Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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How To Build A Wood File Storage Stand

What’s one thing that every office needs? Bingo – a lava lamp.

Ok, I kid, I kid. What I meant to say was “file storage.” And ours is no exception. We made a nice leap forward on the storage front with our hacked Ikea bookcase, but the desk I built was seriously lacking any place to stash papers and such. So after failing to find a perfectly sized file cabinet at our local thrift stores, we spotted a pair of simple embossed gray file boxes at Target (for just $14.99 a pop) that had our names written all over them.

Here they are sitting on the floor of our very much a work-in-progress office a few days ago.

File Desk Before File

I’ll give you a close-up of ’em later in the post, but basically they were just about the perfect amount of hanging file storage for us (you know, the kind of boxes that have those rails that hold folders that you can use to label and categorize your papers?). Plus, with two of them side by side they were the beginnings of a perfect spot to stack the white Ikea storage boxes from Sherry’s old office that contain our receipts and our modem (we paid Comcast $28 to move our modem into the office so we’d have the strongest wireless signal in there).

But… it wasn’t the prettiest setup. And having to lift the white storage boxes every time we wanted to access the file boxes was a quick way to ensure that we’d never actually use said file boxes. So with my carpentry mojo still in full force, I decided to tackle another building project. And this time I wanted to create something to optimize our storage and file box sitch.

File Materials In Garage

Once again I opted to rely on the Kreg Jig (can you tell I’m addicted?) to connect all the pieces. The pieces in this case being two $10 pine boards intended to be stairs (I bought them because I liked the finished-looking rounded edge). I’ll spare you all of the construction details this time around (just trust me that it was actually quite similar to my desk and shelf building projects). About three hours later, I had this little guy:

File Unfinished Outside

He was perfectly sized to fit the two file boxes snugly in the bottom opening while the two stacked Ikea storage boxes could be slipped in and out of the cubby above them (with plenty of room for the modem cords in one of those white Ikea storage boxes to feed out the back). We even left some room on top for a few miscellaneous items like our external hard drive and the radio that we like to listen to from time to time.

File Unfinished In Room

We brought it in unfinished because (1) I wanted to make sure I had measured everything correctly and (2) we weren’t quite sure whether we wanted to paint it white to match the desk or stain it dark to match the chairs (which are free leftovers from our existing dining set, since we substituted two of them for a bench a while back).

And once we had it in place… well, we actually decided to toss out both of those ideas. Instead, we opted to paint it the same soft aqua that we used on the back of the bookcase (Mythic’s Adanna Aire). Just for fun.

File Finished Close At Angl

You’re probably noticing something else in that pic, sitting on the desk itself. It’s another little file system that we also picked up at Target. It’s actually intended to be used as storage for scrapbooking, but we liked that its shelves were a great size for our notebooks, bills to pay, and even the books that we’re currently reading. Plus, because it’s deep enough to store those big scrapbook sheets it creates a nice wide surface on top for us to place other items that we like to have on hand. Stay tuned for those accessorizing details in the coming weeks (for now we’re tackling the big things like larger storage, toy corralling, art, etc).

File Target Thing Close Up

But back to the action under the desk. I promised close-ups of the file storage boxes so here’s a pic illustrating that we achieved our goal of making it easy to slide the boxes out and actually access our files. Then we can either pop open the top compartment which will be good for storing cables, cords, scissors, stamps and more (it stays closed thanks to a magnetic strip)…

File Thing Top Opened

…or flip the whole thing open to access our hanging files like insurance info and hospital bills (sigh).

File Thing Files Opened

And the subtle overlapping circles detail on the outside (and bolder version inside) is a nice touch – especially for the $14.99 price tag.

File Thing Close Up

In general it’s a pretty simple update, but it’s already making a huge functional difference for us (since we’re using this office on a daily basis even while it’s a work-in-progress). Now we’ve got a place to stash paper and better manage the clutter on the desk. And we like that it’s helping to turn the long two-person desk into two distinct workspaces for me and Sherry.

File Finished Close Up

But the room is by no means finished. In addition to simple things like wrangling our wires and cords, figuring out where to put our printer (and if we’re even keeping our current one), we’ve still got to decide on what the heck we’re gonna put on that big blank wall that we get to stare at all day long. Well, when we’re not staring at Clara.

