Even as an only semi-responsible adult, I have enough paperwork to justify the need for a file cabinet. I've owned one in every apartment I've ever had and have decorated them six ways to Sunday. They've never quite looked this good, though, and all it took was a simple piece of scrap stone.
File cabinets are relatively easy items to spray paint. The less adventurous could take them to be painted, but a custom hue is a sure fire way to make these industrial pieces find a true place in your home and in your heart.
The tops of older filing cabinets have usually seen a great deal of wear, and although their corners and sides are still square, the tops often sink down a little, making them appear less attractive. Better Homes and Gardens suggests using a small piece of stone to cover the top and give the cabinet a bit of polish. Marble, granite, and even concrete would all be great options.
You can head to local stone outlets and pick up small pieces like this for far less than you think. This would also make a great kitchen island workspace, a wet bar in your living room, or even a place to set a drink in your basement man cave. What do you think of the idea?
(Image: Better Homes and Gardens)
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I have used a stone piece to hide damage to an old wood table as well
I agree, much improved! I've found great stone scraps at rebuilding centers in my city (Portland) for next to nothing.
I'd love to do a big desk like this. I'm having a hell of a time finding a steel desk with a filing cabinet that isn't $300 or looks like crap. This seems like a good diy, find 2 small filing cabinets, paint nifty color and find something cool and smooth to span across - BOOM awesome desk.
Ooh! I love the orange. Does anyone know if these were purchased that way or if they owners did their own paint job?
@vonlet24: I used a good quality spray paint on a metal filing cabinet and got great results. Just make sure it's really clean and pull out the drawers a bit to get the color on the inside edges. Use a satin or matte finish to hide the little dents these things tend to get.
This is a good look! The only thing I have used stone to top is my butcher block (we went to a Williams Sonoma outlet where they were selling the white marble top of a wood base table for $10! It even had honed edges was so heavy it just fits on top perfectly with it's own weight.)
Now this has me about to get my tape measure out and see if it would fit on the filing cabinets...
Love this idea, love the orange.
However, I don't know where this scrap stone that diy articles talk about comes from. Stone places here charge the same price per square foot for a scrap as for a custom counter. I called around to every supplier in the area because I wanted a piece 4 inches by 29 inches to put across the end of my bathtub for shampoo etc. I ended up paying $60 for it. It's so useful that it was worth it, but it would have been so much nicer if I'd only paid a few dollars for it.
@Dulcibella - It's part timing and part luck. And a whole lotta parts patience. You have to really either get lucky and have a piece available when you want it (and a piece of stone you like) or you have to keep trying, sometimes for weeks or months on end, if you want to find a really good deal on a very small piece of stone.
You are almost better off going to a salvage yard of a tile and stone retailer rather than a stoneyard and seeing if they have anything small.
But if you're persistent, you can find a deal. If you know someone who has a stone cutting tool, even better, since you can get a slightly larger piece than you need and have it cut down without paying the huge expense of having a stoneyard or tile worker cut it down for you.
@Dulcibella: those builder supply overstock stores I told you about would be a good place to start.
Oh this is too cute... wondering whether this would work in a bedroom (as this is where we keep our filing cabinet) Still looks a little harsh, wonder if there's a way to soften this look even further?
We used remnant limestone to top off some built-in cabinetry around our fireplace and it turned out beautifully!
Where are these stone yards everyone's always talking about? I've never seen one.
@JESS13: You are a very helpful commenter.
This (painting my slightly-dented boring black file cabinet) actually seems do-able. That orange is fantastic. Add the stone and the file cabinet is really attractive. Thanks AT.
(and CALLDOCTORBISON I was wondering the same thing but I haven't really done any research...)
@A BIT OF BROOKLYN, might i suggest a warm slab of wood on top instead of stone, for your bedroom? I think that could be really beautiful and warm enough for a bedroom
You can also use a door over 2 filing cabinets for an inexpensive top. I used this for years. And I got vintage filing cabinets which are extremely solid and they're still going strong. There are no dents or bowing on the top. This was well over 20 years ago although they could use a touch up now. They have been very handy and are used constantly.
