The more we crowd our environments with "stuff" the more we need to find a place to put all of it! Pair that with a very real need to recycle and reuse (to keep the new "stuff" to a minimum) and you can see that the concept of "used lockers" can be very relevant.
Aside from being cost effective, they can be a very creative storage option. Buyusedlockers.com is the place to go if you want to know more, so that's just what I did. I had the pleasure of interviewing Chance Cook who had some reavealing and insightful things to say about the business of using used lockers. All photos are from their Pinterest page and there are more pics here.
AK: BuyUsedLockers inhabits a very unique niche in the market. How did it come about?
Chance Cook: "BuyUsedLockers is part of a larger, family-owned business named Jorgenson Industrial Companies. Jorgenson Industrial Companies has many divisions specializing in machine tools and material handling—one of which is a very successful division named SchoolLockers.com. Several years ago after doing a very large install of brand new lockers here in Salt Lake City, Utah, the owner purchased the used lockers he was removing that were heading out to be sold as scrap metal. Instead he bought them. After looking on the Internet late one evening, he found there was a huge need out there across the country by people looking to buy used lockers over brand new lockers. He quickly assembled a business model, began buying used lockers from just about everywhere, and built a website that specialized that focused on buying and selling just used lockers."
AK: Who is your customer and are you noticing any clear trends?
Chance Cook: BuyUsedLockers.com finds our customer base ranges from someone looking for a DIY project in their home (such as a mudroom or laundry application for locker storage) to any other client that would need new lockers for their business facility. Savings over new lockers can be upwards of 40%.
There are in fact trends with many of the home applications as well. Currently we find that for home applications, people are looking for the really cool aged, vintage lockers for their studio apartments, mud rooms and just about every other corner of a home. Most of these are being done as a Do It Yourself (DIY) décor project. Look around on eclectic boutique shops and especially Pinterest and you’ll see that all things vintage are commanding high prices as people are enjoying that retro, vintage and rustic look for their homes.
AK: What is the best way for homeowners to incorporate your product into a residential design?
Chance Cook: Of course color is the best way to incorporate our product into a home. A vintage locker that you paint and age works as a great way to add accent colors along with storage into your home. If you go onto our Pinterest page you can see the many, wonderful ways that normal, everyday people have done this in their own homes. By using a vintage locker, you can add that awesome hint of color you are looking for to further accentuate an accent wall, or even add the sole accent color a home’s otherwise neutral color scheme.
The ideas and ways to incorporate a used locker into a residence are as endless as the imagination desires. People have turned lockers into tables, rolling storage units, laundry hamper storage cabinets, mud rooms, dressers and so forth. Plus the additional storage capacity makes them perfect for any room of the house where any other piece of furniture can be set up. We even see people who have added chalkboards to the locker’s exterior doors to make ‘quote boards’ and ‘dream walls’ for the home, and I have even seen resourceful people take the doors off sections of the lockers and turn them into chic bookcases for living rooms and dens. It's anything you can dream up.
AK: What do we need to know about sizes to work lockers into a design plan?
Chance Cook: That is the great part about using used lockers in your home. Most people think lockers only come in the tall, single tier style they used in high school. But little do they know there are MANY styles and designs to choose from! Box lockers for instance are essentially small cubbies that can stand upright or even come as a bridge; with two locker columns as bases and then a horizontal locker across the top. This currently popular style further adds to maximize a garage or mud room’s limited storage and design. There are 2-tier, 3-tier and many other styles and all have shelves which you can easily adjust, remove or add all depending on your needs.
AK: How about color, can they be painted as needed?
Chance Cook: Any locker can be stripped, sanded and painted any new color you would like. It is surprisingly easy and since lockers are built from quality, cold rolled steel, you don’t have to worry about breaking or harming the locker! Our BuyUsedLockers.com blog has many detailed and helpful tutorials on how to paint a used locker and a list of supplies you will need, but suffice it to state that painting a locker is just like painting something like a metal vase or rustic home décor items that are made from metal and need a new paint job, aging or just refinishing.
AK: How much can one expect to invest per lineal foot?
Chance Cook: There are many many variables. The closest I can get, depending on the style, it could be anywhere between $45.00 to $200.00 per linear foot.
Thank you so much to Chance and the folks at buyusedlockers.com for taking the time to visit with me at Artful Kitchens. If you are rocking the "used locker look" I'd love to see it!