There is no right or wrong way to build LEGO sets. Everyone has their own unique rituals and personal quirks when it comes to assembling kits. There are those who work in an orderly fashion, separating the bags and pieces they will need in advance, and those who simply dump everything on the table and treat it like one giant puzzle. Some people prefer to build on a spacious table and a comfortable ergonomic chair, and others prefer to plop down on the couch or the floor.

While I admire the seemingly well-organized dedication of the LEGO content creators I follow on Instagram—those who often work in pristine spaces—my own building habits are far more chaotic. To be honest, it is a wonder I’ve even been able to complete setups at this point.

As an avid movie lover, I find nothing more relaxing than popping on a flick and cracking open a LEGO box after a stressful day. My workspace is simply a couch and a TV tray table. That’s it!

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that this approach is rife with unnecessary challenges. Depending on the size of the set, there may not be enough room on the table for the container I place the pieces in, the instruction manual, and the build itself to nicely co-exist. As a result, one of the three items might sometimes be placed on the seat beside me, or, if the set is particularly large, I may have to pull up another tray table to place the pieces on.

It’s a chaotic approach, but I still manage to find some calm within the eye of the storm.

Given my desire to watch and build, you can understand my intrigue when I came across a Kickstarter advertisement on Instagram for The Stud Desk by Stud Tubs. Full disclosure: I ended up backing the product. A portable lap desk designed specifically for building LEGO sets.

What initially struck me about The Stud Desk was the key features it offered. Not only were there a holder for the instruction manual, a spot for mini-figures, and 5 sections (one of which works for longer/larger bricks) to place various LEGO pieces, but also a baseplate that fits official LEGO bricks. It seemed like a great idea in theory, but since it was made by a non-LEGO-affiliated company, only time would tell whether the final product would deliver on its promise.

After patiently waiting like Gollum tracking his Ring of Power, I finally got my hands on “my precious” a month ago, and it has been a game-changer.

The desk immediately brought more structure to my LEGO building process. Starting with a small set, the LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Retro Camera (Set #31147), there was something instantly satisfying about having all the pieces sorted in the holders and the manual firmly in place in the book holder. All done while revisiting I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998). Having everything at the ready on my lap made the build go much faster, allowing me to also enjoy and realize the movie was just as silly as I remembered.

Furthermore, the weight and overall design made The Stud Desk comfortable on my lap. Not to mention the fact that I was able to close everything up, including placing the manual holder and baseplate in the built-in storage, quite easily. I even tested it on a slightly larger set, Wall-E and Eve (Set #43279), and felt the same level of comfort and enjoyment.

Obviously, working with truly large sets will take a bit of navigating, and I hope to run that test soon, but for those of us who love building in front of the television, the desk delivered everything I hoped it would.

If there is one quibble I have so far, and it’s a minor one, it is removing the finished product from the baseplate. While it is great to have your build stabilized on the plate as you add new pieces, I found it took a bit of finesse with the LEGO Brick Separators to remove the build. I eventually figured out the right amount of pressure I needed when working on the second set, but it will take a few more builds before I get the full swing of it.

Also, and this is clearly for those of us who are prone to being a bit clumsy, as sturdy as the desk is, one might want to ensure there is nothing, like a pesky animal in need of attention, that can cause a jump scare. You don’t want to be digging pieces out of the couch.

Honestly, though, that last piece of advice applies to any type of build.

The Stud Desk is my new go-to for movie-watching and building, making it so much easier for me to put my feet up and indulge in my version of relaxation (aka LEGO therapy). Whether you’re a casual LEGO fan or a hardcore builder, this stud is definitely eye-catching.