Every tool has its place

(click to enlarge)

What to do on a rainy summer Friday, when you haven't been alone in your apartment for possibly two months? Why, organize the tool closet, of course.

This is what I managed to accomplish in three days this weekend (between pruning the garden, cooking some yummy meals, and watching a lot of movies). I was a little tired of reaching for my circular saw and having a mallet fall on my head. So I took a couple of trips to the Container Store and Bed Bath and Beyond, and acquired lots and lots of drawers.

As you can see from the picture on the left, this is a converted linen closet. I actually have way too many pillows and blankets and sheets to fit in this narrow space, so all that stuff is in a walk-in closet in my bedroom. My favorite part has to be the shelves covered in floral Contact paper ca. 1967. Not that I don't have a little flower child in me, but such girly paper for this rough-and-tumble use just doesn't cut it.

Besides, the shelves were too shallow. So I hightailed it to Home Depot last night and bought some cheap pine (easier than trying to get a sheet of plywood in my Honda Civic hatchback).  I cut new pieces to fill the full spaces and got rid of the top shelf to take advantage of the high space inside. Then I ditched the metal toolboxes that weighed more than the tools in them—the ones that scraped my hands every time I tried to reach into them half open on the shelves. Now I have drawers, a very easy way to access everything.

Okay, I'm a dork. I spent two hours Saturday night re-sorting my screws and nails and other hardware into little individual divided slots. Then, with everything in its place last night, I stayed up until 1:00 labeling each and every compartment. But I have to say it's really satisfying. Now when I reach for a screwdriver or a utility knife, I'll be able to get right to it. And when everything has its place, it makes me really really happy.

Next up: building new bookcases.