It’s hard to plan a home office, whether you have a separate room for it or use a small part of another room. It can be hard to find a good balance between function and style, especially when you’re using something ugly like a metal filing cabinet in your home office. Even though this type of storage is definitely useful, its clean, plain look might make even the best-designed room look bad. There are ways to hide a metal filing cabinet so that it blends in instead of standing out.
File cabinets can hold a lot more than just paper documents. For a different look, you could use a metal filing cabinet to store more things around the house. In the above example, Home Talk shows how to turn a metal filing cabinet into stylish and useful bar storage.
A filing cabinet can be reused in more ways than just by painting it. One way to decorate the drawers of an old filing cabinet is with colored wrapping paper. With the right tools, the paper will change how the filing cabinet looks, giving it a unique look that is sure to be a best-seller.
If you want a big craft counter that can hold a lot of things, go to Little Gray Table to see how she turned 4 filing cabinets into a great craft counter with a lot of storage. It’s fast, easy, and cheap, especially if you can find some cheap filing cabinets at a thrift store.
This double filing cabinet has changed so much, it’s crazy! It was turned from a modest Thrifted File Cabinet into a magnificent Wooden beauty. The ideas given here will work perfectly for your own project. Your piece will look the same as this one if you make a few changes.
Who says that file cabinets can only be used to store papers? Not us! We store more than just papers in our cabinets. Check out our list of ten clever ways to use a filing cabinet. We’re confident you’ll find a project you’ll enjoy!
Now that everyone is going paperless, what should be done with all of those file cabinets? I’m sorry to say that after writing this piece, I threw out my file cabinets. There are a lot of free file cabinets on Craigslist and at yard sales, which is good news.
Put a couple filing cabinets under a tabletop of your choice, like a sheet of plywood, an old door, or a piece of glass cut to size, to make a cheap but useful desk. This tried-and-true DIY solution has been popular with homeowners for a long time because it makes it easy for them to make their own workstations fit their needs.
Are file cabinets worth any money?
Most antique filing cabinets cost between $150 and $450, which is about average for any kind of furniture. The price of a filing cabinet goes up based on how big or unique it is.
What kind of metal does a filing cabinet have?
The most durable option is a metal file cabinet, which is often made of galvanized steel.
What materials are used to construct filing cabinets?
The most common materials for office filing cabinets are wood and metal sheets. Drawers are usually opened with a drawer slide, which has a “stop” that keeps the drawer from coming all the way out of the cabinet.
How do you get a metal filing cabinet out of its place?
If that doesn’t get rid of your old file cabinet, you can always take it to a scrap yard or metal recycling center and have them take it apart for scrap metal.
What kind of paint do you put on metal cabinets?
Oil-based paint is better than latex paint for metal cabinets because latex paint can flake off. Ask for help at the paint counter if you don’t know what kind of paint to buy or how to tell them apart.
How do you paint metal cabinets?
Metal cabinets can be painted, but first they need to be cleaned well with an industrial cleaner to get rid of grease and other kitchen dirt. Then use sandpaper with a grit of 220 or 400 before putting on a metal primer. The last step is to paint it with latex acrylic paint.
What’s the best way to move a big filing cabinet?
The easiest file cabinets to move are the ones that stand up straight. All you or the movers you’ve hired need is a dolly and a few straps. Slowly pull the filing cabinet away from the wall with the dolly until you can reach around it.
Can you smoke inside a filing cabinet?
You can make a smoker out of a file cabinet.
What does a smoking cabinet mean?
When this ad ran in the Lancaster Daily Gazette on November 16, 1928, smoking cabinets, smoking stands, or “smokers,” as they were called informally, were a big business. A simple cabinet with one door and one drawer on the bottom was like a smoker.
A metal filing cabinet can have paint put on it.
To avoid brush marks, it’s best to use spray paint instead of brush paint. Spray paints are also a good way to keep a surface from rusting. When painting, make sure to spray light coats of paint evenly over the whole metal surface.
Do chalk paints work well on metal file cabinets?
People often ask me, “Can you use homemade chalk paint on metal?” Yes, yes, and yes again! Chalk paint is good for painting metal.
What kind of materials are used to make a filing cabinet?
The most common materials for office filing cabinets are wood and metal sheets. Drawers are usually opened with a drawer slide, which has a “stop” that keeps the drawer from coming all the way out of the cabinet.