File Finished Room Angle

Oh and in case you’d like to see the new setup in action, here’s how we get things done around here lately:

File How Things Get Done

And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

So that’s the scoop on our end. How about you guys? Have you spotted or created any simple file storage systems lately? Or any other clever, sneaky, or beautiful ways to wrangle all of those papers, bills, mail, etc that tends to pile up? Please do share, because even if we can’t use ’em in this room, we may just file the ideas away for a rainy day. Pun intended.

Psst- Wanna follow the entire office/guest bedroom/playroom makeover? Click here for the intro post, here to read about the big sleeper sofa hunt, here for the DIY desk play-by-play, here for the homemade light fixture project and right here for our hacked Ikea bookcase.

Comments

  2. Krystle says

    L-O-V-E how it’s coming along! Thanks for the idea with the file storage boxes! I have the same problem and I think I’ve figured out how to solve it! I also love those flowers on the wall!! Where did you guys get those?

    Reply

  3. Katherine O says

    I love the file boxes from Target. I’m a big fan and recently bought the hanging letter sorter. Alas, I do not yet have an office area – I’m an aspiring photographer and a student – but hopefully soon. I’m taking cues from you guys, as always! Love the site and love this office project, since it’s one I’m about to tackle in a very small apartment.

    Reply

  4. Andrea says

    Just wanted to tell you guys I made a headboard yesterday for our guest bedroom and I looove it! We had 3 curtains and only needed two so I used the extra to make the headboard and it worked like a CHARM! Couldn’t have done it without your tutorial!

    Reply

  8. Heather says

    I like how the scrapbook organizer divides the two work spaces. And it makes it harder for Sherry to reach over and playfully smack you from time to time.

    Reply

  10. Lauren F. says

    Love it. My hubby and I are both off from work today and I was just telling him how lucky you guys are to both work from home! Can’t wait to see what you do with the rest of the room!

    Reply

  11. Jennifer says

    Well I know you said you didn’t want to bore us with the details of building the shelf, but I’d be interested. Dimensions, maybe?

    I haven’t seen those file boxes at Target but you know I’ll be getting some! I designed my wedding invites last year, and I used the same circle pattern, in grey no less. My husband is a bit sick of the pattern, but I don’t care!! Love it!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Jennifer,

      The little storage shelf is 21″ wide by 22.5″ tall by 12″ deep (the depth of the pine planksI picked up). I basically just bevel cut the sides and the top (using a circular saw set at an angle) to create a U (using the Kreg Jig to secure the top to each side) and then measured, cut and added the middle shelf in the same manner. Since I was building the whole thing upside down for the most part, I used some leftover wood (and a paint can) to create a spacer that the middle shelf could sit on so that it was stable and level while I screwed it in to the sides. I also set the middle shelf back a bit about an inch so I didn’t have to worry about beveling those edges. I ended up adding two short 1×2 boards at the back for added stability that were just cut to size and screwed directly into the pine boards. If you’re looking to get a better sense of how I attached each piece, reading the other posts about the Kreg Jig should give you a pretty good idea of how that worked. Just a few pilot holes drilled, clamped things in place and driving the screws it tight!

      Hope that helps!

      -John

  13. Amanda Z. says

    Being the graphic designer mac geek I have to ask this question: Where did you find your screensavers?

    Reply

  14. Val says

    Looks so great! Love the aqua paint-job. I was going to make a quick suggestion to anyone wanting to duplicate this project for a room with carpet: if you put a bottom on the shelving unit, the boxes will slide out a bit more easily. (I think I’ve been hanging around Knock-Off Wood a bit too much.)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      That’s actually in the den tucked behind the sofa (between the sofa arm and the fireplace so it’s invisible from nearly all points in the room). Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  18. Samantha @ i heart mini. says

    Have you guys heard of Sweet Frog? It’s a fairly new Frozen Yogurt Bar in Short Pump, and they have those flowers going up their walls (along with Ikea’s Urban chairs as their seating, and the Knappa chandeliers hanging everywhere!). My friend and I laughed when we realized it was the same thing you’re using in your new office :)

    Reply

  19. Sabrina says

    Love the whole remodel. Don’t know if you have mentioned it yet. I was actually curious where the flowers scaling up the wall are from?

    Reply

  20. Stan says

    John,

    You’ve convinced me…. I absolutely must have the Kreg… Our office is currently a explosion of paperwork and random items… We must get organized, and fast. Both my wife and I are currently students at ITT studying Drafting and Design. If we can make a 3D model on the computer, we ought to be able to use our Ryobi to put a few things together.

