CD storage unit gets a second up-cycle – thinking outside the box

Do you remember back when I decided there was no room left on top of my furniture and I turned to wall space for help in displaying copious amounts of pretties? I had an idea these hooks may be the answer however I am here to say they didn’t work as I imagined they would. The décor on them appeared staged, a little too styled, forced even. And whilst I am all for a pretty being added to a functional space, the space needs to earn it’s keep too. Coats and jackets need a place to rest a while and so today, I have a fabulous – second time around – up-cycle of an old CD storage unit which involved creatively thinking outside of the box. Not surprisingly perhaps, my idea was treated with the usual indifference from Mr M when first I mentioned it. “What’s that old CD rack lying in the hallway for?” he asked “I thought that was long gone.” And so the time for me to pounce had arrived…

This is vintage now. Well kind of. We bought it shortly after we were married twenty-five years ago when we spent most of our time shopping on Saturday mornings and seemingly enjoying it. Way back then this dark CD storage unit had a colonial look to its sides and when I fell out of love with this look, I tried to sell it on eBay and no-one wanted it. It sat in our garage forever and one day I saw it through different eyes, painted it and moved it to Belle’s to store pretties and such like.

Then when Belle was recently painted, it never went back since the Farrow and Ball Hardwick White colour was too green for my all white space. So off back to the garage it went for a while and recently whilst I was rummaging around in there, I saw a third use for it and back it came to the home.

“So I thought if we turn it on its side and drill it to the wall, it’ll give us horizontal storage for things like batteries, tealights, candles, little books maybe” I said as Mr M’s eyes widened. “Right…” he said slowly “you definitely just said you needed more space for coats and jackets and somewhere for visitors to hang their bits when they come. They can’t hang coats on a CD storage unit on its side full of candles and batteries can they?” he enquired. “Well of course they can’t silly” I replied. “just you take everything off the wall and let me worry about that bit”.

The first of these four photos shows how this space was originally used before Mr M dutifully removed the hooks. Then he fixed the CD storage unit as I suggested and refitted the hooks beneath. It is safe to say, he wasn’t at all convinced at this stage.

Each cubby hole needed something inside it to hide unsightly batteries and bits. I set about sourcing an online solution initially.  My research unearthed mass-produced plastic or jute from China and other far flung places, so instead I went shopping around the home. This wasn’t as easy as I had first hoped as I experienced another Goldilocks moment; too big or too small storage, nothing just right. 

I did find this pretty pink box which was waiting in the present wrapping draw (doesn’t everyone?) to send to someone with a gift inside someday. Truth be told I have had plenty of opportunities to part with it and never could. Mr M attached a vintage handle I bought on a whim many moons ago and he fashioned a piece of champagne cork to cover the sharp fixing inside the box. The perfect place for ugly and essential fairy light batteries to live I do believe.

This square jute bag once housed a small plant the M children gifted me and has been storing bits in my craft cupboard eversince. It fits just perfectly and houses a few necessary and unattractive electrical bits which help to run our home.

And I found this pretty and empty glass jar in my craft cupboard too which now holds tealights. I find a few tealight stations around the home serve their purpose.

A selection of mini books collected over time are within handy reach.

The now re-cycled CD storage unit also offers a neat little shelf to display a beautiful old box for yet more storage together with my homemade sign to welcome friends and family to our home. And not forgetting an old zinc container with a fun stencilled design, which is now home to a selection of my many candles.

And finally, the hooks get to do their real job, although for how long they’ll stay carefully styled like this, we shall see. And there you have today’s up-cycle; a space for essential home bits which don’t fit in an overcrowded boot room any more, a little space for mini books and pretties and a functional spot to hang your coat and hat when you stay a while.

This up-cycled CD storage unit could work well in many rooms in the home. I’m thinking bathroom for bubble baths and smellies perhaps. The home office or study for beautiful stationery or maybe the boot room to house all things doggy. And of course, there would be a great many clever uses for a repurposed CD storage unit or such like in a craft room or potting shed too. I’m on the hunt now for something similar to store a few too many handbags and hats in the bedroom. Mr M is being particularly unaccommodating and won’t store them in his wardrobe… until next week x