Pegboards for tools in the garage

Around the same time that I bought some pegboards for my craft room, MOH ordered some for the garage aiming to make good use of the space above his workbench. He’d spotted some reasonably priced metal pegboards, with accompanying accessories on VonHaus and was set to put his order in.

However when we measured the space we realised it could fit two sets in, as each set comprised of three individual sections. And while it wasn’t totally clear from the site, we reckoned that you didn’t have to hang all three side by side - and thankfully, that small gamble paid off.

But first, look at the accessories that came with them - this is for both of them - there’s quite the choice there.

So we set to work - the Royal ‘we’ mostly! - in the opposite corner of the garage from where we added the hooks for our garden tools shortly after we moved after getting fed up of constantly stepping over and moving them. Side note: it’s worked out really well, I highly recommend!

With the workbench in position, which was my FIL’s and which we’d been storing dismantled in our shed for a fair time before our move in the hope that we’d have the space for MOH to make good use of at some point, we set about positioning the pegboards.

One set/three sections did go up as shown on the website directly above the workbench, but leaving enough space for tools to hang down, and also to allow a shelf to be put up above for additional storage.

We (the Royal sort again) hung the second set/three sections in an inverted L shape and higher than the others, aiming to make it easy to access as many tools as possible easily.

This is very much not my space, so after initially helping to get some kind of working plan for the best place for tools, I’ve retreated and left it very much to MOH. As I know from my using my craft room it’s once you start using a space that you really work out what works. And I think he’s done that, as from this little space have come the shelves for the bathroom cupboard, and the herb and spice shelves in the pantry, and as you’d expect I’ve some other jobs lined up for him too.

Thankfully though, he’s not surprised at all!

Four fabulous bedside tables

One of the ongoing projects we’ve had on our list to complete is to sort out the bedrooms in our new build, and it’s something that’s getting closer to being ticked off the list. And there’s been a whole lot of change since we moved in - including the ‘great bed swap around’ - which came about when we bought ourselves a new bed, but I’ll leave that post for another day.

However the new bed arriving meant that we had surplus beds, one had to go - and of course it wasn’t that simple. We had our old bed, a metal framed bed, which we wanted to keep, a divan bed which gives great storage, and a futon which we bought just before we got married in 2007.

The futon was a heavy one, and while we’d had it a while, it hadn’t had a huge amount of use. But it was this one that was on the hit list, and so I tried to give it away in a local Facebook group with no joy. After a pause over summer, and while the spare bedroom was temporarily repurposed as a huge clothes store while we had inners fitted to our built in wardrobes (there’s another post to come), I was back on the case.

This time though I had some unexpected Facebook success. In another local Facebook group thoughts were clearly turning to Christmas and sleeping arrangements for those hosting, and someone asked if anyone was selling a sofa bed or futon.

Well, hello.

Our futon is now in its new home just up the road, and what’s better I sold it rather than gave it away - its new owner is happy with their bargain for the snug and their kids were glad not to sleep on an air mattress. Everyone’s happy!

But of course that left me with no excuses for getting our spare bedrooms straight - so the final parts of the ‘great bed swap around’ were implemented. Our old bed, which had been stored dismantled in the third bedroom, is now in our guest room, and the divan is now in the spare bedroom.

Yes it would have been easier to assemble our old bed in the spare room, but the room shape is narrower/longer than the guest room and I thought that the bed with both a head and foot board would make the room look smaller. The guest bedroom is squarer and there is more space to navigate around the bed, so it really was a no brainer.

Searching for new bedside tables

For years we’d had some old Ikea units alongside the divan as bedside tables, but these really didn’t work with the metal framed bed, and were much larger than we needed. So the hunt for new bedside tables began in earnest.

I wanted something that would have room for a lamp, and a glass of water or cup of tea that wasn’t too large, or too small. I didn’t need a drawer, but I was keen on having a shelf of some description. And with these criteria I wasn’t that hopeful if I’m honest, but I struck gold at M&S, and two arrived and were assembled by MOH at the start of December.

Step forward the Salcombe side table

They are M&S’ Salcombe Side tables - the top is 35cm x 35cm which is plenty big enough for a lamp, a drink and a book and even a pair of glasses or a make-up bag. There’s no drawer - so none of our junk can creep into there, and hopefully that means no forgotten items either. And there is a shelf - so everything on my list. What’s better is that they were only £49 each.

They may not be billed as bedside tables on their website - my search reached the creative thinking stage before I was successful. You can imagine I was keen to try them out in both bedrooms - and if they worked order some more quickly before they sold out! I’m so glad I didn’t wait, as I’ve just checked while writing this post and this colour is no longer on their site, the lighter grey is still available.

