I was recently inspired by the folks at Design Sponge to makeover my filing cabinet. Since I also use it as the end table in my living room, I wanted it be as attractive as it is functional. My original intent was simply to spray paint the whole cabinet white and change the hardware. Easy, right? But I messed up and picked out hardware that didn’t quite fit the holes that were already there. Instead of buying different hardware, my husband decided to add wood paneling to the fronts so we could drill new holes. Not quite as easy, but the end result was worth it. The lesson: measure twice, purchase once!
To Get This Look
The Basics:
- File Cabinet $40
- Cabinet Hardware $5 – $50
- Spray Paint $7
The Extra Step (Wood Fronts):
- Plywood 1/8 – 1/4″ thick. I recommend Lauan plywood because it’s cheap, light and easy to work with. $10
- Combination Wood Stain/Polyurethane $12
- Liquid Nails Construction Adhesive $3
- Clamp and Duct Tape
- Drill
Measure the size of cabinet fronts, but take off ¼ inch all around. You want the wood to be a little smaller than the door. When you buy the plywood from Home Depot (or any lumber yard) you can have them cut it to your measurements. Make sure you tell them that you need an EXACT cut. Otherwise, they will cut a little too big. As we’ve learned the hard way, this is something all lumber yards do. It’s incredibly annoying.
Stain the wood with the combo stain/polyurethane. Two coats is fine, but let the stain dry completely between each coat.
The glue will work best if it’s the same temperature as the wood and the filing cabinet. So keep everything in the same corner of the room for a day or two before you start. Then apply the glue to the center of the fronts, avoiding the edges. Clamp it down with duct tape, heavy-duty binder clips or whatever you can find. Leave the clamps on for a day. The tape will come off easily since the wood has been varnished.
Once the wood is securely attached, drill through the wood and the metal door to insert the hardware. Find the center point of each door, then you can eyeball where you want handle to be. Drill one hole first, then carefully measure to figure out where the second one goes. Like I mentioned before: measure twice, cut once.
The End Result!
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Love this idea! My filing cabinet is tucked into a closet so I don’t have to look at it–wish I’d thought of doing something like this!
Those drawer pulls are great, by the way.