This helped organize my garage big time
By Mike Thayer
Once a custom built storage cabinet for an office, housing pretty much a full compliment of office supplies, paper, tape, staples, paper clips, staplers, rubber bands, pens, pencils, you name it... has now been repurposed into a garden cabinet/fishing rod rack in my garage.
This is actually a second repurpose for this cabinet. The office it was in was remodeled and the cabinet didn't fit into those remodel plans. Not wanting to scrap it, I turned the nice oak piece into a liquor cabinet for awhile. It functioned well in that role for a spell, but I've moved from an apartment to a house in the last year and that transition included turning what has been a traditional family room style space in my house - fireplace, couch, love seat, a large flat screen TV, stereo, coffee table, side tables - into a "Man Cave" Bar & Grill! The traditional furniture was removed, going all out Bar & Grill theme for the room. We're talking TVs on every wall, enhanced lighting, full bar, bottle/beverage cooler, stools for the bar and bar table seating in the open area. It's a work in progress, but that cabinet, well it got repurposed... again.
Gardening items, easy access, all in one space.
The former office supply cabinet turned liquor cabinet was given a place in the garage and converted into storage for garden tools, pots and plant containers, flats for starting plants, potato grow bags, weed fabric, watering cans and more. The cabinet multi-tasks too, serving as a structure to organize and hold fishing rods. It's a maximum use of available cabinet space.
It was an easy conversion. Cork board on the inside of the doors that used to have drink recipes and a wine list pinned up, now serves to have a landscaping plan, plant wish list and garden growth progress chart pinned up. The lower section of the cabinet, which used to house a file cabinet back in the day, then wine racks, now serves as a place to keep my cold frame cheat when not in use. I left the wine glass rack in the upper portion of the cabinet, it's great for hanging spray bottles of various weed killers, insecticides, fungicides and home made fertilizers. It not only saves on shelf space for other items, but definitely keeps those sprays out of harms way. Kids can't reach them, animals can't sniff let alone lick them out of curiosity. I also have the option of adding another shelf - currently not in use - to aid in organizing the unit, if needed.
Fishing rod rack #1
Taking advantage of the exterior walls of the cabinet, I fastened fishing rod racks, holding six rods each on either side. I didn't realize how many fishing rods I have until putting those rod holders up. I still have more fishing rods to organize, I need another rod rack!
This was a very satisfying repurpose project, it was an easy conversion and saved me more than a few bucks that I would have spent on shelving at a place like Lowe's or Home Depot. The only cost associated with this project was time. Everything needed for the conversion was already on hand, to include the fishing rod racks and the hardware to secure them.
If you're doing a kitchen or bath remodel, don't let the contractor take the old cabinets - repurpose them! If a friend is doing a remodel, if they don't have plans to repurpose old storage units, cabinets, whatever, ask if you can have them! If the neighbor is getting rid of an old entertainment stand because it's out-of-style but it's still in decent shape - repurpose it!
Fishiing Rod Rack #2
Related: Using a plastic drawer set as a cold frame for the garden
Related: Creating a "Salad Bar" with an old coffee table
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