There is an incredible amount of furniture options that may not seem obvious at first. By repurposing an unlikely piece of furniture, you can create something unique and stylish. Found in a used office furniture store, this flip top file cabinet finds a new use as a dresser. Spacious drawers can hold a lot of weight and many of these file cabinets are made with a safety feature that prevents more than one drawer from being pulled out at a time. With an updated racing stripe detail, this dresser becomes as cool as it is useful.
Sam Henderson
Sam Henderson
Start by cleaning the archive completely.
Sam Henderson
Scrape off old labels with a single razor blade. Use an adhesive remover solution if necessary.
Sam Henderson
Use masking tape to carefully cover the handles. Cut off excess tape with a razor blade or craft knife.
Sam Henderson
Place a piece of masking tape over the top of the cabinet and lower the front to a distance of at least 3" from both sides of the handles. This will serve as a guide for the paint strip.
Sam Henderson
Spray paint the space between the masking tape guides (these will be your racing stripes). Spray more lightly near the masking tape guides. Let the paint dry completely. Add an additional layer if necessary. Remove the masking tape guides.
Sam Henderson
Make a strip of paper or newsprint as wide as the handles and long enough to cover the front and top of the file cabinet. Make sure it's an even width. Tape the paper to the file cabinet, covering the handles and wrapping it over the top of the cabinet in one continuous piece. The outside edges of the masking tape should only extend about 1/4" beyond the paper on both sides. With the paper in place, add small pieces of tape right next to the masking tape on the paper on both sides. These will serve as guides for spacing the width of the outer fringes.Put another long strip of tape on the outside of the spacer guides to mask the outer fringes.
Sam Henderson
Remove the spacer guides. Cut the paper and outer fringe into the gaps between the drawers. Add small pieces of tape to cover the ends of the drawer flaps, wrapping it around the top and bottom of the flaps.
Sam Henderson
Spray the file cabinet with the main color. Paint the drawers on all visible sides except the bottom of the inner drawer. This will be covered with shelf liner. Let the paint dry completely and add another coat, if necessary.
Sam Henderson
Remove all tape.
Sam Henderson
Use steel wool to remove paint dust buildup and smooth the edges of the masking tape. Wipe down the entire project with a slightly damp paper towel to remove any sanding residue.
Sam Henderson
Cut and adhere self-adhesive shelf liner to bottom and back of drawers to cover knockouts.
Sam Henderson
Sam Henderson
Sam Henderson
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