I needed a "remnant" piece of marble (5 inches wide by about 5 feet long) for an outdoor shelf. Was not picky on colour and would have taken anything as long as it was close to white. The two marble stores I went to wanted $70. That is not cheap and they would not budge on price despite the fact that these pieces have probably been in their shop for 20 years and will stay there for another 20. Same size piece on Craigslist was $20.
I bemoaned this for years. Wanted old marble or granite on top of my radiators, to radiate and give me shelf-like storage. Ridiculous, pricing by the square foot for remnants! (Really, stone cutter - you can't discount that 8" X 30" piece that is just the edge cut off a giant counter in a mansion? All the other stores sell their little scrappy bits cheap!)
But then I found a man at the flea market who had all kinds of old marble mantle tops and whatnots. $5 per piece, he said to me. So I bought and bought.
DEFINITELY look at salvage yards, flea markets, old junk antique kinds of places.
@vonlet24
CB2 has a file cabinet on wheels (file drawer on bottom, two smaller drawers on top) that comes powder-coated in screaming orange, chartreuse, white, or carbon gray.
Such a great idea. I love the color for my white studio walls
I always get so jealous when I read the, "Oh, I got my bucket of gold from the leprechaun junkyard for 52 cents" posts.
Someday I am going to find that awesome place that practically gives away wine crates, butcher blocks, and extra tiles. Until then I will just drool over everyone else's great finds. :)
The local Restore (Habitat for Humanity's thrift store that sells building supplies including re-use stone countertops and broken stone countertops) has these things for cheap prices. I drooled over a pink and black granite piece for a long time, thinking about how awesome it would look above the dozens of recycled kitchen cabinets they also sell, turned into a sideboard.
Don't forget to look at the Habitat's local website to see if they have a recycling store in your city!! They have the most awesome stuff usually marked down by at least 10% but often much more than that.
LOL to PENDRAGON's comment above, about the "bucket of gold from the leprechaun junkyard." So true!
Well, we'll all have to keep hunting -- Usually, those finds pop up when you've just about forgotten about them and are instead out looking for Something Else :)
OK, I'm a leprechaun recipient. If y'all are in northeast Massachusetts, you can find some old stone at Todd Farm Flea market on route 1A in Rowley. Sunday mornings through Thanksgiving. There's an old barn, and stacked up against the sides of it are old marble and soapstone sinks and backsplashes and such. The man will sell you a stone backsplash - not as cheap as the previous guy sold them to me, but still pretty cheap. Then there are other guys with other random things.
Also, local sources for this kind of thing:
Nor'east Architectural Salvage in South Hampton, NH, as well as Old House Salvage in Exeter, NH. Neither of these stores give stuff away - but if you're looking for old stone, they've sure got it. And they might be flexible on a remnant pice.
Also, Paul Martin Antiques on River St. (110) in Haverhill, MA. I was looking for marble for an old file I had found, and Paul had a piece that he sold me for like $30 (about 7 square feet, I think). He gets old beaten down dressers and sometimes salvages the stone tops. They're not on display - just ask!
(Those of you who are near and have never been to Paul Martin antiques - you HAVE to go. It's 3 or 4 floors of an old warehouse, stocked every inch with old pieces. Paul sells to people in Hollywood when they're looking for just the right piece. Totally camouflaged in an iffy neighborhood. Ring the bell, and Paul's mother will answer the door, and she'll write up your receipt afterwards. And they'll leave you alone while you poke around. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Paul-Martin-Antiques/153861854677478)
The leprechauns are out there, but you have to do a lot of driving and asking and poking before you find them.
The color is fabulous and getting stone at habitat is even better. Love love love this!!! I have a large ugly file cabinet that is about to be a bright bold colr!!!!
Community Forklift (near DC) has amazing deals. Like the Habitat stores, they sell remnants and old and used parts for super cheap. During August, they're selling granite for $1/foot for pieces less than 3 feet square.
Here's the site: http://communityforklift.com/forsale.cfm#item212