Office Storage Solutions: Pedestals, Lockers and Filing Cabinets
Short answer: Plan office storage in three layers. Personal storage at the desk (a pedestal or a locker), team storage near the team (low or mid-height cabinets), and archive storage away from the work area (full-height cabinets or a store room). Most offices need less desk storage than they think and more shared and archive storage than they plan for.
Storage is usually the last thing discussed in an office project and the first thing people complain about after moving in. Boxes under desks and files on window sills are signs that it was not planned. Here is a simple way to get it right.
What types of office storage are there?
| Type | Typical size | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile pedestal | About 400 W x 450 to 500 D x 600 to 650 H mm | Personal items and daily files; sits under the desk on castors |
| Fixed pedestal | Desk height, about 725 mm | Personal storage that also supports the table top |
| Personal locker | About 300 to 400 mm wide per door, in banks | Bags, laptops and helmets; ideal for hot-desking |
| Low storage | About 750 to 900 mm high | Team files; the top doubles as a counter for a printer |
| Mid-height storage | About 1,050 to 1,200 mm high | Team storage that also divides zones |
| Full-height cabinet | About 1,800 to 2,100 mm high, 900 mm wide | Archives, stationery, samples |
| Overhead unit | Fixed to the wall or partition above the desk | Light items where floor space is tight |
| Lateral filing cabinet | Wide, shallow drawers | Suspension files in accounts, HR and legal |
| Credenza | Low unit behind a manager’s chair | Cabin storage and display |
Pedestals: what to check
The standard pedestal has two box drawers and one file drawer, or three equal drawers. Check these points:
- Drawer channels. Full-extension ball-bearing channels let you reach the back of the file drawer. This is where cheap pedestals fail first.
- Central lock. One key should lock all drawers.
- Key management. Different keys for each pedestal, with a master key held by admin.
- Anti-tilt. A loaded file drawer pulled fully out can tip a light pedestal; a fifth castor or interlock prevents it.
- Mobile or fixed. Mobile pedestals keep the leg area flexible and can move with the person.
Lockers: when are they better than pedestals?
Paper use has fallen sharply. In many IT and startup offices, what people really need to store is a bag, a laptop, a helmet and a jacket. A locker bank does this better than a pedestal, and it frees the space under the desk. Lockers make particular sense when:
- Seats are shared or people work in shifts
- Staff commute by two-wheeler and carry helmets and rain gear, which is most of Pune
- Desks are narrow and leg room matters
Choose the lock type to suit your office: key locks, number locks or digital locks.
Filing cabinets and storage walls
Accounts, HR, legal and admin teams still keep paper. For them:
- Use shelves at about 330 to 350 mm spacing for box files.
- Lateral drawers suit suspension files and give a neater look.
- Sliding doors save aisle space where it is tight; hinged doors give full access.
- Records that must be kept for years belong in full-height locked cabinets, away from the work floor.
A storage wall, a run of full-height cabinets along one wall, holds far more per square foot than scattered units and makes the office look tidy.
How much storage does an office need?
- Count what exists. Measure current files and boxes in running metres of shelf.
- Remove what can go. Scan or archive anything not touched in a year.
- Add growth. Allow about 20 to 30 per cent spare.
- Split by layer. Decide what stays at the desk, with the team and in archive.
As a guide, a paper-light team needs one locker or pedestal each and a small shared cabinet. A paper-heavy team such as accounts may need around one metre of shelf per person or more.
Where should storage go?
- Along walls, not across walkways
- Low units under windows so daylight is not blocked
- Mid-height units between teams, where they double as dividers and reduce noise
- Near the printer for stationery
- Never in front of the electrical panel or the exit route
Storage placement is part of the layout; see our post on office space planning for clearances.
Which material is right for office storage?
Laminated board storage matches the workstations and can be made to any size. Metal cabinets suit heavy records and fire-resistant storage. Many offices use both: board storage on the floor and metal in the archive room. Our comparison of office furniture materials explains the board options.
Common storage mistakes
- A pedestal for everyone when lockers would serve better
- No shared storage, so files pile up on desks
- Shelves too far apart or too shallow for box files
- Full-height units that block AC vents or sprinklers
- No locks on cabinets that hold personal or financial records
Storage made to fit your office
We make pedestals, lockers, cabinets and storage walls to size at our Dhanori workshop, in the same finish as your workstations, and install them across Pune. See the office furniture range.
Frequently asked questions
What is a pedestal in office furniture?
A small drawer unit, usually with two or three lockable drawers, that sits under or beside a desk for personal storage. Mobile pedestals have castors; fixed ones support the table top.
Are lockers better than pedestals?
For paper-light teams, hot desks and offices where people carry bags and helmets, lockers are more useful and keep leg room clear. For roles with daily paperwork, a pedestal is still handy.
What is the standard size of an office filing cabinet?
A common full-height cabinet is about 900 mm wide, 450 mm deep and 1,800 to 2,100 mm high. Low cabinets are about 750 to 900 mm high.
Talk to Encore Interiors
Encore Interiors designs, manufactures and installs office furniture from its own workshop in Dhanori, Pune.
Address: Survey No. 19, 3/1, near Shard Lawns, Madhav Nagar, Dhanori, Pune, Maharashtra 411015
Phone: +91 89799 31695, +91 75076 17409
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