Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

| By | | 166 Comments

Cutting Down A Cabinet For Tool Storage

Our poor tools. Remember how they used to live in our kitchen?

Sunroom Tool Before

Sunroom Tool Drawers Full

Well, they obviously had to move when that whole cabinet went kaput a few months ago in favor of a nice big peninsula that we were adding.

WallOven 2 Pulling Out

Well, I guess the cabinet didn’t go kaput. It just went to live in our sunroom (aka cabinet purgatory) – along with the drawers full of tools, which have been splayed out on our daybed for three months now. Yeah, we’re organized. Not.

Sunroom 2 Before Bed

Come on, let’s bring back “not.” And slap bracelets.

Anyway, as Sherry and I embarked on three weeks of photoshoots in our house for our book (you can survey some of that chaos here) we learned that space was at a premium.  New things like this giant white backdrop…

ShootDay1 Burger With Kip

… and this crazy photography equipment…

ShootDay1 Scrims In Sunroom

… suddenly needed room to come live with us.

So see this giant cabinet that used to house or tool drawers? That guy was taking up valuable real estate. And after pushing him around to get him out of the way, we realized it was just time to do something real to remedy things.

Sunroom 1 Before Corner

Rather than find a new piece of furniture for storing our tools, we decided to try to retrofit the existing cabinet. At least for now. Heck, it’s free because we already own it, so why not? Our first step was to chop off the upper part that once housed the wall oven and some cabinets. To get that going, Sherry and I just tipped it on its side and used a straight edge to mark our cut.

Sunroom 3 Marking Line

Then I broke out the jigsaw to make big slices across each side, right where the top drawer ended….

Sunroom 4 Cutting

…leaving me with two separate pieces. Too bad Sherry didn’t lay down on top of it and reenact some Vegas-worthy magic act, eh? Next time.

Sunroom 5 Cut In Half

I broke the top piece apart with my foot and a hammer and put it out in our recycle pile (the ReStore wouldn’t want it but we’re going to call our local recycling center to see if they take clean wood scraps). But the leftover drawer base found a new (temporary-ish) home tucked away in the corner of the sunroom. Remember all of our kitchen cabinets used to be this ugly with these eyeball drawers, so there’s definitely room for improvement in the form of leftover primer, paint, and hardware for sure.

Sunroom 6 New Home

But for now it gets ‘er done. Meaning our tool drawers – for the first time in over 3 months – can actually reside in functioning, pull-out drawers. Gasp. It’s like we’re real people again all of the sudden (don’t mind the drawer sitting on top of it, floor space is precious with this many people and cameras and tripods and reflectors – so up it went).

Sunroom 7 With Drawers

I won’t show you the inside of the drawers this time because those could still use some organizing. But at least that tall cabinet that we were dragging all over the house is finally gone! So maybe this should count as a Dude Get On That Already challenge since having drawers full of tools all over the daybed in your sunroom for OVER 100 DAYS STRAIGHT is definitely deserving of a “dude, get on that already” statement (picture me hanging my head in shame). Ah well, it’s finally done. What have you guys been retrofitting or hoarding for way too long? Does anyone else have a cabinet purgatory going on in their house? And where do you keep your tools? They seem to be things that get stored in a wide variety of places (the garage, the basement, the kitchen, a guest room or spare room, the attic, the shed, etc). Spill it.

Psst- We announced this week’s giveaway winner (and laughed at all of the impromptu poetry you guys shared) – so click here to see if you’re the big hundred dollar flower winner.

Comments

  1. C.A. @ How To Be A Heroine says

    This really inspires me to at least Do. Something. With. The. Tools. The sprawling area in the basement where they currently reside is truly scary, and frustrating when you’re trying to find something. Not very “Heroine Chic” when you’re trying to bust out a project! I’m gonna “get on that!”

    Thanks for the steady stream of inspiration, and Happy Weekend!
    xo,
    CA

    Reply

  2. heather says

    i totally missed the memo that was sent out saying that “not” wasn’t “in” anymore…definately got the one about the differant coloured shoelaces on each shoe…and the one about bicycle shorts and scrunchies….wondering if it’s just a canadian thing..haha!

    Reply

  3. Jenn C. says

    When my husband (a tool junkie) and I were dating, I remember the first time I opened his kitchen cabinets only to find that EVERY-SINGLE-ONE was full of tools! They then lived on a table in the living room for years while we remodeled our house. We are finished this week and they are moving to the basement! Woo hoo!

