You Can Kick That Ugly Filing Cabinet to the Curb

It doesn’t matter how much time and effort you spend getting the look of your home office just right; if you have an ugly filing cabinet, the whole room tends to sag in disappointment. But it needn’t. Rather than being a bulky eyesore, a filing cabinet can both fade into the background and be a valuable home office addition that does far more than just keep your affairs in order. These ideas are sure to inspire a change.

Extra seating. No need to clutter up a sleek home office with extra chairs if you need them only once in a while. Add a cushioned top to a filing cabinet on wheels, and you’ve got an extra seat for guests whenever the occasion arises. Coordinate the color of your cabinet with your desk and other room elements, and it will go unnoticed when not in use — just slide it under your desk so it’s out of the way.


Lamp table. If you can squeeze a sofa into your home office, do so at once. It not only will cozy up the space and make it a far more inviting place in which to work, but if it’s a sofabed, your home office can double as a guest room. Place a lamp on a filing cabinet by the couch and it will act as a lamp table by day and as a bedside table whenever guests stay over.

Cabinet: Galant, Ikea


Packed up. Portable, expandable filing systems are just as functional as those in more substantial filing cabinets, but their real advantage is that they can be stashed out of sight. Old suitcases like these could hold all of your important papers in fabulous eclectic style.


Old cabinets and chests of drawers are other handy places for stashing cardboard or plastic expandable filing systems. Once you consider the alternatives, a traditional metal filing cabinet is unlikely ever to enter your home office again.


Old school. Nothing adds more warmth and charm to a room than a relic from the past, and when it’s in natural wood form, the effect is multiplied. Look for industrial-style or antique filing options in secondhand stores or get the look with a reproduction. This one packs in a lot of filing space and adds charm to this otherwise simple home office.


Star attraction. Sometimes it’s better to make a highlight of your filing cabinet than to pretend it’s not there or try to hide it. The fact is, we’ve all got important papers and records we need to store, and it takes space to do that. A bright color can be enough to make a filing cabinet a showpiece, and when it’s set against a wall that helps it shine, so much the better. This chalkboard backdrop is just what this orange filing cabinet needed to make it really pop.

See more of this office and home


If you’re thinking of having some shelving built into your home office, why not factor in some filing cabinets? When they’re as colorful as these, they’ll add instant zing.


Boxed in. Got an old toy box the kids no longer use? Measure some lengths of wood and use screws and simple brackets to fit them inside, and all those files will hang happily out of sight.


The same approach can apply to old chests and trunks you already have or uncover in a secondhand or antiques shop.


Go industrial. Home offices are all about work and getting things done, so they are well suited to an industrial look. Find a metallic or rustic black filing cabinet and you’re one step closer to creating a workspace with this kind of edge. Next steps? A chair and desk that sing along with it. Think leather, aged wood and function over form.


If you need to turn your chaotic home office into a more ordered haven, consider this creative method. Label your files on the outside, and you’ll add style, a sense of fun and a new level of organization all at the same time.


Lying sideways. A filing system with multiple drawers removes the need for your files to hang vertically, and can be far less imposing in a home office. When it looks as good as this filing cabinet, there’s no reason not to make a change.


Color charged. Two shorter filing cabinets rather than a tall one that seems to tower over the room will be all the more appealing when they’re in a color that ties in with the other hues in the room. In this case orange and blue punctuate the workspace with aplomb. A worktop set on top of two filing cabinets is all that’s needed to create a funky and functional desk with plenty of storage at hand.


Wall space. If you find yourself going back and forth from your desk to the filing cabinet several times a day, it might pay to use the wall above your desk for the files you access most often. A system like this is also sure to keep papers from piling up on your desktop.

Wall rack: Kvissle, Ikea


Window seat. Can you imagine a boxy metal filing cabinet in this elegant workspace? Of course not! Then why should one uglify yours? Tucking filing drawers under a window seat could be just the solution your home office needs.

Tell us: Have you found an alternative to the traditional filing cabinet? Share your ideas in the Comments.

More:
7-Day Plan: Get a Spotless, Beautifully Organized Home Office
20 of the Coziest Home Offices on Houzz

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