Crate Shelving DIY: Simple Wall Organization

on April 5, 2010 at 1:05 PM

country living Photo from Country Living
by Sheri Reed

Garden designer Jon Carloftis's home tour in the April 2010 issue of Country Living left me breathless with love and desire. There was almost need for some resuscitation.

The beautiful row of pear trees up the front walk! The pine cone bedpost finials! The adult treehouse! The bits of nature all around his home! And the shadow box shelving shown above, which he made by nailing old fruit crates to the wall of his toolshed.

Catch me, I'm fainting all over again...

Crate shelving seems to be catching on more and more. I recently saw this cute kitchen crate shelving, also in Country Living and loved the painted version in Jansa Janekovic's home tour on sfgirlbybay. Such an easy and attractive storage solution, so it's no wonder it's being seen all around.

crate shelving
Photo from Country Living
by Sheri Reed

However, Jon Carloftis's full-wall version of 18 uniform crates (he must have a really good resource for vintage crates), filled with horse paint-by-number paintings and other lovely horse collectibles makes his crate wall project more like wall art than wall storage. It also, I think, makes his toolshed among the most gorgeous toolsheds ever!

What do you think of crate storage? Would it work in your home?

About the author Sheri Reed

is a writer and the Entertainment, News & Sports editor for The Stir. She loves a good film, watches lots of good TV and follows Ryan Gosling's every move because she has to -- for work.

Filed Under: clutter buster, diy, gardening, inspirations, organizing, storage, wall art

Comments (10)

cleanaturalady

on May 1, 2010 at 1:38 PM

I think it is cute. I agree it would be hard to find 18 crates in the exact same size to make this unit. I think there are a bunch of variations that could be made though with more accessible materials. Milk crates in a casual playroom would be cute, especially in bright and various colors, perhaps forming a pattern with the colors. The possiblities...

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Stacy119

on May 1, 2010 at 1:41 PM

It would be great for a barn or a workshop, but I would want something more refined for the interior of my home!

mainemusicmaker

on May 2, 2010 at 2:31 PM

Yup...Like Cleanaturalady said, the colorful milk crates would work wonderfully as storage in a kid's room...I really like the use of the wooden crates and I think it'd look awesome in a kitchen to hold old/antique cooking utensils etc. But finding them would be an absolute chore!

fryshannon34

on May 4, 2010 at 12:30 PM

I love this idea but how do you attach them to the wall?

asil

on May 4, 2010 at 3:01 PM

we use the platic milk crates for this very thing! with a coat of the outdoor "plastic" paint (you know the kind... for plastic furniture outside)... they can compliment any color scheme or theme! my girls love them. We also use them on a book case, instead of stacking them, and it's easy for them to pull out their dress up stuff, or their play food this way!

great idea!

i have some old wooden orange crates... larger than those shown, but they would be very cute stacked and in our 'vintage style' mud room!

Carey2006

on May 5, 2010 at 12:59 AM

I'm willing to try anything to help organize my house!!!! I wonder where I could find some crates.....

Asil...we used to use orange crates to hold our albums =)

tonyalynn

on May 5, 2010 at 7:58 PM

thanks

tazdvl

on May 6, 2010 at 10:53 AM

I want to use milk crates for shelves in the girls room for some of their toys but can't get the hubby to agree. I would make a liner with fabric so nothing falls through.