Locker Labor of Love.

One thing my client wanted in her little Aiden's new sports room was a locker for both fun decor and good storage. Welp here's how I made that happen for her...

FIRST. Get your parents to hi-jack a couple lockers from a local high school locker room...

But really. New lockers can be pretty pricey and I was going for a more vintage look...and was on a budget. So having a local HS that just remodeled their athletic facility was a giant plus! Getting them detached was a feat but it was well worth the money saved! You can also check for your local school district's surplus warehouses...they often only open to the public occasionally but can have some great finds too!

SECOND. Scrub a Dub.
Cleaning was a bit of a pain as there was some rust, some bends, and lots and lots of dust. But in order to get a good cover, a well executed scrub down is crucial! An air compressor is really handy at this stage! Use some pliers to bend back any misshapen areas as sheet metal is pretty malleable!

THIRD. Take it all apart.
Not really...okay but kinda...since we detached the lockers from a string of others, I needed to re construct a couple areas. By that I mean turning the side panels inside out and upside down to have a more finished look and no jagged edges...

FOURTH. Paint the town red!
...or the locker blue. Whatever floats your boat. I used a Rustoleum paint as it is great for most surfaces, especially metal and has good coverage. Drying between coats is big for even cover so you can actually see where more is needed. This took about 2-3 coats in most areas. Be sure to cover hardware or remove hooks or anything you may not want painted. And don't forget the nooks and crannies! ...but seriously. No one likes an unpainted cranny.

FIFTH. the sunshine phase.
Let the sun do its work...let this thing dry and come back to it the next day or at least a few hours later for that final coat of evenness. If you have globs or drips anywhere, use a razor very lightly to get em off and then touch up that spot with a couple sprays. I used about 4 cans of paint on this piece.

SIXTH. Do your thing Honey!
Install Install Install! Although it's simple to put a big locker in a room, something that is really important is safety! They may not be overly heavy but they are sharp, metal and pretty large. Use the holes at the back of the lockers to anchor this into the wall. Find a stud and put a screw nail through there. Even just one is enough to prevent anyone from yankin this sucker down on them. If you can't find a stud, be sure to put an anchor in because just nailing it to the wall will NOT do the trick!

And VOILA! A fun and inexpensive project, made with love...and some elbow grease.