Dogs Don't Eat Pizza

Formerly The DIY Bungalow

  • Home
  • About
    • About Karen & the Blog
    • Thirty Days of Gratitude
    • Habitat for Humanity ReStore Workshops
    • Stories from the Bungalow
    • Dogs Who Don’t Eat Pizza
      • Bear, the Original Dog Who Didn’t Eat Pizza
      • Hank Dog
      • Elvis Parsley
  • Project Index
    • DIY
    • Decorating
    • Shopping Tips
    • Repurposing and Upcycling
    • Paint and Color
    • Organizing
    • Cleaning
    • Recipes
    • Gardening
    • Holidays & Seasonal
    • Friday Five
  • Home Tour
    • The 1929 House
    • The First House
    • Room Reveals
  • Advertising
    • Disclosure and Privacy Policy
    • Advertising
  • Media
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Repurposing and Upcycling / Repurposing Old Lockers for Storage

Repurposing Old Lockers for Storage

December 9, 2014 By Karen Cooper 14 Comments

Want a great way to store toys (or other stuff) behind closed doors? How about repurposing old lockers for storage?

Repurposing Old Lockers for Storage - thediybungalow.com

I have wanted some old school lockers for a while. So imagine my excitement when I found these lockers at the Atlanta Habitat for Humanity ReStore:

Repurposing Old Lockers for Storage - thediybungalow.com

Banged up and dark…not what I was going for. But I could see the potential. And for only $149, I couldn’t resist! (Check e-bay or Craig’s List – these kinds of lockers can go for up to $800!)

I brought them home (which was an adventure) and cleaned them off.

Repurposing Old Lockers for Storage - thediybungalow.com

I decided to paint each level of lockers a different color. Of course, painting the whole thing one color would have been much easier but, since I knew I was going to use this for toy storage, I wanted it to be colorful.

To paint each level a different color, tape off the first level with painters’ tape, covering the rest of the lockers with a plastic drop-cloth.

Repurposing Old Lockers for Storage - thediybungalow.com

I used Rust-Oleum Ultra Cover 2X spray paint in a gloss finish. This is not a sponsored post – it’s just that Rust-Oleum is simply the best spray paint you can buy and I only use Rust-Oleum for that reason.

For the top level, I used two coats of Rust-Oleum Ultra Cover 2X in Warm Yellow, gloss finish. I only had to use two coats on this level because of the lighter yellow covering the darker existing black paint. For all of the other levels, only one coat was needed.

I painted the second level in Key Lime, gloss finish. I taped off the top level and bottom level to paint the middle one.

Repurposing Old Lockers for Storage - thediybungalow.com

The bottom level is Seaside in gloss finish.

Repurposing Old Lockers for Storage - thediybungalow.com

To get the lockers in the house, we had to take them apart. They were bolted together with screws and nuts, and the screws were little. To make putting them back together easier, I bought longer screws – that made it much, much, much easier to bolt back together.

Here’s the “after” – the finished lockers in place!

Repurposing Old Lockers for Storage - thediybungalow.com

As you might imagine, the lockers didn’t fit flush against the wall, both because they are old and a little warped, and because there is baseboard on this wall. To make sure the lockers stayed put, I added a cleat to the wall and screwed the lockers to the cleat. Now these babies aren’t going anywhere.

I added chalkboard labels to the doors.

Repurposing Old Lockers for Storage - thediybungalow.com

I like using chalkboard labels because they can be erased if we change what’s in a particular locker.

Repurposing Old Lockers for Storage - thediybungalow.com

I did leave some graffiti I found inside one door:

Repurposing Old Lockers for Storage - thediybungalow.com

Games now reside here:

Repurposing Old Lockers for Storage - thediybungalow.com

Board games go on their side and fit fine. I just put a rubber band around each box to keep any pieces from falling out.

Repurposing Old Lockers for Storage - thediybungalow.com

I put my globe collection on top. Lockers, globes, and the old schoolhouse light fixture – all remind me of my school days.

