apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Thanks to everyone for all the good advice! I guess I shoudl stop hoarding paper, but since I can't, lol, at least I'll be able to store it stylishly...
Thanks again,
Tara

I'm not extremely organized, but I finally gave in and got a four-drawer black file cabinet at Staples (I think it was HON), put it in the corner of my bedroom, and covered it with an antique rag rug (made with black thread, pretty cool)--and it has visually disappeared.

I declared war on paper, got rid of my wonderfully sturdy, old, full size file cabinets and got a rolling silver mesh unit from Container Store: http://tinyurl.com/mdmkb

Instead of the small box stacked on the large box, as in this pic, I have two large boxes stacked together. I keep my frequently used files on top and lesser used ones on the bottom, since I have to lift off the top to get to the bottom.

This has been working wonderfully well for me since it rolls. I keep it under my table that I use as a desk in the LR and roll it out when I need it (I can simply roll it out without leaving the chair at the desk). I can also roll it out to the couch if I'm working on the coffee table and need it. If I have a party, I can either hide it under a table cloth when I convert the table to a buffet, roll it into another room, or just leave it out under the table, because it's cute with bright hanging folders in the front.

West Elm or Hold Everything.

Other option is to stick with a standard version, but with flush handles, and treat it (as is, or with a slightly larger circle of MDF on the top) as a draped table, with or without a glass round on top of the fabric.

If square, have a slipcover made with inverted corner pleats for a really tailored look. Leave the front panel unseamed at the two front corners for drawer access.

Also try Ballard Designs if your taste runs less contemporary.

Is it the shape or the color that's a problem?

There's always the option of a used file cabinet, a few cans of spray paint, and perhaps a swap to more interesting handles. Only works if you like the shape, though...

Depending on your style, you could 'convert' another piece of furniture. I had a roommate in college who was getting her PhD in French Lit and she had tons of paper. She bought two or three of those stand alone metal hanging file holders and put her files in what was technically a 'hope chest.' Looked great in her room since that was her style. Personally my style is more along the lines of Pixie's recommendations, but I thought I would toss that idea out since you don't want it to look like a piece of office furniture.

If you like Shaker-style wood furniture, you might try the file cabinet from the Hawthorne line at www.homedecorators.com. The website seems cheesy I know, but we have the Hawthorne file cabinet in our bedroom and have found it to be well made and good looking for the price. It really doesn't "read" as a file cabinet at all, more as a chest of drawers.

I sooooooo want to go home and shred/recycle every single sheet and leaf of paper in my apartment.

Even the sentimental stuff.

Perhaps, ESPECIALLY the sentimental stuff.

I hate to recomend ikea, but in this case it may be an answer. I have one of these in my office and it is very solid and attractive.

Drawer unit w 3 drawers on casters

http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?topcategoryId=15600&catalogId=10103&storeId=3&productId=32169&langId=-15&parentCats=15600*16146*16251

P2-I seem to remember you posted something in the last few days about going electronic on your bills. I have done this with virtually everything (a couple of dinosaur exceptions) and am SO happy I did. Including payments (Billpay at my credit union, online at the site of who I'm paying, or automatic deduction) and statements. I still get one credit card paper statement because I charge everything to that card (then I get Amazon credits for freebies) and like to have the paper statement to match up all the receipts.

One does have to be vigilant, committed, and able to be organized to go the e-route and not lose track of any payments due, since emails reminders don't have the presence of paper bill reminders. Beside eliminating all the paper, I really like not having to rush a payment by mail at the last minute.

As a certified paper addict, I was going to suggest both what Abbe and P(too) suggested. They sell the frames to put inside filing cabinets, so if you find a piece of furniture that has similar dimensions, you can use that--like a nightstand or something.

As far as the slipcover suggestion, definitely get it professionally done--I tried doing one myself and boy was I sorry...it looked like hell.