    Reply

  4. Kerrie says

    Not tool related, but had my own “dude get on it” project. I disassembled one of our end table, like 8 months ago. Then it languish in the spare bedroom till wreath holder were in the stores, seeing as I wanted a circular storage bag for it. Got that back in October. Just last weekend finally got the wrapped up package out to the storage unit and I thought wow that was so stinking easy! Should have done it a long time ago.

    Reply

  5. Firesparx says

    I bought my hubby a 2-tier Gray Tools organizer chest (like the pros use) for his birthday last year. It’s one of those It’s-Your-Gift-But-I’m-Super-Pumped-For-It-Too items. We keep it in the unheated garage, so I also keep a set of the basic tools in my 2nd story craft room. Sometimes the garage just seems so far away…without the craft room tool supply there was danger of us using a shoe or something bad as a tool.

    Reply

  6. Kristy says

    Couple things coming from an elementary art teacher:

    1. Slap bracelets are back. I confiscated one last week. (Totally mean, I know…).

    2. Consider art teachers when you have random junk to donate. We are always turning trash into treasures!

    Reply

  7. katie says

    What a great quick and easy fix. As folks who just moved into a new space and have one room that’s scary-full of unpacked boxes, I know how annoying it can be to have things that you need not in a way that’s easy to get to. It’s almost like we’re having a whole renovation/photography team in our house. Not! :)

    Reply

  8. Mariah says

    Speaking of “dude, get on that” our new floating, click-lock cork floor has been sitting in 8 huge boxes stacked right by our front door for several weeks now! And with family and work schedules I don’t see it getting installed for several more weeks…
    It’ll involve tearing up some really nasty old builder grade beige carpet (oh my, how I hate that stuff), moving some heavy bookshelves and about a million books, and our entertainment center and a couch, etc, etc…

    Reply

  9. Alissa says

    My tools are in the bedroom. I don’t have a great explanation why other than there was an extra drawer available. But it raises friends’ eyebrows when I disappear in there saying, “Just a minute, I need some needle-nose pliers and my Dremel.”

    Reply

  10. Teresa says

    A bit of paint, new hardware, some casters and a durable top to that and you’ve got a stylish traveling toolbox and workbench!

    Reply

  11. Deanna says

    Yup, slap bracelets = totally back! My six- and eight-year-old daughters dig ’em like I did! It’s totally rad…NOT!

    Reply

  12. Nicolle Belchamber says

    I got my Hubs a big craftman tool box 6 years ago. I marked the drawers to help him find things and put everything away in it’s place. Didn’t last long.

    “NOT” is out….I’m so old.

    Reply

  13. Skye says

    FYI – slap bracelets and slap watches are back in, in Australia! All the 8 year olds love them! I can post some to you if you like :o)

    Reply

  14. Carrie says

    When I see that cabinet cut down and in the sun room, I can imagine it painted with casters so it’s easy to move. I would keep the drawers full of tools and instead of very visable hardware I would use something like this:http://inhabitat.com/files/stairstorage.jpg (just the hardwear) and then a cushy top. It’d be like a bench and you could use some fun fabric!

    Reply

  15. Amanda says

    I was wondering how you guys were going to use your basement? Our tools lived down there until we moved to a house sans basement. I recall you had an awesome sauce basement room at your old house though I don’t know if you used it too much. Would you consider making one into a workshop?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, our existing basement is separate entry just like our last one and it’s pretty much a workshop/spray paint room (it’s where we can hang things like a chandelier with a tarp all around and spray it with the door open and a fan going since there aren’t any easy branches outside for us to hang it from! John does lots of woodworking/building down there so it gets lots of action!

      xo,
      s

  16. Haley @ thedistractedblogger says

    My tools are split between the coat closet, shoved under the futon and one tape measure in the kitchen. I don’t have a lot of tools though since there is no room in a studio apartment for skill saws and the like unless I wanted my apartment to look like Bob the Builder and Dexter had a love child.

    Reply

  17. Mamaholt says

    I have no idea where our tools live because my husband’s garage (yes, apparently, it’s HIS) is a land mine. I just ask for a tool, he disappears for a minute or two (or 10), and then he comes back with it.

    Word. (Is that one gone yet? Hope not, I like it.)

    Not. (Still love.)

    Dude. (Will never die.)

