Decorating Guides
Accessories
Storage Surprise: Turn Colorful Tool Cabinets Into Fun Furniture
Reimagine your handy chests as nightstands, bar carts and kitchen storage for a bright interior alternative
Using a common object in an unexpected way is always a neat trick, and lately designers have been turning their attention to classic tool cabinets and toolboxes, bringing these handy pieces from garages and sheds into bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms and bathrooms. Glossy baked-enamel finishes add industrial shine in a range of bright colors plus black, and there's steel too. Would you roll one of these tool chests into the house?
An electric-blue tool cabinet adds a big dose of color to this otherwise neutral color palette. Because the cabinet is on casters, it can be pulled out to keep tools handy or make room for a stool or drafting chair.
Tommy Chambers Interiors literally put the classic Craftsman tool chest on a pedestal, then added a tasseled key fob and clear reading lamp to glam it up. A locking drawer can come in handy; no judgment here.
This colorful and eclectic bedroom has a green faux-turf wall paired with a shiny red tool cabinet nightstand.
4-Drawer Roll-Away Homeowner Tool Chest
This rolling cart is 32 inches high. Because these cabinets are designed to hold a lot of weight, they are heavy even when empty. This one weighs 64 pounds.
A set of stackable units provides room for clothing, books, jewelry and other bedroom doodads.
What's good for shop tools is also good for kitchen tools. The slash of red enamel breaks up the light wood cabinets in this contemporary kitchen. A red wall and red leather counter stools play off the tool cabinet's color.
This sleek stainless cabinet is actually a custom piece, but it borrows heavily from tool cabinet style.
Similarly, this contemporary bathroom's vanity closely resembles a classic tool cabinet.
If you want your tool shop to serve other purposes, consider using attractive enamel tool cabinets. This carriage house has a versatile design; sometimes it's filled with ATVs, dirt bikes, cars and snowmobiles. When it's cleared out, it can serve as an attractive game room, thanks to the painted walls, checkerboard floor and sleek cabinetry. (And check out what the designer used for a sink stand beyond that restrooms sign.)
More:
Style Trick: Use Office Furniture Outside the Office
Old Tools Come in Handy as Decor
More:
Style Trick: Use Office Furniture Outside the Office
Old Tools Come in Handy as Decor
See the rest of this home