EASY STEPS TO YOUR SIDE TABLE

Filing cabinets, while necessary for important papers, don’t look great in a bedroom, so turn yours into a side table.

Gather your supplies

• Metal filing cabinet

• Metal spray primer

• Chalk-finish ultra ma spray paint

• 12mm MDF

• Timber moulding

• Undercoat

• Knobs

You’ll also need Dropsheet; protective face mask; detail sander; lint-free cloth; saw; mitre box; gap filler; construction adhesive; silicone scraper; clamps; paper towel; pencil; drill; screws

Here’s how

STEP 1 Wearing a face mask, use a detail sander to sand the exterior of filing cabinet. Wipe away all sanding dust with a lint-free cloth.

STEP 2 Working in a well-ventilated area, spray a coat of primer on exterior of filing cabinet. Hold can about 30cm from surface and move arm from side to side, spraying lightly. Let dry.

STEP 3 Apply 2 coats of chalky finish spray paint to exterior of filing cabinet. Let dry a‰er each coat.

STEP 4 Measure filing cabinet drawer fronts to cut 2 MDF pieces to size.

STEP 5 Cut moulding to length to suit MDF sides with 45Ž‘mitred‘ends’‘apply‘ constructive‘adhesive‘to‘

backs‘of‘moulding‘and‘ attach‘to‘mdf‘pieces’

STEP 6 Run a bead of gap filler all around inner edges of moulding. Remove excess with a silicone scraper and leave to set.

STEP 7 Apply undercoat to MDF and moulding. Leave to dry. Apply 2 coats of chalky finish spray paint. Let dry a‰er each coat.

STEP 8 Return drawers to cabinet. Apply adhesive to back of MDF panels.

STEP 9 Position MDF panels against drawer fronts and clamp to hold, using paper towel to protect the paint finish. Leave glue to set.

STEP 10 Mark and drill holes in MDF drawer faces. Aach new knobs with screws through back of drawer faces.

STEP 9

STEP 5

STEP 6

STEP 1

STEP 8

STEP 7

STEP 10

STEP 3