They worked, I ordered some more which arrived the following week, and were just as quickly assembled by MOH.

THE PERFECT HOME FOR MY ORIGINAL SPRING CROCHET THROW

THE OTHER SIDE, ALONG WITH THE PEPPED UP GREY CROCHETED THROW

ON ONE SIDE…

AND THE OTHER, BETWEEN THE BED AND METAL STORAGE TRUNK

All four look fab, and really finish off the rooms - though two still have empty shelves, I’ll have to work on that!

Creating more space in my craft room

A chance conversation with MOH started this. I partly joking said that I needed more space in my craft room as even with two desks I didn’t seem to have enough surface area - I know. He quickly surveyed the situation and the mess (or as I call them organised piles of projects) and pointed out that if I didn’t have the large storage chest then I could fit in another desk.

Clearly losing the large storage chest (which was our laundry basket in our previous house) wasn’t an option, and also clearly he had no idea of the amount of junk, or as I prefer to call them useful things and future projects, that it held.

No way was that happening José!

But it did start me thinking…

And measuring…

And I realised that I could do both, and relatively simply too. I worked out that I could still access the large storage chest, and have a desk above it.

A plan started to develop

When I bought my two sets of Bisley drawers I’d bought one with a plinth and one without. The plinth raises the drawers to a standard desk height, and my thinking was that if I needed another plinth in the future then I could buy one then. So I did.

At that time I also bought a set of four hairpin legs when to create a space to craft, and the plan was originally to sell the extra legs on - but thankfully that hadn’t happened and they were still in the box, still in their bubble wrap and in our spare bedroom. Phew - as they were about to be brought into action.

So by adding a plinth and using the legs I already had, all I needed was the desk top, and one that could be cut to size. I bought this from the same company as before but this time a larger length of marine ply was ordered. This wasn’t cheap - but all wood prices seem to have sky rocketed, just like everything else..

When it arrived MOH noticed it had taken a bit of a bash on one corner, and while the company offered to send a replacement I was keen to get my room sorted out and didn’t want to wait any longer. And what would I do with a spare desk top? Plus I’d worked out that I could put the bashed corner on the underside at the back and then it wouldn’t really show anyway. So I agreed a part-refund with the company, and MOH was in business.

I was hoping to get away without moving the large storage chest - but I wasn’t sure if I’d be lucky or not. Just in case though I decided to rearrange it, as don’t tell anyone but I’m not sure even I knew what exactly was in there. And as you do, I found some right treasures once I started sorting through it.

It’s now much better organised - the fabric is in storage baskets that I can lift in and out easily - and I mostly know where things are, which will make retrieving things much easier too. I also thought it prudent to do this before the desk top was in place as sorting through these things is never a quick job is it?!

I also took the opportunity to switch around my existing two desks to make better use of the space. So my sewing area is now closest to the window, and my overlocker machine is happy to sit in the far corner of the desk which keeps it out of the way, but close enough for it to be handy too.

I was lucky, as I hoped I would be, and the large storage chest didn’t need moving with the new desk slotting in around it. I’m putting that down to a lot of luck, as well as precise measuring! It wouldn’t have been a deal breaker if I needed to move it as I had some space at the far end of the run of desks, but if I didn’t have to move it then that would be a result.

This arrangement also gives me space on top of the large chest for my current projects, and the room looks so much larger - and I’ve even got all my junk, or tools as I prefer to call them, on the extended space too. And I checked with the desk top in place I can still get things into and out of the large storage chest - though I did knock my head the first time I tried it, but I’ll learn!

The final metre

I haven’t yet decided on the exact location for the brass 1 metre/1 yard rule as I’m working out if it will get in the way where it is or not. I think not, but I’m going to leave it unsecured for a little while to make sure it doesn’t.

I’ve also added my paper tray in the corner at the near end (which also covers the small dented end), which now acts as a handy place to stow my mini iron. One of the things I was really keen to add was a counter top extension lead - so there’s no more scrabbling under the desk for me to plug in my iron (though on the plus side at least I always knew I’d turned it off!).

As it worked out there’s also a gap between the first set of drawers and the large storage chest which is ideal for both my craft mats and the wool ironing pad - it’s almost like it was planned. And at the other end of the large storage chest, nestled between the hairpin legs (but not on show) is space for the shredder, which previously didn’t really have a useful home.

The only small issue I had by moving my sewing machine was that I kept backing into the small white round table - and that was almost looking for a new home, but in the end I moved my peacock easy chair enough of a smidgeon to stop that happening, so thankfully the table had a reprieve!

Needless to say I’m loving this small tweak and it’s getting plenty of use - and that means it isn’t always as neat as it once was - hence the black and white photo!