Monday, September 23, 2013

New Family Heirloom: Lockers





A couple of weeks ago I showed you this picture of what else was helping our family stay organized.


Well, today I'm finally ready to show you! Before I show you let me tell you the story of how I acquired these lockers.. Do you have your coffee?  This is going to be a long post with lots of pictures!

Over the Summer my mom called letting me know that my Aunt who is a realtor was selling front loaders for a client and my mom wanted to know if I wanted to buy them. I went to check them out at the clients house. As I was there checking the washer and dryer out, my Aunt mentioned that there was a hauling company on their way, coming to take and clear out all the junk/stuff the people had left behind that wasn't sold. That's when I just about had a heart attack! I had already spotted the lockers and couldn't believe that they were just going to be tossed! I just couldn't let them be thrown away! 

My Aunt said that I could have them, since they were going to throw them out anyway. I quickly forgot about the front loaders that I came to look at and was now on a mission to get these lockers out.  I couldn't get a hold of my husband at the time, so my dad and nephew came to my rescue and got them out for me. I think my dad said something like "I'm not sure we can get them out, they're really heavy and kind of stuck in there" and I said something like  "Oh, Dad we're getting these lockers out. I don't want these lockers, I NEED them!'  By this time I had already pictured them in my house and when a girl has a vision, it needs to happen!  My dad and nephew were able to get them out and I thanked them about 100 times.

My husband had got my message to come to the house to pick up the lockers.  When he got there, he thought the lockers were cool  and said how he thought the lockers would be great for storage in the garage.  Say What?!?  Pssh, for the garage! This bad boy was coming INSIDE THE HOUSE, front and center!  I then felt the need to explain to him again just how cool these lockers really are and how they're way too cool for the garage and how we just scored a family heirloom that would be past on to our children's children! Yeah, he thought I was crazy, but it's not the first time. 

 I followed my husband home while he carried our new family heirloom in his truck. I totally felt like this woman, but even more excited, if that's possible!






When we got home, my dad, nephew and husband unloaded the locker and I thanked them all again for their man strength. 
Still, not completely satisfied with my husbands reaction ( he just wasn't as excited as me) I called my SIL Katie. You see, my husband thought they were cool and all, but I needed someone to get excited with me! Someone to talk to who really understood just how cool they are, someone who understands how BIG I just scored, someone who can see the lockers potential, other than a sweaty gym locker. Someone who thought my new family heirloom was house worthy like me!  I needed another GIRL who would get it!

So, I quickly took a picture and texted it to Katie and then called her. Please tell me I'm not the only one who does that? We then spent the next hour chit chatting about where I would put the lockers, what I would put in the lockers, all the possibilities I could use the lockers for and how we couldn't believe I got them for free.  I then felt satisfied because she too saw the beauty in my new family heirloom!




We always enter and exit our house from the garage and decided we would put the lockers in the family room that leads to the garage.  Each of our boy's gets their own locker for backpacks, hats, jackets, toys, books, etc. The third will be used for art/ craft supplies that are currently in a kitchen cabinet.


Isn't she a beauty!
 I tried looking this particular locker up online, but couldn't find too much information. I did find that Durand Locker Co. has been around since the early 1900s. 




The lockers already had shelves that someone put in, but they weren't made so great, so we took them out.  



We wanted to have shelves in the last locker for art/craft supplies so my husband cut wood shelves to fit. I then stained the wood rails and painted the shelves white.  





Since I really liked the military green color of the lockers, I didn't want to paint them, but I still wanted to add character to them. I decided on lining the back of the lockers with wrapping paper I had leftover from lining our entertainment center. It just so happened to match perfectly.

This picture shows the old wood rail that we took out and replaced.


I measured the back of the locker and cut the paper to fit. I used removable double sided tape to stick the paper on.


My husband then screwed in the new wood rail using the existing holes.





























So what do you think?
Would you put lockers in your house?


Enjoy your week!


xoxo,

6 comments:

  1. Love it! You have great "vision!" And my husband would have wanted to put them in the garage as well!

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  2. LOVE them! I dream of something like this happening to me!!

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  3. Oh wow! I love these lockers--What a great find! I'd love to stumble upon something so cool, I'd definitely put lockers in my house too.
    P.S. I am SO enjoying your blog :) Thanks for sharing your creative ideas.

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