Repurposing Old Lockers for Storage - thediybungalow.com

My kids love their new toy storage. They love how everything has a place and is labeled, and it’s unlike anyone else’s toy storage! The art supplies are to the left of the lockers.

Repurposing Old Lockers for Storage - thediybungalow.com

I love this project because it’s colorful, it repurposes something old, and it keeps the toys organized!

 

You might also like:

  • Vintage School Bench Gets a New Home
    Vintage School Bench Gets a New Home
  • Dining Room Progress
    Dining Room Progress
  • Five Lessons I've Learned About DIY
    Five Lessons I've Learned About DIY

Filed Under: DIY, Organizing, Repurposing and Upcycling 14 Comments

About Karen Cooper

Hi! I'm Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer” - I traded in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY adventures. Join me for DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organizing projects and tips as I transform a 1929 Tudor bungalow into our home. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.

« Thirty Days of Gratitude, Day 30: The Brave Year
Holiday Home Tour 2014 »




Comments

  1. Cheryl @ Artzzle says

    December 9, 2014 at 5:33 pm

    Karen, you find such neat things … and do such fun stuff with them. Great post!

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      December 9, 2014 at 8:56 pm

      Thanks, Cheryl!

      Reply
  2. Christine says

    January 2, 2015 at 12:06 pm

    omg at is amazing!!! New follower on Bloglovin!!! Christine from Little Brags

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      January 2, 2015 at 1:12 pm

      Thank you!! And thanks for following along!! Welcome!!

      Reply
  3. Toni - Design Dazzle says

    January 5, 2015 at 7:22 pm

    Great job Karen. Love the colors you chose!

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      January 5, 2015 at 8:41 pm

      Thank you, Toni!

      Reply
  4. Mary D says

    August 20, 2015 at 11:12 am

    Love it!
    — yes I’ve always wanted a collection of lockers, too! Seen them at the Brimfield Flea….lucky you!

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      August 25, 2015 at 11:46 am

      Thanks, Mary! I so want to go to Brimfield – how fun!

      Reply
  5. Karen Cooper says

    January 5, 2015 at 8:42 pm

    Thank you for the link!

    Reply
  6. Karen Cooper says

    January 16, 2016 at 11:34 am

    Thank you for featuring my lockers!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. DIY Bloggers BEST Projects - My Repurposed Life™ says:
    January 2, 2015 at 3:02 am

    […] old set of school lockers get a makeover and a new job-toy and game storage. Dogs Don’t Eat Pizza found these at a ReStore, but they […]

    Reply
  2. 20 Unique Toy Storage Ideas | Growing Up Gabel says:
    January 5, 2015 at 12:08 pm

    […] Repurposing old lockers for storage looks like the ultimate way to organize kids toys. I will definitely be on the lookout for a set to use in my sons room. […]

    Reply
  3. 13 Clever Basement Remodeling and Storage Ideas says:
    February 24, 2015 at 8:55 pm

    […] Karen of Dogs Don't Eat Pizza transformed drab old lockers into a bright and fun storage unit using only […]

    Reply
  4. Toy Storage Ideas for Your Home - Viva Veltoro says:
    January 16, 2016 at 10:41 am

    […] Toy Storage | DIY Inspired 14. DIY Fabric Storage Basket with Handles | Make It & Love It 15. Repurposed Lockers | Dogs Donít Eat Pizza 16. Pegboard Toy Storage | The Creativity Exchange 17. Easy Hanging Toy […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hi! I’m Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer,” because I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. This blog is all about DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organization. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.




find projects here!

My Daybed in This Old House Magazine!

Daybed from Old Doors featured in This Old House Magazine
Best of 2016 - Best Blog DIY Category - thediybungalow.com

Disclosure

Dogs Don't Eat Pizza is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.  Dogs Don't Eat Pizza also participates in other affiliate programs.

To see my complete disclosure and privacy policy, click HERE.

About Karen

A "recovering lawyer," I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home. Read More…

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
© Copyright 2012-2021, Dogs Don't Eat Pizza, LLC (formerly The DIY Bungalow LLC).