    Stan

    Reply

  23. Brie says

    Not sure I know of anyone more adorable than the two of you! What a sweet picture! And the clean cut lines of the shelf and cabinet are visually pleasing to an organizational freak like me!

    Reply

  24. Tuli says

    As someone who only OCCASIONALLY works from home and has a now 17 month old, I highly recommend looking into some vertical storage that is off the floor. The days when little hands will be exploring everything in their reach will be here before you know it. Something above the desk would be great. Good luck! Your office is coming along nicely :)

    Reply

  26. Mary Kath says

    The wallflowers are also available in a few different colors on Amazon.com! The next room I am going to “re-do” is my home office, also. I am always looking for ideas on making two separate office areas (one for sewing, one for the computer) for one person. In one room!

    Anyway – your room is looking great!

    Reply

  27. cassie @ hi sugarplum! says

    That looks very clean and chic….I picked up the Liberty of London for Target file boxes a few months back. Haven’t actuall implemented a system yet though! :)

    I love the size of your laptops…do you mind giving me deets on them? And are you happy with them?

    thanks!! xoxo, cassie

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      They’re MacBooks and we love them! We buy them refurbished through apple.com to save a few bucks (and there’s never a glitch to be found!).
      xo,
      s

  29. Barbara says

    Could you post a link to the file boxes? I can’t seem to locate them, and they are perfect for what I need!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Barbara,

      They’re not online- just in stores! You can scroll back through the comments for more of a description as to where to find them. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  30. Lindsey S. says

    Question: what about a printer? I’m currently relocating my office to my bedroom since we’re transforming the office into the nursury, but haven’t figured out a way to hide the unsightly all-in-one printer. Do you guys use a printer and if so, where will you put/hide it?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Lindsey,

      We still have to tackle the printer but we’ll be sure to share those details in the coming weeks. We’re considering the purchase of a new wireless printer so we’ll have to figure out exactly what we want and go from there. Stay tuned…

      xo,
      s

  31. andrea melberg thompson says

    I can’t wait to see what goes on the wallbehind the desk down the road. I am picturing something with corkboard, and something metal for magnets, and shelves all combined in your own perfect way for something very cool and functional!

    Take Care and thanks for the continued inspiration!

    Andrea

    Reply

  32. Kim says

    This is off topic, but I noticed that you guys have been using that Freshaire paint on recent projects instead of others like Glidden, Behr, etc. Is it just because you have it on hand, or are you trying to use no VOC paint from now on? We are about to paint our whole house and have been reading everything we can about paint options and low and no VOC lines. Which do you think is best but affordable? Would you still use Glidden and the like, even though they are low VOC? I’m paranoid about the potential for off-gassing, even with the low VOC kinds.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Kim,

      Now that we have a bambino we’re all about avoiding VOCs completely whenever we can. Some of the no-VOC paint that we use is great because it’s already on hand, but we definitely aren’t afraid to invest in more as we go whenever the need arises (all in an effort to keep fumes out of the house). We love Olympic’s no-VOC paint line at Lowe’s as well as Home Depot’s no-VOC Freshaire line when it comes to getting quality fume-free results without breaking the bank. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  34. Erin says

    I love the sleek clean lines and uncluttered feel of your office. I am struggling with redoing our office and would like to do something similar to your set up. My question is where do you keep all your miscellaneous office supplies, i.e. paper clips, pens, highlighters, stapler, 3 hole punch, etc.?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Erin,

      Stay tuned for those details in a later post. We’re tackling some of the bigger storage issues first but our big reveal will definitely include all that info!

      xo,
      s

  35. Michelle says

    Does your office double as a guest bedroom with a pull-out sofa? We are considering this option, but wasn’t sure how guests would like the sleeper-sofa. Any thoughts would be welcomed! I just found this site and LOVE IT!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Michelle,

      Yes it does! For a lot more info you can check out the link on the bottom of the post in italics that mentions the sofa bed (there’s even more info in the comment section). Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  36. Hillarie says

    The office looks great! Is that a library book I see? I recently wrote about some library love.

    Does anyone else see the very tiny smiley face over to the right of our shop in the footer??

