Simple EKET IKEA Cabinet File Organizer

Paper clutter made me build furniture (yes, really)

I was running out of desk space and my “important papers” were doing that thing where they become a stack and then a lifestyle.

I didn’t want a desk organizer eating surface area. I didn’t want a wall-mounted thing either. I wanted the same desk… but with less paper chaos.

So I built a file organizer that slides inside an IKEA EKET cube, leaves space on top, and acts like a simple IN / OUT system. One cube. Small footprint. Looks like it belongs. The desk stops being the paper quarantine zone.

The quick version (steal this)

• Build a simple EKET insert with two lanes: IN (needs action) and OUT (done / to file).
• The workflow is: measure → quick 3D model → prototype the “hand-feel” → then build the real thing.
• The beginner cheat code: bring the actual cabinet to an expert shop so tolerances don’t ruin your day.

Most “organization systems” fail because they require discipline. This one works because it makes the right behavior the easiest behavior (at least for me).

What you’re building (and what it isn’t)

This is not a filing cabinet. It’s a paper airlock.

• IN is where paper waits for a decision (scan, pay, file, toss).
• OUT is where paper goes when it’s done (or at least “done enough to move”).

That’s it. Two states. No mythology.

Bonus: the EKET still looks like furniture, and the top stays usable (display, drop zone, whatever your vibe is).

The part I refused to learn the hard way (tolerances)

I knew I could design this. I did not trust myself to “wing it in wood” and end up with an insert that fits perfectly in CAD and wedges itself in real life.

So when I was happy with the design direction, I went to Les Affûtés and did the most important move of this whole project:

I brought the actual EKET cabinet with me.

It allowed me to kill an entire category of failure:

• “Wait, the inside is slightly different than the spec”
• “Oops, that corner isn’t perfectly square”
• “Cool, the finish added thickness and now it binds”

If you’re new to woodworking (hi), this is how you keep it fun.

The flow: measure → model → prototype (keep it moving)

1) Measure the cabinet you actually own

Yes, IKEA publishes measurements. And I was this close to trusting them and moving on. The reality is: inserts live and die by a few millimeters.

So I measured the real cabinet anyway and wrote it down for the project files.

What matters most:

• interior width / height / depth (the stuff your insert touches)
• any lip/back-panel weirdness
• “is this actually square?” (spoiler: reality has often a loose definition of square)

2) Model it fast (BUT don’t make CAD the main character)

I modeled the organizer in 3D so I could answer obvious questions quickly:

• does it feel cramped?
• do my fingers have room?
• does it look good inside the cube?

Tool choice: I used Shapr3D on iPad because I didn’t have a laptop (only a workstation) and I wanted something I could iterate on anywhere. Pencil + iPad = fast.

That’s the only reason it matters.

3) Prototype the part your hands touch

This is where small projects quietly betray you.

Divider spacing can look perfect in a render and feel annoying in real life. So I printed a small prototype to test:

• spacing
• grab-ability
• “does this feel like a daily system or a daily annoyance?”

Prototype rule: test the tightest constraint first. The rest is just geometry.

4) Make the “real one” with help

Once the spacing and layout felt right, I handed off the woodworking part to people who actually know wood. I still did the maker part (design, iteration, intent). I just didn’t force myself to learn every material lesson at once.

Learning is great. Ruining a build because you didn’t account for tolerance and finish thickness is educational, but not the fun kind.

The great thing at Les Affûtés I did all the work but with the help of a master craftsman. I could focus on the maker part and let the wood expert handle the woodworking part.

Stuff that tried to ruin this (so you don’t repeat it)

• Perfect fit is a trap. Inserts should slide in easily, not “fit like a glove.”
• Finish changes dimensions. Tiny changes matter if you design too tight.
• Finger clearance is everything. If it’s annoying to grab papers, you won’t use it.

What I’d tell a friend

• Measure your actual cabinet, even if the internet gives you a spec sheet.
• Prototype the “hand-feel” first (spacing + clearance), not the full build.
• Design for tolerance, not perfection. Give it breathing room.
• Bring the target object (the cabinet) to the shop/makerspace.
• Keep the system dumb-simple: IN and OUT beats five categories you won’t maintain.
• Optimize for daily friction, not aesthetics. Pretty is good. Easy-to-use is permanent.

Project files

You can download the Shapr3D model here. You are free to use it under the GNU GPLv3 license.

Now go make something!