Window File Bench

An office window bench is perfect for storing tons of files and office supplies organized and out of sight. This bench has four 23" deep file drawers and one large center drawer for storage. With a little basic math, the design can be modified to fit different spaces by changing a few of the dimensions.

Files are a necessary component of every household, and even with the advent of electronic storage, I'm afraid paper files still won't be going away anytime soon. Unfortunately, most file cabinets are a terrible eyesore and those that aren't ugly are so very expensive. Personally, we can't afford 500 to 1000 dollars for a file storage system.

Now, this cabinet is not the cheapest one out there, but also not the most expensive. It's big! At nearly 7 1/2 feet wide and 2 feet deep, it can store a lot! But, you could easily reduce the cost by simply scaling it down to fit a smaller space.

To change the plans to fit your space, simply measure how deep and wide you want your bench and find the difference between your measurements and the plans. You should be able to adjust the rest of the measurements accordingly.

Materials (for a 8'x2'x18" bench):

- (1) 1x4x8

- (3) 1x2x8

- (2) 3/4x4x8 Plywood

- (2) 1/2x4x8 Plywood

- (1) 1/4x4x8 Plywood

- (10) 22" Full Extension Drawer Slides (you may need screws to attach the drawer slides)

- (6) Drawer Pulls

- 1 1/4" Pocket Hole Screws

- 1" Pocket Hole Screws

- Wood Glue

- 3/4" Brad Nails

- Sand Paper

- Paint

- 2 1/2" Wood Screws (to attache the bench to the walls)

Tools:

- Tape Measure

- Pencil

- Square

- Circular Saw and Miter Saw (or Table Saw)

- Kreg Jig Rip Cut or other circular saw edge guide

- Kreg Jig Pocket Hole Jig

- Drill

- Brad Nailer

- Sander

- Stud Finder

- Safety Equipment

Step 1 : Build the Carcass

Secure all pieces using 3/4" pocket holes and 1 1/4" pocket hole screws with wood glue. Make sure to space the center supports as evenly as you can so that your drawers are all the same size. My file drawers are 14" wide using 1/2" plywood. That size drawer will fit standard files after the metal rails are added inside. The space needed for a 14" drawer is 1" bigger (15") to accommodate the full extension side-mount drawer slides. The center drawer is larger because I couldn't fit anymore file drawers while still looking symmetrical. If your bench is a different size, you'll have to adjust how many drawers you need and what size they should be. Add the drawer slides. You can easily cut a piece of wood to serve as a simple drawer slide jig that will help you attach all the drawer slides at the same height.

I added 1x2 wood spacers on the outside of the carcass sides so that I could easily attach the bench to my walls and also allow space for the outside trim. You can add these or choose to rework your bench so that they are not needed. The trim can be flush with the edges if you use a spacer for the outer drawer slides and adjust your drawer size accordingly.

Add the front trim with glue and brad nails. Then add the 1/4" Plywood top with glue and brad nails. Including this top allows you to use cheaper 3/4" plywood for the carcass if desired.

The final step is to make your drawer boxes and drawer faces. The boxes are made from 1/2" plywood. Use 1/2" pocket holes on the outside of the front and back sides to attach the sides of the boxes together with 1" pocket hole screws and wood glue. Attach the bottom of the drawer with wood glue and brad nails, or use pocket holes along the bottom sides of the drawers.

The drawer faces are a simple 1/2"x2.5" frame attached to a 1/4" plywood back. Measure to fit your drawer. The drawer face is then attached to the drawer box with wood glue and brad nails.

The pocket holes on the drawers do not need to be filled, but you'll want to fill the nail holes on the drawer face with wood filler before sanding and finishing.

Sand and finish your bench. Add some drawer pulls and metal bars for the files (1/8" steel bars cut to length work well. Just cut some 1/2" x 1/8" grooves in the top of the front and back drawer sides to insert the steel bar...make sure they are spaced far enough apart to accommodate your hanging files, mine are 12 1/8")

If your bench will be attached to your walls, use 2 1/2" to 3" wood screws and be sure to drill into the studs. Add some cushions to make the bench extra comfy!