If you remember, I bought these lockers for $10 at the ReStore last April/May. I thought they could be cool in my g-nephew’s bedroom and provide some very needed, extra storage!
Since there were soooo many interruptions trying to work on Braeden’s dresser/bench, I made a shift to the locker-wall project.
- The lockers needed to be separated for this project–enter daddy. I didn’t like all those burning little sparks from the grinder, so I made Brian do it! (I know–bAby!)
- Then I built a “box” to seat them on BECause–1. the locker face-frames hang down lower than the locker boxes, and 2. the whole unit needed to be lifted off the floor.
- Next, I used a rabbeting bit in the router table to create the void for the locker to rest in. *The tape you see in the picture was to give me a good visual stop and start point.
At last, I could take the lockers apart to clean and paint easier.
I decided to paint the interiors this rich shade of aqua to play with the room color—Braeden loves the color of his room and made me promise not to change it!
Painting the lockers became the biggest pain in the B-U-T-T. It really was soooo much easier to paint everything in individual parts & then put back together, but NEXT TIME I will mark the outsides before disassembling–! I painted the wrong sides but didn’t know it until AFTER I put one back together and realized it was “inside-out.” I took everything bAck apart, repainted, and put together correctly–yAy.
So–I thought I learned my lesson for the 2nd locker–uh, huh. Somehow I mixed up the panels–again–and painted the parts all wrong. And–again–didn’t realize it until I was putting it back together. ArGHHHHH.
I placed the lockers back on their “box,” and began installing the box shelves I made earlier on for this “unit.” It was a loooong day–and pitch dark before I finally quit.
With that task sorted out—time to begin making a drawer box. Without benefit of having a pocket screw jig–YET. STILL on my wish list–dang it.
I wanted to add the two drawers I eliminated from his (6 drawer) dresser/bench to the locker wall. More storage–little bedroom. An open cubby fills the end space the drawers didn’t take up.
I’ve been trying out different base moldings to wrap the bottom, but haven’t found the right piece yet. Oh, well. Tomorrow I’ll begin puttying and sanding, and then I can finally paint!
I can’t wait for this INCREDIBLY TEDIOUS project TO BE FINISHED! I really can’t say I’ve ever felt like that on any other, but man-oh-man, this one has been a bear!
~Me and my bright ideas.
Catherine
I’m sharing this project with some of my favorite blogs!
You ROCK!! Love your vision of things to be!!
LikeLike
What a fantastic piece, so handy. I was mourning the loss of those two drawers in the dresser/bench, LOL. I’m glad you were able to incorporate them into the new piece–nobody, especially kids, ever seems to have enough drawers.I know Braeden is going to just be crazy about his new room!
LikeLike
Awesome project. Can’t wait to see it finished. FYI: you confused the term rabbit – should be rabbet. 🙂
LikeLike
Looks great! I love that you made the lockers into a shelving unit- genius, as always! 🙂
LikeLike
Wow, so cool as always. I would never in a million years think to do this with old lockers. I want one too!
LikeLike
This is a monster of a project. More power to you, Wonder woman! I hope you will post the completed unit!
LikeLike
What a cool project, but then you always do. Your creative insight is beyond anything I’ve ever had. I like how you separated the lockers and put shelving between. Love the aqua inside. Can’t wait to see it finished. Thanks for sharing your creative inspiration with Sunday’s Best – you helped make the party a success!
LikeLike
so cool and so perfect for aboy’s room!
LikeLike
What a creative way to repurpose lockers! I laughed at your painting the wrong panels..I have done that, too…sigh. 😉
LikeLike
This is so brillaint I love it!
LikeLike
I completely understand…I just shared about one of my projects that drove my nuts this week too! Yours looks GREAT…What a lucky guy!
LikeLike
Cool lockers! Such a creative way to use them.
LikeLike
Whoops–pressed before I saw it had me under an old account.
It’s party time over at Debt Free Mommy Blog and you’re invited! Please drop on by and link up with Making Space Mondays. Oh, and we’ve got some really exciting news about our new house this week! Hope to see you there! -Tabitha
LikeLike
i have some lockers i had big ideas for too, but i haven’t touched them yet. How did you clean the lockers, get the rust off, etc? That is my mental block on my lockers so far.
LikeLike
I washed them, used a light-handed combo of wire brush and steel wool–then Rust Oleum metal primer and my color-choice of regular spray paint!
I hope you’ll share pictures of your project!
LikeLike
thanks for responding! I would like to share pictures, but it may be a while :0) I read through quite a bit of your blog last night and you have a lot of wonderful thrift finds and projects going on! It was fun to read.
LikeLike
my oh my! the things we do! I have those kind of miss-steps all the time!
this is a great, unique piece! I hope you link up the finished project too.
gail
LikeLike