The Bin That Was The Final Straw

I don't have the best organization in one spot in my studio.  I have a cute little vintage crib turned into a daybed.  It is intended for people to sit on that visit. In reality it is a catch-all for everything. I stack stuff on the seat cushion. The crib is skirted and underneath I store lots of plastic bins. 

There are two rows of bins under the skirt and they are stacked about three high. When I want a bin I have to lift up the skirt and pull bins in and out.

Recently I was rummaging around under there and discovered I had completely missed a bin of vintage Valentine tidbits.  I have pretty much finished Valentine Day crafting. I kept thinking while I was working on Valentine's Day things that I was missing this or that, but thought perhaps I had used up my stash with crafting the previous year. NOPE. I missed a bin under the crib.

I knew it was time to figure out a different storage system in that spot. I hit a couple of antique malls looking for a cabinet and came up empty handed. I had a bee in my bonnet to find something that worked and since I wasn't coming up with something vintage, I headed to my IKEA catalog. I thought this TV stand might work for the studio. I liked that it was metal and the blue color was awesome.

Tom and I made a trip to IKEA and picked up a pair of them.

I took out the old crib. It is easy to store in my garage.

I piled up all the storage bins outside the studio that had been stored under the crib while I set up the new shelf.

Tom and I put together the two units.  I wanted to stack them on one another and it worked like a charm.  The cabinet takes up a much smaller footprint in the studio. It has just as much if not a bit more storage. It also has a flat surface on the top which is always handy.

The shelves aren't adjustable, but they perfectly hold the storage bins I had. I may switch out the bins with the turquoise handles for something vintage, but for now they work.

I like the perforated doors that slide back and forth and can hide the plastic bins. I am not a fan of plastic bins, but they are such good storage. I may add some of my vintage style flashcards to the front of each bin to pretty them up.

The IKEA saleswoman suggested we bolt the two cabinets together with L brackets. We decided to use extra strength magnets and L brackets to see how that worked rather than having to drill holes in the cabinets.

I used the magnets and L brackets on all four legs. I also used two straight brackets with magnets on two of the legs. The magnets/brackets actually work really well and it doesn't move when it jostled. Since I am the only one working in the studio I don't worry about somebody pushing into it and knocking it off.

Seriously in love with this new cabinet.  Fun to have a flat surface and decorate the top.

A much needed change.  In a roundabout way I am kinda glad I missed that bin of Valentine crafting supplies.

Happy day!

Comments

[Shara]

I've never been to an Ikea but every time someone shows something form there I wish we had one. You do need a lot of storage for all your fun wacky stuff. And now you have it!

[katyo]

Love the old pinker in the last photo! Plus those little wooden trays made out of old yardsticks.. mmmmm...

[vivian]

great! perfect! and I loved the vintage crib as a bench too.
have a great weekend!
xoxo

[Musings from Kim K.]

Amazing how much storage those two cabinets provided! The color is really pretty too. Of course, my favorite part is all the cute stuff you put on top to decorate. I keep blowing up that picture to spy new things.

[Melissa]

I love when you show how you organize your spaces. Good, practical ideas are always appreciated! And you are the queen of organization! :o)

[Erica]

It's a good thing that you decorated the top before it became another catchall! I found a cute bookshelf at Glory Days (The Vintage industry...I just can't get used to calling it that) yesterday for my tablecloths. I'm excited to decorate the top of it too. I have contemplated buying that cabinet to use as a coffee table upstairs several times. I love it!

Have a great weekend!

~Erica

[Kathy]

I agree, the missed bin was a blessing in disguise! This cabinet is perfect and it is so fun to have a new flat spot on top for display. The magnets are a great tip. I never noticed your open and closed sign hanging in the window before.

[Linda @ A La Carte]

I love those cabinets and what wonderful storage! Good job!

[Mary Steinbrink]

What a great find for storage. I'm looking to reorganize my tiny craft corner and this will give me some inspiration! I just wish I had an Ikea nearby! Thanks for sharing!

[Carol Tootalian]

You always have the best ideas and execute them perfectly.

[Annette]

What a perfect find! Love the color and the sliding doors and the fact that you can kind of see through them. Those magnets are a really handy addition. It all looks cute and organized and like it's been there all along.

[sandy]

The cabinets look wonderful, I think I will have to check into those.

[Erica]

LOVE it! It turned out just perfectly!
It's always fun to rearrange our crafting supplies. :)
Hope you're out hunting today!
Erica

[Kim]

LOVE the cabinets!! Great color too!!!

[twinkle beverages]

After reading your blog entry, my father and I went to IKEA to buy a TV stand. My father goes for the meatballs...of-course! They only had one, but that will do for now. Thanks for inspiration. I have a big metal desk and I am thinking the cart will become a shelving unit of some sorts. Enjoy your day!

[Melissa's Antiques]

Love the set up. I need to redo my office/studio so badly! It has bins of vintage Christmas that didn't sell piled up on the floor.

Now you need to do a full studio tour! I know you've done one before, but it's ever-changing! :)

[Marci]

That's a great idea. And bonus, you can add cute magnets to the outside too! I may have to borrow that idea, I have been contemplating different storage issues in my basement. I love IKEA.

[Susan]

Nice. Excellent solution.

[Maureen]

Oh that is awesome, love the colour and the magnet idea is genius!