Filing Cabinet Redo

I'm on furlough this week, meaning I'm home from work without pay. That also means I have nine whole days to do with as I please. And I've been so busy catching up on things that need to be done around the house - and lots of things that I've really wanted to do but haven't had time or energy for.

When I asked Danny if there was anything he'd like for me to do during my time off, he mentioned the office. Our filing cabinet's drawers only open halfway, so they're not very practical. That makes filing in general pretty miserable, so it's not being used. There - that's my confession for the day.

So I went to the thrift shop and found this metal filing cabinet for $4.99.

 Now, I will be the first to admit that it is terribly ugly. But it's the right size and has lots of potential.

 
 It has tons of scratches and, for some reason, paint splotches all over it.


And one of the drawers is bent - makes me wonder how. Hmmm...

So here's the plan:

1. Bend the drawer back into place. Check.

2. Spray paint the cabinet itself with Rust-oleum in dark brown. It will take two coats.

3. Spray paint the drawers with stone-textured spray paint in brown. It will take three coats and 24 hours to dry.

4. Install the wire hanging system, which was missing from this thrift store find. (I found one at a different thrift store for $1.29. Half Price Day is awesome!)

And here is my finished cabinet. No traces of that weird wood-grain texture on a metal filing cabinet, and you'd never guess there were any paints or scratches because the paint gets in all those little places.


I love the stone textured finish. It's perfect for this piece.


And the drawers open all the way! Sorry ... it's the little things that make me happy.

Drawers, and a practical filing system.

So for about $10, I have a beautiful piece that I adore.

Comments

  1. Fritz John MarajasJune 25, 2014 at 8:18 AM

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  2. PURSUEing HimJuly 7, 2015 at 2:04 PM

    Scrolling through posts for ideas how to paint some filing cabinets for an office re-do and absolutely love this idea! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete

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