diff --git a/client/constants.js b/client/constants.js
index 967df39b..6f5833fd 100644
--- a/client/constants.js
+++ b/client/constants.js
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ export const SET_PROJECT = 'SET_PROJECT';
 export const SET_PROJECTS = 'SET_PROJECTS';
 
 export const SET_SELECTED_FILE = 'SET_SELECTED_FILE';
+export const SHOW_MODAL = 'SHOW_MODAL';
+export const HIDE_MODAL = 'HIDE_MODAL';
+export const CREATE_FILE = 'CREATE_FILE';
 
 // eventually, handle errors more specifically and better
 export const ERROR = 'ERROR';
diff --git a/client/modules/IDE/actions/files.js b/client/modules/IDE/actions/files.js
index f7ebd8f3..8bc0c6c3 100644
--- a/client/modules/IDE/actions/files.js
+++ b/client/modules/IDE/actions/files.js
@@ -7,3 +7,11 @@ export function updateFileContent(name, content) {
     content
   };
 }
+
+// TODO make req to server
+export function createFile(name) {
+  return {
+    type: ActionTypes.CREATE_FILE,
+    name
+  };
+}
diff --git a/client/modules/IDE/actions/ide.js b/client/modules/IDE/actions/ide.js
index 0bcbc414..70363669 100644
--- a/client/modules/IDE/actions/ide.js
+++ b/client/modules/IDE/actions/ide.js
@@ -24,3 +24,15 @@ export function setSelectedFile(fileId) {
     selectedFile: fileId
   };
 }
+
+export function newFile() {
+  return {
+    type: ActionTypes.SHOW_MODAL
+  };
+}
+
+export function closeNewFileModal() {
+  return {
+    type: ActionTypes.HIDE_MODAL
+  };
+}
diff --git a/client/modules/IDE/components/NewFileForm.js b/client/modules/IDE/components/NewFileForm.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c46ca9e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/modules/IDE/components/NewFileForm.js
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+import React, { PropTypes } from 'react';
+
+function NewFileForm(props) {
+  const { fields: { name }, handleSubmit } = props;
+  return (
+    <form className="new-file-form" onSubmit={handleSubmit(props.createFile.bind(this))}>
+      <label className="new-file-form__name-label" htmlFor="name">Name:</label>
+      <input
+        className="new-file-form__name-input"
+        id="name"
+        type="text"
+        placeholder="Name"
+        {...name}
+      />
+      <input type="submit" value="Add File" />
+    </form>
+  );
+}
+
+NewFileForm.propTypes = {
+  fields: PropTypes.shape({
+    name: PropTypes.string.isRequired
+  }).isRequired,
+  handleSubmit: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
+  createFile: PropTypes.func.isRequired
+};
+
+export default NewFileForm;
diff --git a/client/modules/IDE/components/NewFileModal.js b/client/modules/IDE/components/NewFileModal.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1072348b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/modules/IDE/components/NewFileModal.js
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+import React, { PropTypes } from 'react';
+import { bindActionCreators } from 'redux';
+import { reduxForm } from 'redux-form';
+import NewFileForm from './NewFileForm';
+import * as FileActions from '../actions/files';
+import classNames from 'classnames';
+import InlineSVG from 'react-inlinesvg';
+const exitUrl = require('../../../images/exit.svg');
+
+// At some point this will probably be generalized to a generic modal
+// in which you can insert different content
+// but for now, let's just make this work
+function NewFileModal(props) {
+  const modalClass = classNames({
+    modal: true,
+    'modal--hidden': !props.isVisible
+  });
+
+  return (
+    <section className={modalClass}>
+      <div className="modal-content">
+        <div className="modal__header">
+          <h2 className="modal__title">Add File</h2>
+          <button className="modal__exit-button" onClick={props.closeModal}>