    Reply

  18. Claire says

    Looking at these pictures, the first thing that sprang to mind was “How on earth did they paint so nicely on top of that cabinet when they did the paneling painting!?” I know we’ve seen that photo before, but its the first time I’ve really thought about it.

    Oh, and way to go with chopping that thing down to a really functional item! Fits nicely in the sunroom!

    Reply

  19. Julie says

    Great way to use what you already have! I love John’s expression in the pic of him moving the oven cabinet; my husband makes the same face when he is moving furniture or anything heavy. He also sticks his tongue out to the side when he is using the drill or the screw driver.

    Reply

  20. Alan G says

    I would add some wheels to the bottom of that, prime, paint, and than top it with a little bit of laminate countertop from the restore! That way you if you guys were doing a project all the way in Clara’s room, you could wheel it into the room instead of walking back and forth.

    Reply

  21. Georgia says

    Ah, please don’t tell me slap bracelets are no longer cool!
    I love this solution for keeping your tools happy and where you can find them. I have the problem that we live in our rental house, but own our vacation house which we are doing up. I have tools in 2 different states and of course i always need the ones aren’t there! I have a dream of one day having a real proper garage with painted tool shapes on the wall and all my tools in place ( sorry, had a little dream moment there). In reality, my tools are in a box, in a cabinet, and tucked away wherever i can hide them from my kids ( teens are worse with tools than toddlers). I have the hardest time working out where to keep all my left over paint so it doesn’t feeeze, though….any tips?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We keep ours in the basement since it seems to stay not-tooo-suuuuper cold or hot down there since it’s in the ground so it’s a bit insulated either way. Anyone have any other ideas?

      xo,
      s

  22. Callie says

    What a great idea for the startings of a workbench! We’ve been thinking of how we could make one…now I want to go check out restore for some nice big drawer cabinets! :D

    Ooh also Sherry I wanted to tell you that I finally did the antler project I asked your advice about the other week! This is the second post about it on my blog: http://house-capades.blogspot.com/2012/02/antler-love.html We decided to go ahead and spraypaint one set of antlers and keep the other two au natural for now – so that I didn’t feel bad spraypainting the one set. Thanks for your inspiring post about antlers! :D

    Reply

  23. stacy amoo-mensah says

    I rarely ever comment, but just had to comment today after I saw one of your replies include the word, “holla!”..I was literally laughing out loud. I adore you two for your craftiness, design sensibility and incredibly witty posts. However, even if you didn’t have all those amazing crafty qualities…if I EVER heard/read you using “holla!” at the end of a sentence, I would be instantly drawn to you. you are definitely my kind of people…..holla!

    Reply

  24. julianna says

    Why don’t you cut off the top of the old oven cabinet and use that as the top for the drawer unit? (Not that the random drawer sitting on top isn’t lovely…)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha- a novel idea for sure! We were thinking of topping it with something chunkier sort of like a countertop – and some folks have recommended adding casters after we paint it and change the hardware so that could be fun too!

      xo,
      s

  25. Nadine says

    We have a garage full of tools. Woodworking, drywall, welding, etc. It’s never seen a vehicle other than one winter, our mower.

    I have a bucket boss in the house, and the man keeps stuff on the floor, on the freezer, on the floor, on the table, on the dresser, on the coffee table, etc etc.

    Love the idea of a whole cabinet of tools!

    Reply

  26. Bridget says

    I’m excited to see what you do with that chair you have on the white backdrop for your book. I have five of them in storage that were my grandmothers and I’m dying to re-do them!! I hope you post what the chair becomes :) Thanks for all the great ideas and information you two provide on your site. I love checking it every week!

    Reply

  27. Becky says

    we did the same thing with our old cabinets in our previous house! several of them went to the basement for tool storage. Great idea.

    PS, they are selling slap bracelet watches at a store a few blocks from us in Old Town Alexandria. It’s one of my fav stores so I see them all the time and can’t help but consider getting one. :)

    Reply

  28. BetaWife says

    Slap bracelets are making a come back. I was at Disneyland today and walked in a store and there they were in all their glory!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yeah- I bet that would work- although I don’t know if getting them out in such a narrow room (it’s literally only 3.5′ wide) would be too cramped for us! I guess we could just carry the tool box out every time but we’re lazy! Haha.

      xo,
      s

  30. Robin says

    I also have a sunroom cabinet purgatory complete with a small filing cabinet filled (and covered) with tools. The sad part is I have a giant craftsman tool chest in the garage (also filled and covered with tools), but somehow the tools never seem to make it out there. Silly how this happens huh?

