Tiny Tool Closet

This tiny tool closet had an organization system in place, but over time, the white wire shelving became a "dumping" ground for items that didn't have a designated place and the labeled drawers didn't match the contents within.  

And, the two household fuse boxes were virtually inaccessible behind these plastic drawer units!

Heavy items on top may collapse these drawers over time.

Lots of lightbulbs, but hard to get at.

It was quite frustrating for the homeowner to find what they needed, as items often didn't go back to their rightful place after use.  

 First we pulled everything out and sorted it to decide what would be kept in this closet and relocated/discarded the rest.  

I then created a different floor plan for the existing shelving and drawer units.  Instead of an L shape, I moved everything into a narrow U shape.  

This made everything in the closet accessible, including those important fuse boxes!

Behold the U Shape!

Let's take a tour!

Starting with the white wire shelf on the left:  The very top shelf is empty on purpose.  It's important to have a "landing place" to rest items before putting them away.  Also, if a family member doesn't know where to put something, it can go here, rather than buried in the wrong drawer.

Heavy tools (and lightbulbs!) are on the first shelf.  I love how the protected saw blade cover fits neatly inside the wires, when the saw is resting on the shelf.  

On the middle shelf, I consolidated all the lightbulbs by putting all the indoor lights in plastic totes so they are more protected. These totes are labeled for appliances, lamps, rooms etc.

The bottom shelf holds the red tool box and a box of ratchets.  The tool box has small tools like a hammer, screwdriver etc. to do minor repair.  The homeowner can easily fill it with items they need from the drawers or they can quickly grab it and go.

Against the wall are the plastic drawer units.

The contents of the drawers were shuffled depending on the quantity and sizes of the items that we sorted out.  Heavier items are in the bottom drawers.  Then the drawers were relabeled.  

Plastic drawers like this tend to warp and sag over time, and can become hard to shut, so it pays to be mindful of the weight that is kept in them as well as how much they are used.  For heavy use and heavy items, metal drawers are best, but are more expensive of course.  

On top is the little screw/nail cabinet and next to it in the red crate are all the outside floodlamps.

To the right of the plastic drawers on the floor, is a white tote with supplies for repairing screens.

Above the plastic drawers is the pegboard as it was before.  So handy for hanging up items.

No need to change what's working.

One more time...

Before

After

This tool closet worked as it was, but now it is really functional!

Did anyone wonder what was in this black tote?

Electrical Cords - Brilliant!

What closet in your home contains items that you cannot readily find?