+            <InlineSVG src={exitUrl} alt="Close New File Modal" />
+          </button>
+        </div>
+        <NewFileForm {...props} />
+      </div>
+    </section>
+  );
+}
+
+NewFileModal.propTypes = {
+  isVisible: PropTypes.bool.isRequired,
+  closeModal: PropTypes.func.isRequired
+};
+
+function mapStateToProps(state) {
+  return {
+    file: state.files
+  };
+}
+
+function mapDispatchToProps(dispatch) {
+  return bindActionCreators(FileActions, dispatch);
+}
+
+function validate(formProps) {
+  const errors = {};
+
+  if (!formProps.name) {
+    errors.name = 'Please enter a name';
+  }
+
+  // if (formProps.name.match(/(.+\.js$|.+\.css$)/)) {
+  //   errors.name = 'File must be of type JavaScript or CSS.';
+  // }
+
+  return errors;
+}
+
+
+export default reduxForm({
+  form: 'new-file',
+  fields: ['name'],
+  validate
+}, mapStateToProps, mapDispatchToProps)(NewFileModal);
diff --git a/client/modules/IDE/components/Sidebar.js b/client/modules/IDE/components/Sidebar.js
index cb8c276f..ffeea432 100644
--- a/client/modules/IDE/components/Sidebar.js
+++ b/client/modules/IDE/components/Sidebar.js
@@ -4,6 +4,15 @@ import classNames from 'classnames';
 function Sidebar(props) {
   return (
     <section className="sidebar">
+      <div className="sidebar__header">
+        <h3 className="sidebar__title">Sketch Files</h3>
+        <a
+          className="sidebar__add"
+          onClick={props.newFile}
+        >
+          +
+        </a>
+      </div>
       <ul className="sidebar__file-list">
         {props.files.map(file => {
           let itemClass = classNames({
diff --git a/client/modules/IDE/pages/IDEView.js b/client/modules/IDE/pages/IDEView.js
index c7308fa9..edc9043b 100644
--- a/client/modules/IDE/pages/IDEView.js
+++ b/client/modules/IDE/pages/IDEView.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import Sidebar from '../components/Sidebar';
 import PreviewFrame from '../components/PreviewFrame';
 import Toolbar from '../components/Toolbar';
 import Preferences from '../components/Preferences';
+import NewFileModal from '../components/NewFileModal';
 import Nav from '../../../components/Nav';
 import { bindActionCreators } from 'redux';
 import { connect } from 'react-redux';
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ class IDEView extends React.Component {
           files={this.props.files}
           selectedFile={this.props.selectedFile}
           setSelectedFile={this.props.setSelectedFile}
+          newFile={this.props.newFile}
         />
         <Editor
           file={this.props.selectedFile}
@@ -78,6 +80,10 @@ class IDEView extends React.Component {
           }
           isPlaying={this.props.ide.isPlaying}
         />
+        <NewFileModal
+          isVisible={this.props.ide.modalIsVisible}
+          closeModal={this.props.closeNewFileModal}
+        />
       </div>
     );
   }
@@ -92,7 +98,8 @@ IDEView.propTypes = {
   createProject: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
   saveProject: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
   ide: PropTypes.shape({
-    isPlaying: PropTypes.bool.isRequired
+    isPlaying: PropTypes.bool.isRequired,
+    modalIsVisible: PropTypes.bool.isRequired
   }).isRequired,
   startSketch: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
   stopSketch: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
@@ -125,7 +132,9 @@ IDEView.propTypes = {
   setSelectedFile: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
   htmlFile: PropTypes.object.isRequired,
   jsFiles: PropTypes.array.isRequired,
-  cssFiles: PropTypes.array.isRequired
+  cssFiles: PropTypes.array.isRequired,
+  newFile: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
+  closeNewFileModal: PropTypes.func.isRequired
 };
 
 function mapStateToProps(state) {
diff --git a/client/modules/IDE/reducers/files.js b/client/modules/IDE/reducers/files.js
index db53dbc3..6bc35e1b 100644
--- a/client/modules/IDE/reducers/files.js
+++ b/client/modules/IDE/reducers/files.js
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ const files = (state = initialState, action) => {
       return [...action.files];
     case ActionTypes.SET_PROJECT:
       return [...action.files];
+    case ActionTypes.NEW_FILE:
+      return [{ name: action.name, content: '' }, ...state.files];
     default:
       return state;
   }
diff --git a/client/modules/IDE/reducers/ide.js b/client/modules/IDE/reducers/ide.js
index 9c4c5b88..8b283ca0 100644
--- a/client/modules/IDE/reducers/ide.js
+++ b/client/modules/IDE/reducers/ide.js
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@ import * as ActionTypes from '../../../constants';
 
 const initialState = {
   isPlaying: false,
-  selectedFile: '1'
+  selectedFile: '1',
+  modalIsVisible: false
 };
 
 const ide = (state = initialState, action) => {
@@ -17,6 +18,10 @@ const ide = (state = initialState, action) => {
     case ActionTypes.SET_PROJECT:
     case ActionTypes.NEW_PROJECT:
       return Object.assign({}, state, { selectedFile: action.selectedFile });
+    case ActionTypes.SHOW_MODAL:
+      return Object.assign({}, state, { modalIsVisible: true });
+    case ActionTypes.HIDE_MODAL:
+      return Object.assign({}, state, { modalIsVisible: false });
     default:
       return state;
   }
diff --git a/client/styles/abstracts/_variables.scss b/client/styles/abstracts/_variables.scss
index a41a2097..aea3f2fb 100644
--- a/client/styles/abstracts/_variables.scss
+++ b/client/styles/abstracts/_variables.scss
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ $light-button-background-active-color: #f10046;
 $light-button-hover-color: $white;
 $light-button-active-color: $white;
 $light-modal-button-background-color: #e6e6e6;
+$light-modal-border-color: #B9D0E1;
 $light-icon-color: #8b8b8b;
 $light-icon-hover-color: $light-primary-text-color;
 
diff --git a/client/styles/base/_base.scss b/client/styles/base/_base.scss
index fda0b662..4f5358bb 100644
--- a/client/styles/base/_base.scss
+++ b/client/styles/base/_base.scss
@@ -31,8 +31,9 @@ input, button {
 
 input {
 	padding: #{5 / $base-font-size}rem;
-	border-radius: 2px;
+	// border-radius: 2px;
 	border: 1px solid $input-border-color;
+	padding: #{10 / $base-font-size}rem;
 }
 
 input[type="submit"] {
diff --git a/client/styles/components/_editor.scss b/client/styles/components/_editor.scss
index 0964019c..c1efcc43 100644
--- a/client/styles/components/_editor.scss
+++ b/client/styles/components/_editor.scss
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
 .CodeMirror-lint-tooltip {
   font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif;
   border-radius: 2px;
-  border: 1px solid #B9D0E1;
+  border: 1px solid $light-modal-border-color;
   background-color: $light-button-background-color;
 
 }
diff --git a/client/styles/components/_modal.scss b/client/styles/components/_modal.scss
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..22745606
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/styles/components/_modal.scss
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+.modal {
+  position: absolute;
+  top: #{66 / $base-font-size}rem;
+  right: #{400 / $base-font-size}rem;;
+  z-index: 100;
+}
+
+.modal--hidden {
+  display: none;
+}
+
+.modal-content {
+  border: 1px solid $light-modal-border-color;
+  background-color: $light-button-background-color;
+  height: #{150 / $base-font-size}rem;
+  width: #{400 / $base-font-size}rem;
+  padding: #{20 / $base-font-size}rem;
+}
+
+.modal__exit-button {
+  @extend %icon;
+}
+
+.modal__header {
+  display: flex;
+  justify-content: space-between;
+  margin-bottom: #{20 / $base-font-size}rem;
+}
+
+.new-file-form__name-label {
+  display: none;
+}
+
+.new-file-form__name-input {
+  margin-right: #{10 / $base-font-size}rem;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/client/styles/components/_sidebar.scss b/client/styles/components/_sidebar.scss
index 38883386..b5f3d8e2 100644
--- a/client/styles/components/_sidebar.scss
+++ b/client/styles/components/_sidebar.scss
@@ -1,8 +1,25 @@
+.sidebar__header {
+  padding: #{10 / $base-font-size}rem #{6 / $base-font-size}rem;
+  display: flex;
+  justify-content: space-between;
+  border-top: 1px solid $ide-border-color;
+}
+
+.sidebar__title {
+  font-size: #{12 / $base-font-size}rem;
+  display: inline-block;
+}
+
+.sidebar__add {
+  cursor: pointer;
+}
+
 .sidebar__file-list {
   border-top: 1px solid $ide-border-color;
 }
 
 .sidebar__file-item {
+  font-size: #{12 / $base-font-size}rem;
   padding: #{8 / $base-font-size}rem #{20 / $base-font-size}rem;
   color: $light-inactive-text-color;
   cursor: pointer;
diff --git a/client/styles/main.scss b/client/styles/main.scss
index 4a20ba94..64dc92ab 100644
--- a/client/styles/main.scss
+++ b/client/styles/main.scss
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 @import 'components/login';
 @import 'components/sketch-list';
 @import 'components/sidebar';
+@import 'components/modal';
 
 @import 'layout/ide';
 @import 'layout/sketch-list';