    Reply

  32. Roeshel says

    Great idea! Most of our tools are an un-organized chaotic disaster in our half finished basement while we have so much DIY going on upstairs. We do have the occasional tool laying around the house and the vintage dresser we use in the dining room houses a tool junk drawer for smaller things to save us a trip down the stairs to hunt but one day, we’ll have everything sorted…maybe. ;)

    Reply

  33. Jacqueline says

    Sorry I ask you this question unrelated to this posting. I see those beautiful yellow pillows in your guest bedroom. I find a perfect spot in our house that something like that fits just fine and I am dying to get it somewhere. Where should I look for. Thanks!!

    Reply

  37. Angela says

    I hope your book has some of your great ideas/suggestions. The “Dude, …” series is great for all of us DIY’ers. It motivated me to finally re-vamp a stool I picked up at our local dump. It was put to the side, where they put things others may be interested in so it was clean but the fabric had seen better days. I picked up a yard of a nice, vibrant orange faux-suede and I have everything ready to go, just want to scotch guard the fabric first. Your method with the tools is great too. We have 2 really large drawers and even with regular organizing it’s too much, so love your tool drawers so nice and neat. Plus, what a great idea for keeping track of the studs when you did your penny tile wall. Oh, and when hanging frames and such, the tape on the back marks the spot. Those are all great ideas. Keep ’em coming.

    Reply

  39. Vanessa says

    Here I am checking the website and there hasn’t been a new post since *FRIDAY*! I could squeal with excitement! Hoping you guys took my advice and had some chill time this weekend!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, we actually don’t ever post on the weekend! That’s when we try to get some projects done and do book stuff (we head into our last week of shooting this coming week, so we’re gearing up for that!). It’s weirdly exciting!

      xo,
      s

  40. Courtney Rutledge says

    we try to keep all of our in the garage except there always seems to be a screwdriver on our dresser for when toys need that oh-so-often battery change.

    i have a paint related question for y’all because there is so much conflicting advise and i was wondering what you would do. i am painting an ikea table from brown to white and going to prime first. what primer would you use and then what finish would you use for paint (is satin too shiny?) thanks so much for all your answers!!!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hmm, is it laminate? In that case I’d be worried about it chipping and scratching over long-term use (it just doesn’t take primer/paint as well as wood or wood veneer). I would go to a good paint shop (like Ben Moore) and ask what they would recommend for laminate. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  42. Mann says

    many things to say at once, so here we go.

    one: your website is one of the few i don’t feel guilty about visiting so often. and you know why? because i think you guys are awesome. every time i visit, i say to myself: it increases your visitor numbers, which helps you sell better adverts, which helps you stay home, do these wonderful projects and spend time with your gorgeous daughter, which means: I HELP YOU!

    oh, how good it feels to know that =)

    secondly: i had a dream about you last night! i was visiting and you were in the middle of doing something and the house was SUCH A MESS and you were so “oh, it usually is like that”. cute.

    and last: before seeing your website, i never used to think of framed pictures as something that is meant to change and evolve on a daily basis. i would often have something that i want to frame, but it wouldn’t be 100% perfect and i’d go: nah, i need to find something that can stay here for ages. and so the wall would stay empty for like… forever. and then i saw you constantly change your artwork and i’d be like: I CAN DO THAT! and finally, finally!, i am free to put up ANYTHING I LIKE as long as i like it at the time, because you know what? I CAN CHANGE IT ANY TIME. even today if i feel like it.

    and that is so invaluably, gorgeously, frickin-awesomely freeing that i can’t hug you enough.

    okay, end of babbling. keep on being awesome!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, definitely a possibility! We were hoping to use something chunkier to make it sort of like a work counter and then put it on casters for a little tool station so we’ll have to see where we end up!

      xo,
      s

  49. Krissy says

    fairly old thread but I’ll jump in anyways.

    The tools currently live in the guest bathroom vanity. Why? Because my car takes up the entire 1 car garage (.. what was I thinking, only requiring a 1 car garage in this house.. My bf parks in the driveway, as he drives to/from work everyday and I take the bus)

    I guess we don’t have THAT many tools yet being new homeowners but I imagine my craft room will soon house a table saw. :-/

    Also: your cabinet pull eye things kind of scare me. But we’re still friends, it’s okay. :-D (Only because of the slap bracelets. Those make everything better.)

    Reply

Stuff We Love

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *