All-In-One Storage Solution From Ikea

[sargetalon]

Hello everyone. I spent some time this weekend seeking out a new storage solution for my pens and paraphernalia and thought that I would share it here. Prior to today, my storage solution has been plagued by two issues. One, there was no centralization. Sure the pens were in one place but this was separate from the ink which was separate from the paper which was separate from the paraphernalia. Two, I have a 17 month old boy who is a master of destruction and is dead set on the ruination of my collection.

 

I sought to remedy both issues this weekend. I was walking around Ikea and the Container Store and it came to me. At Ikea I found the Borgsjö shelf unit ($50) and the Borgsjö door pack ($20). This shelf unit measures 29 1/2 x 36 5/8" and is plenty deep. I combined this with the Dioder LED light kit ($19.99) also found at Ikea. What resulted is...

 

 

 

The lighting is wired through the back and is operated by a switch on the backing of the shelf unit. The top shelf has a Bigso Marten grey document box ($14.99) from the container store. It is quite large and holds all of my ink bottles (23 at current count) with plenty of room for more. The shelf below has the same box filled with my stationary and wax melting supplies. My pen chest fits below along with my books and cleaning supplies as well as a smattering of all my other paraphernalia. It is now all centralized and secured (child lock on the front door). The poor cell phone pics and bad lighting don't do it justice. It's solid in construction and roomy, meeting all of my needs nicely. I'm very satisfied for the price paid and thought that I would share in case anybody else was looking for a similar all-in-one solution.

[ac12]

How very cool.

[Art]

Nice choices.

[inkstainedruth]

Hey, that's nice looking. I don't think they had those the last time I went to our local IKEA store, but it's been a couple of months.

I had been looking for a nice little writing desk or secretary, and ended up buying a small Bombay and Company desk and stool that a woman a couple of towns over was selling on Craigslist. The price was sufficiently low that I then went and bought a nice looking 3 shelf unit from Pier1 that matched one I had already bought (they're the fold-down units with the black sides and sort of cherry-finish shelves). I now have the desk sandwiched in between the two shelving units (one of which had been doubling as a nightstand). The desk and second shelf replaced the dresser that belonged to my grandparents (the hutch for which just fit along the wall outside my bedroom door). The dresser part got moved to the other end of the hallway, next to the built in cabinet and drawers outside the bathroom, between it and the doorway to my sewing room, and has become the new "stand" for my color laser printer (so my husband could move the printer out of his office, which doubles as a spare bedroom). The bookshelf that had been in THAT location got moved next to a wire shelving unit on the opposite wall, between the doorway to his office and the doorway to what is supposed to be the library (but has become a "catch-all" room).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[spotted and speckled]

Very lovely! Where did you get the pen chest? All drawers or can you fit boxes into that too?

[sargetalon]

It's a machinist toolbox from Harbor Freight in the Gerstner style. They go for $79 and are frequently on sale/coupons available. It has the potential to hold 124 pens in the 8 drawers. No boxes but the top will hold some as that is deeper.

 

Edited December 28, 2014 by sargetalon

[Runnin_Ute]

Well done, Joshua!! I need to do something, other than the cobbled together stuff I have. Best part of what I am using is it is close by. (small bankers box from staples turned on its side on a stack of magazines, the interior used for the past few years of Franklin planner fillers and the top (side) for ink and stuff.) With all the ink testing I have been doing this year, sample vials and the like have taken up a lot of space.

[Caifanito]

Very nice! Love the chest!

[Misfit]

Oh I like that machinists tool chest. Looked at it on the Harbor Freight website. I'm tempted as a lot of pen storage options are well over $100 when they are made out of wood.

 

There is a Harbor Freight near me, so I hope they have the machinist tool chests in stock.

Edited December 29, 2014 by Misfit

[GatzBcn]

Very beautiful! I need something like this...

[bogiesan]

Costco, in the States, has a wooden machinist's chest in the warehouse stores. It is a seasonal piece, appearing every year about this time. It is not available at costco.com.

Significantly better quality than the Harbor Freight unit but higher cost, too.

 

I'll try to get a photo/price this weekend.

[PaperDarts]

Gorgeous set-up, let us know if it truly proves to be toddler-proof!

Edited December 31, 2014 by PaperDarts

[sargetalon]

Gorgeous set-up, let us know if it truly proves to be toddler-proof!

 

So far, so good.

[HalloweenHJB]

Very beautiful! I need something like this...

 

As do I! Wonderful addition to your study/office. Do you provide set up here in Indianapolis??

[sargetalon]

 

As do I! Wonderful addition to your study/office. Do you provide set up here in Indianapolis??

 

I've been looking for a solution for a while. For some reason all of the pieces just came together over the holiday. Was surprisingly easy to get together.

[MizzouCowboy]

Thank you for this wonderful idea!! I am not sure my better half will appreciate as much as I do......but who cares?....lol

[Cryptos]

Love the machinist's tool chest. Don't get that sort of thing over here (no surprises there really), but would totally get one if they were local. As for the Ikea... well, it's a cupboard. http://www.dharmawheel.net/images/smilies/shrug.gif

[Jackson]

Costco, in the States, has a wooden machinist's chest in the warehouse stores. It is a seasonal piece, appearing every year about this time. It is not available at costco.com.

Significantly better quality than the Harbor Freight unit but higher cost, too.

I'll try to get a photo/price this weekend.

Yes, please do follow up on this Costco item..!

[jmccarty3]

What inserts did you use for the tool chest drawers?

[pendragondragon]

It's a machinist toolbox from Harbor Freight in the Gerstner style. They go for $79 and are frequently on sale/coupons available. It has the potential to hold 124 pens in the 8 drawers. No boxes but the top will hold some as that is deeper.

 

image.jpg

 

Nice setup. I have the same harbor freight box but not the nice liners. Where did you get them? Did you have to cut them to fit in both width and height?

 

Thanks!!!