From Old to New: Ikat Spray Painted Filing Cabinet

Remember that old filing cabinet I found for free on the side of the street last year? It was just kicking around under my desk, filled with craft supplies. But it really didn't go with my new desk, so it got a makeover! I used some matte and silver spray paint, this Ikat stencil from Elizabeth Chaffee which was originally featured on Design*Sponge as a way to print your own Ikat fabric. While it didn't turn out as crisp as I originally envisioned, due to a lack of stencil paper, I really feel that the smeary look better resembles that of a natural Ikat fabric. To see more pictures, click on the link below.

Using a Rust-Oleum primer I gave the filing cabinet a good coat after removing all of the hardware. After it dried I taped on my cut out stencil. I just printed the stencil on one piece of regular printer paper, and cut out the part that I wanted to stand out in the metallic color. Ideally you'd be using contact paper which would stick perfectly to your surface and eliminate any smears or drips. I was impatient and didn't tape my stencil down that perfectly, and my piece of paper didn't cover the whole width or length of the drawers. I had to remove the piece and try to line it up as perfect as I could when I started each new section.

A close up view of the Ikat pattern
I wanted the drawers to stand out so I only sprayed the metallic Ikat pattern on the drawers and left the rest of the cabinet the matte grey. After the piece was completely dry I added some new hardware, a more modern look than the old handles to me at least. Now it fits in better with my desk, as you'll see below.

Remember that old filing cabinet I found for free on the side of the street last year? It was just kicking around under my desk, filled with craft supplies. But it really didn't go with my new desk, so it got a makeover! I used some matte and silver spray paint, this Ikat stencil from Elizabeth Chaffee which was originally featured on Design*Sponge as a way to print your own Ikat fabric. While it didn't turn out as crisp as I originally envisioned, due to a lack of stencil paper, I really feel that the smeary look better resembles that of a natural Ikat fabric. To see more pictures, click on the link below.

Using a Rust-Oleum primer I gave the filing cabinet a good coat after removing all of the hardware. After it dried I taped on my cut out stencil. I just printed the stencil on one piece of regular printer paper, and cut out the part that I wanted to stand out in the metallic color. Ideally you'd be using contact paper which would stick perfectly to your surface and eliminate any smears or drips. I was impatient and didn't tape my stencil down that perfectly, and my piece of paper didn't cover the whole width or length of the drawers. I had to remove the piece and try to line it up as perfect as I could when I started each new section.

A close up view of the Ikat pattern
I wanted the drawers to stand out so I only sprayed the metallic Ikat pattern on the drawers and left the rest of the cabinet the matte grey. After the piece was completely dry I added some new hardware, a more modern look than the old handles to me at least. Now it fits in better with my desk, as you'll see below.