I gave away my file cabinet before I moved and bought a pandan file box which like Pixies solution, is transportable. I still have a lot of paper that doesn't fit in it--which I have in a plain cardboard box inside my closet. I have also used Container store's archival files. They're great because you can sort your files by themes "taxes, bills, papers) and then label them on the outside--these fit on bookshelves and could be customized by you if you're crafty or stored on a shelf in a closet.

Check out Home Decorators. They don't have very much modern stuff, but they do have some unique file cabinets. I am considering buying one of their file consoles. I just don't know about the quality, but someone here (maybe Curtis?) told me that Home Decorators has fairly decent quality for furniture. It's mostly imports, I think.

http://www.homedecorators.com/Furniture/Home_Office/File_Cabinets/view_all/

I’ve become a fan of the build-your-own style of furniture. You can try to go to Room & Board and look at their Linear or LaSalle series of furniture. Just choose the size of the shell and fit it out with whatever you need (door, shelf, files drawer, etc…).

You can also try Ikea’s Effektiv’s series. It’s the same concept. They are both good ways of trying to make office furniture less office-looking.

i've taken the pixie-recommended route. i pay everything electronically, wherever possible - of course, i'm still waiting for the time to come where i'm going to need that piece of paper for something - but in the meantime i'm happy with less clutter.

and what about scanning documents? putting them on disks? although, beware - the rumours you've heard about images deteriorating on disks are true (and, apparently, the same thing is true for mp3s - they need to be on hard drives...or so i've heard...)

I think you should buy 4 (or more!) of the FIRA 3 drawer mini chests from IKEA and stack them. You can keep all your crude in them and it won't look anything like a file cabinet.

http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?topcategoryId=16198&catalogId=10103&storeId=12&langId=-1&parentCats=16198*16296*15776&productId=35008

insert crud for crude, unless you are an oil baron

Damn, that is what I am looking for, Slash (of GnR fame? Woo!) but there's no ikea here. Grrr. And it's only $10! Wahhh.

I need someone to come to my house and tell me how to manage my paper. That's my one problem.

Apparently, it's quite a big enough problem, I had to say it twice.

rachel - she funny lady.

I love Bisley files. They are not cheap, but they have nice recessed handles and the action on the drawers is smooth as silk.

Check out www.bisley.com. They have really nice lateral files as well as thin drawer stacks that are really fun.

slash-I thought you meant crude before I saw your correction. I didn't think twice about it. Sort of reminded me of the Britishism--storing your "smalls."

Pixie--
Actually, for me, I am much more apt to pay from an email reminder than a paper one, so thankfully that is not a concern.

They sell Bisleys at Container Store.

http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?CATID=74544&PRODID=71168

Levengers has an interesting "nantucket" wicker file box, and I have seen other wicker file boxes. I have also seen an upholstered ottoman with a removable top that reveals file storage, you get a couple of non-heinous choices if you google storage ottoman or ottoman file cabinet. My files are all in a blanket chest I out file frames in and use as a coffee table.

BTW P2, it wasn't at all obvious from your entry in the contest last year where you have the alleged paper. Where is it?

I am in the process of buying this one. It looks really cool on the website, but don't know what it looks like in person.

m

http://www.boltz.com/productinfo.asp?item=314&deptcode1=554

I just struggled with this and bought the Blu Dot stackable files (www.plushpod.com) Not my ideal, but more attractive and cheaper the other stuff I saw out there. Plus, do people really have so little paper that they just need one file drawer? So many file cabinets have one small drawer and one big drawer, and that's just not enough space, no matter how I pare down.

This company has some nice looking office type furniture that would be at home in the right environment:

http://www.traspec.se/EN/malibu.asp

Unfortunately, I'm not sure where to get it in the States.

Fiona, For long-term, archival storage that I look at rarely--eg, taxes, closing papers--I've been moving towards stackable boxes. That's another way I've been able to eliminate behemoth file cabinets. I think of my rolling file cabinet as mostly current, active stuff.

