I will admit… I was nervous posting yesterday’s messy garage post. Showing my garage in its current state was a little unnerving!
But I braved it for a reason. Mess is normal. And I think it’s important to show the chaos that inspires the improvements we make.
A few of you asked about the ultimate red metal rack dumpster find that I posted yesterday.
Oh trust me… when I spotted it beside these dumpsters on a work day, a glorious chorus from the Heavens transpired. I dropped my tools in mid flight, and hopped through my version of a flower filled meadow (dumpster back 40) in slow motion (speed ticket territory) towards the junky love of my life.
I even put down my coffee. That takes a LOT.
And it was RED! I LOVE red.
But this big lug was… big. I eyed my truck, and being eternally grateful I didn’t have the canopy on that particular day, (what are the chances?!) I summoned the help of two strong guys working in the bays.
“How are you gonna get this home?!”
“In my truck!”
“What are you gonna use it for?”
“NO idea!”
…. silence.
Indeed.
“Perfect fit!!!”
“You’d better take the side roads…”
“Will do!”
Always do anyway. Because that’s the best way to find other junk of course. And have time to stop for it. Highways do not cut it for junking.
Grabbing a little cardboard so it didn’t further scratch the dirt paint, all that was left to do was tie it in place. Somehow.
I didn’t much care at this point. It WAS coming home, even if I had to hand drag it home uphill on 4 toboggans in the dark during a snowstorm.
I even had that figured out.
A little nylon rope to the rescue. I love firetruck manufacturers. They have everything you need. (including strong guys with questions)
The rack was tied on all four corners for no chance of moving even an inch. Trucks are wonderful for that, they have all these embedded hooks and things inside the boxes for doing just this. Thank-you truck box makers for making this moment possible.
We are all set!
Now comes the cringe part. Do you feel the guilt creep up inside you as you tote yet another ‘thing’ home you have absolutely no room for?
Because then it sat for 7 months. SEVEN MONTHS my next door neighbour (sorry Janette) had to stare at it from their own back yard. That just can’t be right… wasn’t it just last month?! But my iPhone showed these photos in November. My how time flies… (sorry Janette)
We often stall when we don’t have a home for something. I slap my hand all the time, reminding myself I don’t have to have everything I find. But because this rack could serve so many purposes, and the price was right, (free always works) I allowed myself the luxury this round. You just need ‘stock’ in order to create.
I mean, this could be a kid’s headboard, a garden feature, or… even use it for what it is, a storage rack. Imagine.
Ohhhh, what I could do with a barn styled storage shed out back… I’d bet my neighbours would even be desperate enough to donate just to get the crap out of their sight.
All set! Now where should I put that donation bucket…
What would you use this beauty for?
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looks like the perfect shelf storage unit for ‘stuff’ or inventory to me. Lay some pallet wood across those pretty red beams and you’re all set!
I would make it a potting shed!!!!! remove or paint that metal strip at the bottom, add old barn wood for shelves. Then I would hang plants wherever I could, add an old garden sign, display aged terra cotta pots….etc., etc., etc.
Oh Donna, this is priceless!!!
“What are you gonna use it for?”
“NO idea!”
…. silence.
LOVE that!!! Almost as much as the backstory. How many times have I gone to get something and get that same …. silence. Crickets. lol
I truly do have NO room for such a rack (9th floor apartment living space) but I adore your purpose for it. Janette knows you so I trust she is understanding. 🙂
Thanks always,
Christina
Looks like the shelving unit would fit perfectly on the wall of a garage or a basement and hold totes labeled of course, Fall decorations, Summer decor, candles,Boys clothing size 2-4, etc.!
I would definitely find a way to hang all my garden tools from it. Along
with plants. Maybe a greenhouse. Oh the possibilities.
Thank you Donna for this wonderful post. I love your intro where you said messy inspires creativity, that is so true. I learned years ago that life is messy, and if you don’t make a mess at times you aren’t living (and you girl are living large!)
