So here’s the latest news on the locker. I decide to paint it all white after all. I was thinking of going orange for the outside but decided against it last minute.
And here it is all painted. I have to say it wasn’t the easiest of jobs. So many corners, angles, nooks, hooks etc. I used both a small roller and a brush but the best method would probably have been to have it spray painted professionally or to spray it myself but since I don’t have a good place to do it I went for the roller and brush.
It took all in all four coats of paint to cover that dark green + some touch ups. Painting the doors was the trickiest part because I kept getting drips around the vents no matter how often I went back to catch them with my brush. In the end I left them there and went over them with a sand paper when they were dry and touched up with a smaller brush after.
And there it is in all its white glory. Love it!
And here’s a peek inside. I bought the hanging organizer and matching drawers at IKEA and they work perfectly in there for flip-flops, shoe shining stuff, mittens, umbrellas etc. And yes, those are three pairs of Stan Smiths. And they’re all mine.
This shot really accentuates the not so lovely floor. I so need to start the floor painting and stencil project soon. VERY soon.
Since I went for all white after all I decided to spruce my locker up with a tiny bit of color after finishing the paint job. There’s tassel mania over here in Sweden right now so inspired by that I made my own which matches the pale blue locker that’s in another corner of the hall.
Now my locker is both pretty and practical. And those extra coats of paint actually prevent the locker from rattling as much as before. Two flies with one stone!
It looks lovely, as your home always does, but I almost laughed out loud when you first posted about painting it and thought you might use a color. Because I knew it would end up white.
Posted by: Swann | October 26, 2011 at 07:04 AM
what a transformation, well done!
Posted by: jane | October 26, 2011 at 07:11 AM
It tunrned out great. I love the tassel!
Posted by: Jill | October 26, 2011 at 07:36 AM
I love it!
In Canada we say "Two birds with one stone".
Posted by: Kathy | October 26, 2011 at 07:38 AM
I did laugh out loud... looks great!
Posted by: kelly | October 26, 2011 at 07:41 AM
Ah, gorgeous, what a difference!
I would l o v e to have a looker like that(all painted and done ;-D).
W h a t a fun idea with a tazzel and in that specific colour but couldn´t you make it a bit bigger(both lengthwise and widthwise)? It´s such a cool, cool detail and therefore deserves more attention and I think the looker definitely is big enough. Let the tazzel make a statement ;-) ... "perhaps white and organized but a l l w a y s with a twist"
It´s soo much fun to follow your work, Benita!
Posted by: Vanessa | October 26, 2011 at 08:42 AM
Looks really great - 3 pairs? Not like you to be so extravagant!
Posted by: Hxx | October 26, 2011 at 08:44 AM
it's totally gorgeous, what a great piece. i love the white. i hope you get some fresh air after all those fumes!! x
Posted by: elisa | October 26, 2011 at 08:53 AM
Not very extravagant at all actually. One pair is about 5 years old and only good for wearing in the garden and when doing DIY (soooo incredibly comfortable!), the second pair used to be Wille's and is half a size too big for me (but I still wear them)and quite worn and the third pair is new. I had to have a pair that I could actually wear in public too :). This last pair is probably the fifth or sixth pair altogether as there have been some caualities throughout the years.
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | October 26, 2011 at 09:22 AM
I would have but didn't have enough material :).
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | October 26, 2011 at 09:23 AM
It looks great Benita :-)
Posted by: jja | October 26, 2011 at 09:33 AM
Love the white and as some else already said it would be even nicer if that tassel was HUGE.
I do agree with you the whiteness of the locker only makes the floor look worse:( So I am looking forward to see what you come up with.
Posted by: Pauline | October 26, 2011 at 09:35 AM
Those hanging organizers are great, aren't they? I have one in a very narrow cupboard in our hall to hold hats, scarves etc. Very happy with it too.
Posted by: Petra from NL | October 26, 2011 at 09:40 AM
I love it too!
When the company I work for moved and they threw lots of stuff away, I tried to haul one of those lockers, I quess they kept them all, or someone was quicker than I.
Posted by: Leena | October 26, 2011 at 09:55 AM
Talking abut flies (two flies with one stone), we have a saying in Polish "Mucha nie siada", which roughly translates to "A fly won't sit on it" which means "a perfect job, beautiful, etc." and it's TOTALLY appropriate here.
As for Stan Smiths, you've been so faithful to them and are a testament to their quality, so the manufacturer should give you a free pair by now :-).
Posted by: Zosia | October 26, 2011 at 10:06 AM
So *that* is what those sneakers are called - I always wondered what the addidas sneakers with 'no stripes' (except for airholes) were called!
Posted by: MacLeod House | October 26, 2011 at 10:07 AM
Indeed they should :)
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | October 26, 2011 at 10:17 AM
Only the ones with the green "tab" on the heels are Stan Smiths though.
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | October 26, 2011 at 10:18 AM
In Ireland we say two birds with one stone - expressions are funny how they vary.
The locker looks great Benita!
Posted by: marie | October 26, 2011 at 12:09 PM
Oh, I'm glad you went with white instead of a bright color. Lockers look classiest in white, IMO.