Also, my next step beyond going electronic financially is scanning. But, I'm still researching combo printer/scanner/faxers. Truth be told, I don't look forward to adding that piece of equipment to my space, so I think that's why it's taking me so long to decide on it. I'm mostly able to print anything I need to at work and I send my rare faxes at work too. I wouldn't want to scan at work, not private stuff. I even shred at work, since I don't want to add that box to my space either. And the shredders at work are industrial strength, so why not. All these things are allowed, mind you. I especially like shredding at work, since it's a great stress reliever.

What I haven't been able to figure out is where to keep all the office supplies, since my table/desk has no drawers. Yikes, I may have just had a Eureka on a solution. The IKEA/Ikea couch near the desk has a hideaway space at one end where I store some stuff and hide stuff when I need to. Maybe I could fit that out for office storage. Hmmmm...must run home and try.

I actually have a filing cabinet in my bedroom that serves double-duty as a TV stand. I bought it from Target -- it's similar, but not identical to this: http://tinyurl.com/gbdks
Mine only has one drawer, and it should be noted that it's a hanging file cabinet -- so there's no bottom to the drawer. Online, it looks like Target has quite a few options.

How about some of these file cabinets? http://www.antoineproulx.com/filecabinets.html

pikie--
I do have a file cabinet in the front closet, and other paepr archives in boxes (all my past graphic design samples), and I still keep the bulk of stuff in several leather boxes.

I'm looking to reduce even more (also had to recently absorb some stuff recently at home from a MASSIVE office/work downsize).

I just want even LESS. And it is an almost daily issue, to keep ahead of it. Things like the rewards points slips from CVS and D'ags... the printouts that come with prescriptions, etc.

I've seen a couple ways of dealing with this without buying new furniture.

1. Cover the in a veneer. I want to say that this was on the DIY network site.

2. In the Feb issue of Domino there was a file cabinet that the Decorator covered with a copier blow up of a favorite chinoiserie print. It was cool and edgy. Of course it is not shown on their website, but if you're interested let me know and I'll help you out. *wink*

P(too)--totally hear you. I used to be an editor and though I am no more, I cannot get rid of my samples...so I have all these publications to store. I was able to weed out a lot of it, but it's so hard.

Pixie, I have been thinking the same thing about shredders/scanners. We have a scanner at work, though I don't know if I can spend the time in the office at someone else's desk to use it. We don't have a shredder (if you can believe it), so I have a bag of "to shred" stuff currently. That stuff takes up so much space that I just don't have. I want to scan all the things I probably won't need in the long term but that I just can't bear totally throwing out (because I feel like the minute I do, I'll need it to prove something to someone--like utility bills and old health insurance statements).

Heather C - I loved that lady's idea in Domino. I kept the tear sheet and the project is now #367 on my to-do list.

Only if you scan them will it be easy for you to search them when you need it.

the hard copy files can be categorised and filed to be put away for long term storage.

If you have small space why use them to file away stuff.

I have an architectural-print cloth on mine. It's for deep storage, and the file drawer in the desk is for the often-referenced stuff.

I also have a picnic hamper under the desk that the scanner sits on with some files I can't bear to part with inside it. There's another wicker piece under the rocker, more like a suitcase, that is becoming my GTD "collection" vessel.

When I was job hunting, I had a separate plastic box thing as a project file. I need to set one up again for the carloads of genealogy stuff.

All paper, including books and magazines, requires constant vigilance and putting away, since one cat shreds and the other cat chews.

Christine, maybe they could take care of your "to shred" stuff!

you can get a combo scanner/copier/printer for under 150 bucks - but the scanning will be a bit slow at the price. the higher you go, the faster the scan, obviously.

for a while, i was downloading all the articles i used for research as pdf files, then storing them on discs - but the trouble is, if you really want to annotate/highlight them, t'ain't no way to do that. the hard copy, for all it's annoying bulk, just can't be beat sometimes.

