The finished locker cabinet

I was actually done with this before we left for vacation last week, but the baskets hadn't arrived yet and I didn't really want to post the finished product without the baskets installed. So, here it is!


The teal paint is called "aged mint" by Ralph Lauren. It's the same color as Callie's wrought iron bed and the frames on the artwork above her bed. I was originally planning to paint the cabinet the same white as our trim ("the right white" by Restoration Hardware) but got bored just thinking about it and decided to go for teal instead.

The cabinet is made out of solid pine with paneling on the back. I added eight inches to the height of the original plan (to accommodate the drawers) and took off about 15 inches in width. Each locker has two hooks on the inside, for hanging the girls' backpacks and lunch boxes. Callie's locker is on the left -- you can see her school calendar hanging in there. It is so great having everything in one place. The baskets hide Libbie's collars and leashes, our library books, and my purse and the drawers house our cell phones (plugged in for charging), extra keys, chapstick, sunblock, and sunglasses. Originally I hadn't planned to put hooks on the side for keys, but Scott insisted. Not so pretty, but very useful!

Here is what I learned from building my first piece of furniture: BUY STRAIGHT WOOD. Duh. Probably going to the hardware store without my children would help me accomplish that next time. Besides the crap wood which made it impossible to build a square cabinet, I'm very pleased with my first adventure in furniture building!