Locker Up! Storage, Style and Savings

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.

 

usedlockers.com

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."

buyusedlockers 

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.

buyusedlockers

 

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!

Poggenpohl, Ultimate Form and Function

Poggenpohl new ash wood veneerWhether your in the market for a new kitchen or you're in the business of selling kitchens one of the first questions that comes up is, “what’s your style?” Are you traditional, transitional or contemporary?  If the answer is contemporary, the elements to look for include seamless integration, totally efficient function and clean sleek lines.  These happen to be the standards at Poggenpohl, founded over 120 years ago as the first German kitchen brand and now  the best known kitchen brand in the world – present in more than 70 countries around the globe.  Poggenpohl can show you what true European contemporary design is all about.1892_01Today they continue to think outside the box (pun intended) to offer some of the   most cutting edge cabinetry in the industry.          

The new +EDITION collection from Poggenpohl combines the best of both worlds, crisp clean white lacquer with warm natural walnut wood veneer.  It is available in flat panel or thin frame detail door styles. New black glass upper wall cabinets include the same thin frame details with finished interiors and LED lighting.Behind the scenes storage is also a Poggenpohl hallmark.  A wide range of  available drawer inserts can be customized to your needs.  These kitchens are not designed, they’re engineered!  This includes not only cabinets but thin counter tops, offered in glass or stone, and even integrated glass front cooking appliances!  One can be sure that their kitchens are as pleasurable to look at as they are to work in.  I also love that although the elements are integrated they seem to also stand alone as individual sculptural statements.  (Spoken like a true kitchen designer channeling her inner artist.)A tricked out backsplash eliminates counter clutterA modern European kitchen utilizes the easy to reach back splash area under the upper cabinets.  Other elements to notice include horizontal graining, mid-height cabinetry and a mix of texture and materials. I enjoyed learning about Poggenpohl and their design philosophy as a part of the Modenus Blog Tour New Orleans.Next up:  We’re gonna get steamy at KFL!  Adding luxury and health benefits to your bathing experience with Mr. Steam

LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MY DRAWERS

Last weekend was a wet one so I had a good opportunity to tackle something that has been bothering me daily, one of my kitchen drawers!  I LOVE drawers, don’t get me wrong.  As a designer I hear a lot of clients enthusiastically request roll out drawers.  It’s almost become a status symbol in the home improvement community.  I say not so fast.  I would take a bank of drawers any day over a cabinet with doors and roll outs.Think of it.  You can open most drawers with one hand.  The roll out alternative requires you to open two doors all the way then slide out the roll out, not very efficient ergonomics.  There is also an aesthetic component.  A bank of drawers can be a nice visual break from a sea of doors.   Anyway, I digress.We have this one nice bank of drawers 30” wide in my kitchen.  It’s supposed to house plastic containers and stuff like that.  Well with a family of four, including two teenagers, lately it has gotten ridiculous.  Believe me when I tell  you all this was in one drawer.      

Who knew we had so many funnels??

It only took minutes to empty, sort and re pack.  A few broken pieces and odd lids went into the recycle basket and here’s what we’ve got now, a clean drawer WHERE I CAN FIND EVERYTHING!  Drawers are the best, honestly.