Jean, I have that problem as well. I have a cat who loves loves loves plastic. I am a photographer. My negatives are sleeved in plastic. Guess who found out the hard way what direction kitty's tastes run?

What about when cats do that digging thing on slick surfaces, like magazines, then go crazy and tear around? What's up with that?

and then they literally buonce off the walls and stuff? I have no idea. We think there must be some kind of crazy gas that gets released triggering momentary cat-insanity.

Marc, thanks for that link. Those "raw steel" pieces are amazing. So steampunk. I want to keep them in my abandoned factory. I wish I had an abandoned factory.

If you keep an eye on the clock, you may discover that your cats go berserk at the same time every day, too.

check this out -

http://www.horchow.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=cprod19630024&parentId=cat000052&masterId=cat000048&navCount=0&navAction=jump&cmCat=msn

Also, i've seen some file cabinets that look like luggage or a couple of suitcases one on top of another. google for it n ye shall find.

Hey Jean, I'll be over at 8 with my pile of paper! :) Actually, someone told me something about Channel 4 doing a "community shred" or something with one of those shredder trucks--I thought that would be amusing, to see what people bring that they don't want seen!

Christine, I think there's a community shred on Saturday.

Rachel, there is something about photo chemicals that attracts them. Animal by-products in the film/chemicals/paper. All you can do is be hyper-vigilant.

My late kitty was NOTHING like the two I have now!

Document destruction is big business in DC. I should start a firm.

I have a HUGE crush on these, I cant stop thinking about them:

http://www.seejanework.com/ProductCart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=21&idproduct=440

Not a piece of furniture per se, but filing nonetheless. Although me being in Australia, $25USD (about $35AU) plus international shipping etc starts to get rather expensive :(

I'm guessing these file cabinets will be pricey (I have a Bisley file cabinet): http://hermanmiller.com/CDA/SSA/Product/0,1592,a10-c440-p109,00.html

Jasper Morrison's ATM Trolleys on vitra.com (click home collection, then home office)

Danielle, make those boxes yourself! You can design them to match/clash your decor. I love See Jane Work, but the prices are ridiculous, even for an Amurikan like me.

Hold Everything is having an office sale that is good for ten more days. This sale includes their veneered file cabinet, on caster rollers, for $225.

Here's the larger lateral file:
http://www.holdeverything.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?parentId=HE-SH1OFFFLG&partNumber=HE-PROD3906&retainNav=true&cmsrc=HE-SH1OFFFLG&storeId=11001&langId=-1&catalogId=11002&viewSetCode=E

Here's the file with casters (this is the one on sale):
http://www.holdeverything.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?parentId=HE-SH1OFFFLG&partNumber=HE-PROD3904&retainNav=true&cmsrc=HE-SH1OFFFLG&storeId=11001&langId=-1&catalogId=11002&viewSetCode=E

I'm just going to say it: this whole fad of canvas and paperboard file boxes is pretty godamned stupid. Anything worth storing should be stored in a completely rigid receptacle. Why would you put the deed to your house, the marriage contract you purchased your wife with, or the insurance card to your Porsche in a cardboard box that is not water resistant, will collapse over time, and bends? Like so much in my crappy crappy life, it makes no sense.

Hammertone paint is an easy way to cozy up metal office furniture. There's a photo of this finish on

http://www.seagravecoatings.com/special_effects.htm

Wow, my second post on AT and I receive the Wrath of Jonathan, I think thats a record! My suggestion was for those of us in the world who may rent, are not married, dont drive sportscars, or who try to practice the 'minimal paper' idea discussed above so dont actually have enough files to fill large filing cabinets. But if it makes you feel any better about your crappy life, please take comfort in knowing that next time Im hosing down my non-water resistant files (as I so often do), I will think to myself "Why oh why did I not listen to Jonathan??"

