Metal plan chests have always been a practical choice for storing large-format drawings, prints, and artwork. What has changed is how much say you now have over how yours looks.

The modern metal plan chest range from Prizma Graphics comes with a full configure option, letting you select colours for the frame, drawers, handles, and worktop separately. That means you can pick something that works with your studio, office, or classroom rather than settling for whatever happens to be in stock.

What you can configure

The configurator covers four parts of the plan chest:

Frame colour, drawer colour, handle colour, and worktop colour.

Each element is chosen independently, so you can go for a coordinated look across all four or mix things up to suit a particular interior. There are 24 frame colours, 24 drawer colours, and 24 handle colours to choose from, along with 4 worktop options.

That gives you a wide range of combinations without the process being overwhelming. You pick one thing at a time and can see how it comes together before you order.

Which plan chest sizes are available

The configure option is available across the full metal plan chest range, including:

A1 8 drawer, A0 8 drawer, A0 10 drawer, A1 8 drawer, and A1 10 drawer.

A0 plans are suited to larger studios or practices that regularly work with A0 drawings. A1 options are a good fit where space is tighter or where A1 is the most common format in use. The 8 and 10 drawer versions give you flexibility on storage volume depending on how much you need to keep to hand.

You can browse the full modern metal plan chests range to see the individual product specs before you configure.

How the configurator works

The tool is straightforward. You choose your size, then work through the four colour selections one at a time. As you make each choice the preview updates, so you get a clear sense of how the finished piece will look.

Once you are happy, you can save your configuration or copy the link to come back to it later. That makes it easy to share with a colleague or client before placing an order.

Try the metal plan chest configurator and start building yours.

Why colour choice matters more than people expect

Plan chests are not hidden away. In most studios, offices, and educational settings they sit in the open, often at the centre of a working area. The colour of the frame and drawers becomes part of the room.

Matching the plan chest to existing furniture or the colour scheme of the space is something that gets noticed, even if people cannot always say why the room feels considered. A neutral frame with a contrasting worktop can anchor the piece. Coordinating the handles with other metal finishes in the space keeps things clean.

The configurator lets you think through those decisions properly rather than accepting the standard finish and making it work.

Metal plan chests compared to wooden options

If you came to this page from the earlier post covering plan chest types, you will already have a sense of where metal and wooden options sit.

Metal plan chests use folded and welded steel drawers and a welded steel frame, with an 18mm MFC worktop and D-handles. The drawers are designed so they cannot be pulled completely out from the front, which matters in shared or high-traffic environments.

The build makes them well suited to offices, studios, and educational settings where the chest will be used regularly and needs to hold up over time. The configure option now brings the same level of choice to finish that wooden plan chests have always offered through their range of wood tones.

Getting the colour scheme right

A few approaches tend to work well.

Neutral frames in grey or white give you the most flexibility on drawers and handles. If the room has a strong accent colour, picking that up in the handles keeps the connection without making the piece too prominent.

If the plan chest needs to sit alongside other furniture, matching the worktop colour to existing surfaces is a simple way to tie things together. Going for a contrast on the drawers adds interest without the whole piece fighting for attention.

There is no single right answer. The configurator is there to help you find what works for your space.

Start configuring

If you are ready to put a colour scheme together, the plan chest configurator is the easiest way to explore your options.

You can also view all metal plan chests to check sizes and specs before you configure. If you have a question about a specific combination or need help choosing the right size, call the team on 01296 393700.