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Hillarie,

      Good eye! Yup, that’s totally a library book. We love the library (it’s free and we don’t have to buy and store tons of books that we’ll only read once). And as for the smiley face, everyone should see it. It’s actually how WordPress tracks our stats (charming, huh? we think it’s adorable).

      xo,
      s

  38. Sunny's Life in Rehab says

    As a matter of fact, I’ve done several storage/file projects, all from stuff headed for the garbage. I’d be too thrilled if you took a peek:
    http://sunnyslifeinrehab.blogspot.com/2010/03/trash-rehab.html

    http://sunnyslifeinrehab.blogspot.com/2010/03/free-seriously-nada.html

    I’ve been watching your office redo with a lot of interest because that’s pretty much the function I need, as well as it serves as our music room. Keep going, I love everything you do. And that photo of John smothered in Clara and Burger is priceless!

    Reply

  39. Diane says

    Love the photo, especially how Burger has a)inserted himself into the lap so that he won’t miss any affection, and b) looks tired, as if Clara has been keeping him up at night too.

    I’ve got to snag some of those file boxes. I like to have one file for every family member’s stuff… and the files are now too small. A file box for every family member seems like a good plan. And a file box for the kids school work that they keep is also a good idea.

    Reply

  40. Holly says

    Office is coming out great! I have those exact wall flowers in my office!

    Just a random questions, but do you use a desktop blogging software or do you go through wordpress.com or .org?

    Reply

  41. Elise says

    Hi John & Sherry!

    I have been excitedly following your office/guest room remodel and taking notes as I have a similar sized room with the same needs. I am drawing up a to-scale plan for the room and would love to see how your space looks when the sofa bed is open. Could you add a whole-room photo with the sofa bed pulled out in the future? I would greatly appreciate it! (and if I somehow missed such a photo, I apologize in advance).

    Thanks so much,

    Elise

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Elise,

      Stay tuned for the big reveal where we’ll show the bed folded out and functioning as a full fledged guest room. It’s a few more weeks away (since we still have so many projects to tackle!) but we hope it’s worth the wait!

      xo,
      s

  43. Ashley says

    This is a little off topic but seeing your office makes me think about it: I am a social worker at a high school and just got my new office. It’s completely empty and I’m ready to make it over into a great place for students and families to come hang out, relax and feel comfortable in the midst of crisis. Any ideas from you or your readers about great ways to keep my office storage from looking too stuffy, my seating comfortable and the environment all around comforting….all while still being cool enough for the high school?:)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Anyone have any ideas for Ashley? We always think textiles make a place feel cozy and warm (playful and punchy pillows, breezy window treatments, even framed fabric as art). And of course the right wall color can make the room (if you’re allowed to paint tape up lots of swatch cards first to pick the perfect hue). Good luck!

      xo,
      s

  44. Rachel says

    I had to laugh when I read the title of this post (File Under “S” for Storage). My husband often makes jokes about my organizing habits. When we got new towels over the weekend, he promptly reminded me to file the receipt under “B” for bathroom – not my filing method at all but it cracks him up how I save those things!

    Also, I’m not a big Walmart shopper but noticed yesterday they have a sleek new line of home office storage products. For a minute I felt like I was at Target!

    Reply

  45. Krista H says

    Where did you get the flowers on your wall? I LOVE them, and this is the second time I’ve seen them this week on a blog. I think I might just have to invest in some for my little girl’s room or scrapbooking room.

    Reply

  47. Michelle B. says

    I love it, the office looks great! I’ve been looking for file boxes like that … think I’ll have to make a Target run :)

    Reply

  49. Blair says

    From the other comments, I know you guys have the felt pads underneath the chairs, but are you planning on adding anything under the file boxes to help with them sliding on the floor?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Blair,

      Nope, they’re actually very soft sort of laminated cardboard boxes, so they slide really well on the floor. There definitely won’t be any damage to either surface from repeated use. It’s hard to explain but maybe when you see them in Target and touch them you’ll see what we mean. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  50. casacullen says

    john,

    that pic of you, clara and burger is PRICELESS!! love it!

    you are quite the multi-tasking/work from home daddy! you GO!

    and…i’m excited to see WHAT you do to those wooden chairs…there is NO WAY your bums will sit on those all day!

    i’m thinkin’ you’ll def be sprucing them up with some added padding for sure!

    cheers and LOOKS GREAT, you four :)

    The CasaCullen Crew

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey CasaCullen peeps,

      Our bums actually like those chairs! The funny thing is that we picked up some cute green padded cushions and while they looked great they actually were less comfortable than the chairs were without ’em! Isn’t that crazy? Although we are still on the lookout for ways to add more textiles to the room (so if we found comfier cushions we just might make them ours…). Time will tell I guess!

      xo,
      s

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