Danielle: "while i'm hosing down my non-water resistant files" just made laugh out loud for the first time all day. it is 6:40 and this is the first time i have smiled all day. nicely done!

the porsche reference was, for the record, tongue in cheek.

Hey, I aim to please. Although youve just been crossed off my 'Potential American Sugar-Daddy' list for not having a porsche.

Jennifer - Thank you for the suggestion, I was thinking that very thing this morning. I think I will get into Martha-mode on the weekend and have a go at making them (much to Jonathans disgust)

I feel very strongly about file cabinets. (As apparently so do 56 other commenters.) Be serious about your life. Use good, real, basic, file cabinets, and do not be led astray.

When I recently scaled up and moved to a nice neighborhood, a lot of other things happened - my job got harder, I got a boyfriend - all of which conspired such that I actually missed some payments and got - heavens, no - disorganized for awhile. I turned to David Allen's Getting Things Done, and in this book (bible for some) he admonishes those who think they can live without a real desk or real file cabinets. If you need help getting organized, GTD is a secret weapon. After reading his section on how to properly approach your pile of crap, label files, do the filing, and house the files, I was ready to face the music. First, I banished all thoughts of wicker thingies, cool patterned boxes, and Italian high end plastic. Then I went calmly to Staples. (He'll also have you buying a labelmaker, so get that out of the way. Back to the cabinets ...)

It took me two days of color consideration, but I picked out the very nicest color (you are choosing among 5 neutrals of course) of the standard, top of the line, no-nonsense, 'this is wartime', file cabinets. They are HON brand. They are not top of the line because their designer lives in Amsterdam, they are top of the line because they are well-built performers that keep millions of bills and their payers in line. But funny how I got home with these file cabinets and fell in love with them for their style! They are new, they are perfect, they perform for me just as they should! I worked them into a whole design in my tiny study/guest room that replicates an iPod, with a silver floor, and cool grey-aqua walls, it's hard to explain, I should take photos and enter a contest ...

I'm sorry, but metal file cabinets in my living space make me ill after spending all day with them in my office at work. And, I actually found that when I had one, it made me somewhat LESS organized.

Danielle, you ain't missin' nothin'. Those files aren't all they seem--I've seen them in person.

Thank you Pixie!! I just bought the mesh filing units and a couple of other mesh accesories. I've been searching for a nice and affordable solution to my serious organization problem.

Cilia-cool! Have you set up the filing units yet?

Lucy Gazelle-I too love GTD. I think I either first heard about it on this site or was led from this site to another where I heard about it. Never got the labelmaker though. Here's a site I like re GTD:
www.43folders.com
and also on getting organized:
www.metagrrrl.com/discardian

I saw a few questions about nice filing cabinets/ space saving desks- I work for a company called Anthro- visit Anthro.com or to see a pic of a nice modern looking file cabinet go to http://www.anthro.com/adetailpage.aspx?plid=6&matnbr=510BK

We have lots of great solutions for modern looking space saving furniture- I dont just work for the company - I am also an organization nut, always looking to declutter my small sized apartment too!

this one looks ok: http://store.yahoo.com/ezbuyfurniture/osi-10912.html

I wondered if I could add on to the original query. I am looking for a file cabinet for a home office, and what I really want is a brightly colored melamine - red or orange would be my top choices. Top choice for size would be two or three drawers for standard hanging files; I don't need the smaller drawers.

The closest thing to what I have in mind is http://www.traspec.se/EN/malibu.asp#

(posted by Chuck above) - I think these are great looking, but as Chuck mentioned, not easy to find in the U.S.

Any suggestions would be most welcome!

Thanks,
JB

For brightly colored file cabinets, how about these from Retro Office: Vertical File Cabinets

And the URL was stripped: http://www.retrooffice.com/verticalfiles.htm

this is pretty. this i think i can live with.
http://pinkmohair.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/03/this_is_the_fil.html