This is where I buy my pink myrtle.
http://www.distinctivetimbers.com.au...tle/myrtle.htm
Unless you have experience working with wood, and the tools to make it easier, I suggest you buy that desk. There are plenty of old desks sitting around in second hand furniture shops or antique places that you could refinish and have a lovely desk. I bought an old desk from an HCF disposal sale for $20, solid oak, over 50 years old, in excellent condition.