A nice, new, neutral floor in there will look amazing. You're making such fantastic progress with your projects. :)
Posted by: devil | October 26, 2011 at 02:06 PM
For the floor, did you see this post on AT :
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/how-to/how-to-repaint-and-stencil-ugly-rental-vinyl-tile-home-hacks-109905
Posted by: Hulsy | October 26, 2011 at 03:01 PM
I didn't but that reassures me that it's the right way to go. Love that they did the exact same hexagon I plan! It's always nice to see a finished resut before embarking on a project like this!
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | October 26, 2011 at 03:08 PM
As usual... white is perfect!
Posted by: Valeria | October 26, 2011 at 04:42 PM
Amazing transformation! Did you use a paint specifically for metal? And, I am a daily reader so I apologize if my memory is bad and you've already posted about it, but what is the story of how you came by these 2 lovely sets of lockers? Thanks!
Posted by: Lisa Flaherty | October 26, 2011 at 04:53 PM
I used the type of paint you would use for indoor trim. It's water based so it's not very smelly which is great.
I got this locker when I worked at IKEA in Älmhult (IKEA's birthplace) back in 1986. They were throwing it out from a workshop and I immediately grabbed it. The pale blue locker was a dumpster dive find from outside one of the inner city schools in Stockholm. Martin found it and was helped by some passers by to haul it home :)
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | October 26, 2011 at 07:13 PM
superfint!
jag ser fram emot att få se vad du ska göra med golvet!
trevlig kväll!
Posted by: mamamya | October 26, 2011 at 08:39 PM
I really like the white lockers!! It probably helps the space feel a little bigger too. It is also encouraging to me that you have used "normal" paint supplies to which most of us have access. Do you take any rests along the way? Or can you not rest until it's more done??
Posted by: Vicki K | October 26, 2011 at 09:06 PM
Wow, I have that identical hideous linoleum flooring here in my very old house in New York! I have hidden it under a layer of carpet tiles, but it lurks there still. It's pink and marble-y, and looks like some kind of biology project, right? Ugh.
Love that you have three pairs of identical shoes. You are a girl who knows what she wants, for sure. :)
Posted by: Kristen | October 26, 2011 at 09:44 PM
I love that you used a shoe hanger in the locker... I don't think I would have thought of that??? oh, maybe, but after procrastinating about painting the locker first!
Maybe I should post something about painting my Adirondack chairs? another item with hard to paint areas...
Posted by: christine e-e | October 26, 2011 at 10:20 PM
Benita, what does ordinary weekday nights and mornings before work look like at your place? You seem to get tons and tons of things done and I´m curious about how you manage it all. Honestly, between commuting, grocery shopping, cooking, eating, tidying up, laundry, paying bills, spending time with Wille, Mini & Bonus, reading magazines, DIY stuff, renovating, watching TV etcetera, etcetera - h o w d o y o u d o i t?
I think you wrote a post about your weekends ones and I would love to read one about your week days as well(so I can see what I´m doing wrong ;-D).
Sleep tight(or probably good morning!
Posted by: Vanessa | October 27, 2011 at 12:09 AM
Ah, by the way, I´m leaving for San Francisco tomorrow and want to ask you if there´s anything from the US that I can get for you. It would be my great pleasure to help you with something... honestly. If so, please email me.
Posted by: Vanessa | October 27, 2011 at 12:16 AM
Woo-hoo! She's a beaut. And it fits so perfectly in that alcove it's almost disturbing. You're a rockstar.
Posted by: anna | October 27, 2011 at 01:09 AM
WHITE!! who would have ever guessed. When you were talking about maybe painting the lockers a color, I thought to myself that never in a million years would you choose a color other than white. They look great...of course!
Posted by: RebeccaNYC | October 27, 2011 at 01:35 AM
Benita... it's official! Oh, my God! What a perfect job! It's like a million box!
You NEEEEEEED to spent some time here in Brazil - in my home... you can do all you want around here, ok? All of it! I'll give a lot of sunlight in return...
Super great!
Posted by: Anna Cassia Passarelli | October 27, 2011 at 05:00 AM
y the way... I don't know why... but my house is going so white... (shame on you!...)
Posted by: Anna Cassia Passarelli | October 27, 2011 at 05:01 AM
Will consider that!
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | October 27, 2011 at 10:50 AM
When I start a project I just go, go, go until it's done but since there are drying times in between coats I do get a bit of rest too :).
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | October 27, 2011 at 10:52 AM
Så fint det blev! Du är så himla duktig. Och dom där plåtskåpen är så coola. Passar ´perfekt i hallen.
You are so clever and I love your lockers!
Posted by: maya | October 27, 2011 at 07:20 PM
A pop of color would have looked nice as well, but I had a feeling you'd go for white. :) Looks fantastic, regardless! The blue is such a nice touch.
Posted by: Marjorie | October 28, 2011 at 04:02 AM
The locker looks fantastic! I'm glad you went with white. I think it's actually unexpected because even though YOU typically go for white, a locker isn't something that is usually white ~ so well done! :)
Posted by: Natalie | November 10, 2011 at 10:30 PM
That's a fabulous locker - perfect for your storage! I have this linked to my lockers post too today, for inspiration!
Posted by: Inspire Me Heather | April 23, 2012 at 02:57 PM