DIY: The Most Awesome Workshop/Tool Storage Ideas
DIY
For her spring ‘23 project, Selene of Selene Builds Things created this incredible workshop & tool storage space that has us quite jealous.
Selene had reached the DIY level where she had accumulated enough tools and supplies that she needed a dedicated spot for storage (if you DIY you know this struggle—it starts with one electric drill and gets out of hand fast). Her house doesn’t have a garage and she typically works on her projects outside on her back patio, so it made the most sense to turn the guest bedroom into a flex space.
To create the tool nook area, she opened up the guest room closet with some drywall work so it would flow with the rest of the room. She added slat walls to protect the walls from being bumped by the rolling tool carts coming in and out.
The other half of the room, the guest room half, is also awesome. Selene built not one but two pieces of modular furniture: a sofa that can fold out into a bed, and a nightstand that can expand into a table.
The star of the show, though, is absolutely her genius tool storage wall.
The base of her storage system is a French cleat wall, which she chose because it’s extremely customizable, more affordable than something like a metal peg board, and can be taken down and moved without damaging the wall. The way it works is each of the 2x4s have a 45 degree bevel at the top, and each storage system has a back piece with the opposite 45 degree bevel, so ultimately the storage components can hang securely from the cleats while still being easily moveable. You can read more about her French cleat wall here.
The individual storage components are all so perfect. Selene made it so that every single thing is very easy to access, which is no easy feat.
She very kindly shared full tutorials plus dimensions, supplies, and cut lists for some of the individual storage components she came up with, which you can check out here and here.
Another gem of the project is the two portable tool carts that make it so easy for Selene to move everything she needs out to the patio when she’s ready to work on a project. The cart pictured above was designed especially for a table saw. You can read all about how she made the cart and even download the plans here.
It’s clear that Selene put so much thought into how she could get the most out of this space, and it absolutely paid off. The finished room not only looks great, but is so flexible and functional.
Feeling inspired? The ORC editors recently put together a guide of their favorite DIY products. You can check out all their recommendations here.
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