See this adorable window seat? It’s pretty awesome right? Just your run of the mill window seat in our guest room/office.
Or is it?
Not so much! This little bench has a secret! Let’s take a peek inside why don’t we….
It’s a filing cabinet!! Plus added storage. Whoda thunk?
We had a lot of files when we moved in together, but no where to keep them. Well, okay, Lars had one of those hideous metal file cabinets and it was super heavy and I didn’t think it was worth moving into the apartment (a third floor walk up) when I didn’t want to keep it for long anyway. So we gave the heavy metal cabinet away, and I started looking online for file cabinets. The cute ones are expensive!
So- I had to get creative for this one. The project cost just about $100. Considering how nice the bench is on its own, I think we did pretty well. Plus, it’s multi functional! Who doesn’t love a storage unit you can sit on?
This is probably the easiest DIY we’ve done in our apartment. And it is super functional. I found the idea, surprise surprise, through pinterest, on the Martha Stewart website. Well, their tutorial was great, but I figured out a simpler way to do it.
All you need are a few supplies:
- A storage bench large enough to accommodate a hanging file frame
- A hanging file frame
- Hanging file folders
Simple enough, right?
Literally all you have to do is put the hanging file frames together and place them in the bench. You can also tape or secure them down in some way if you want to, but it may not be necessary.
We used two 18 inch hanging file frames and still had room left over, so I got a storage bin that fit the leftover dimensions for added storage. Our home office/ guest room is still a work in progress (though I’m hoping to reveal it soon!) so we haven’t added office supplies into the storage bin yet.
I can guarantee you this DIY will take you 20 minutes or less. If you are like me, and get your bench from a second hand store, you can also make this really affordable too. Definitely a win win!
Now all our files are organized and hidden out of sight. And there is a nice place to sit by the window in our guest room/ office.
Get excited to see our guest room/ home office reveal in the next few weeks! This is just a sneak peek of one DIY in the room, but the rest of it is gonna be awesome. And organized, obviously.
Leslie says
You did a great job. I love your little box too!
Carmody says
Really brilliant idea.
Amy @ Homey Oh My! says
Oh my gosh! This is SO clever. By far the most stylish file storage I’ve ever seen!
Megin says
What a great idea! I LOVE furniture that pulls double duty ~ and it’s stylish, too!
Thank you for sharing your post this week at Brag About It Link Party on VMG206. I’m featuring you at Next Weeks Brag About It Link Party, Monday at midnight!
~ Megin of VMG206
Susie says
Woohoo! Thanks so much! I love your blog.
Alexis @ Persia Lou says
This is such a great idea! And I love how simple you made it. Thanks so much for sharing with us at The Makers. :)
Lisa says
That’s such a good idea! Much better than a metal file cabinet, and much more comfortable to sit on!
Amy says
You did a great job. This looks so clever! What size did the bench need to be in order to fit the hanging files? I’m thinking of doing this in my bedroom to hide my files. Thanks!!!
Susie says
There are so many different hanging files you can get so it really depends… but make sure to measure the interior of the bench to make sure whatever files you get are compatible
Kara says
Love the cleverness of this idea…. but those chiffon curtains touching the radiator are terrifying! I’m worried they’ll catch fire :-(
Susie says
Kara- no need to worry, that radiator is turned off! We have since moved out of that apartment, but that radiator was always off the whole time we lived there.