The ability to see potential in what is presented and the dogged determination to bring it on home deserves a big gold star!
Can’t wait to see what the end product will be (no rush, sometimes you have to live with something for a while to know what it wants to do)
Keep creating, keep sharing and inspiring us, you do make me smile!
Donna
You could store a lot of your wood in this contraption. Your wood would be standing on end (not in the bottom of a pile) so you can see what you have and actually get to it. It can go outside so the weather helps to age the wood as well. Wish I had this thing!
You could add wooden shelve or glass pieces to it?????
It would make a great place to store your “stock” or it would be an amazing wall unit with some aged wood on it.
I love following you! You make me feel ok with the two old windows that have been propped against my house for the last 3 months among the many other finds I have tucked away for my “aha” moments.
Thank you!!!
Why not use it as compost bins! Use the bottom holes for rubber trash cans and fill them with separate compost items. Then place strips of tin over the first level to store your items you’ll need during composting. Finally, cover the top with another piece of tin and put plants, planting items and other cute outdoor items on the top shelves. Why not spray paint the tin red to match the frame, or even give it another good coat of paint. If it stands out too much, spray paint it the same color as the wall it is against. You can hang chimes or potted plants from the top levels!
I would store my wood on it.
I have to say…I would have done the same thing with something that wonderful and FREE…Had to get it home…Alas, I have no truck of my own which means I have to enlist my husband’s help…which may have kept it where it was. I have however, fit a free triple gumball machine in the backseat of a Nissan Sentra along with several lamps and other goodies…. I honestl think it is so perfect in it’s red rusty goodness…It begs to hold something without being changed too much…Can’t wait to see what it becomes.
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You do not even want to see our garage Donna! You should so not feel embarrassed. I think all of us creative souls have one secret catchall. Love the new shelving!
I would add wooden recycled shelves, put in studio… To fill with other objects of creative artistic splendor!… That is I would continue to rescue more abandoned junk pieces kindly left out for me to throw together!
I would use it for storage of your wood and add some shelves to store bins for other finds…of course you know you will have other finds!
You are so lucky to have a truck to haul this kind of stuff. I usually just have to pass it by..no means to move it!
Love your projects and your spirit.
Your post made me chuckle. It reminds me of the very first wooden pallet I spied in front of an industrial business with a sign that said “free”. I was in my little Jeep Wrangler and I knew the pallet wouldn’t fit, so I drove home and grabbed my son (who has a pickup) and back we went to get the pallet. The owner of the business came out to talk to us and asked me what I planned on using it for and I just looked at him and said I’m not quite sure what it will be yet. There was silence and then he chuckled and went back into the business probably thinking “she’s a hoarder”. LOL By the next day all of the “free” pallets were gone. The funny thing was my son never asked me what I was going to do with it. Since then I’ve added another pallet to the one stored in the garage and plan to make a potting bench out of them this weekend.
I think your red beauty is a real jewel. Once you have it filled with wood, you can even hang things on the side of it! Oh the possibilities! LOL
Hoarder… hahaha! Thanks for the laugh!
“What are you gonna use it for?”
“NO idea!”
…. silence.
This made me laugh so loud I startled one of my cats. This is the story of my life. But at least now my husband knows better than to try to curb my treasures–in fact, he is starting to get the hang of it!! hehe I love that your treasure is red AND that you have a serious use for it. That is perfection in my world. It is so much easier to create something when you can see what you have to work with. Bravo to you!!
I see it with barn wood all around, all sections, then shelves added to make cubbies.Could make drawers for some that you could pull out to hold miscellaneous smaller items…like my hoard I mean my collection of picture frames, etc. Leave that gorgeous red! If you know a welder friend,you could cut off the top portions place barnwood boards across the top of the bottom sections and make it into a kitchen island. Yes, I too am a collector of many things…someday projects…