Destination DIY: Tool Closet

Parrots’ Perch, The Bahamas🌴

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I have been looking forward to this project for weeks! My parents bought a home on Elbow Cay in the Bahamas a couple years and have, since that time, been working to make it their own. They recently had a new addition built on to it which included this outdoor closet. After some thought, they decided this would be a great place to serve as my Dad’s work bench and general tool storage. Alex and I were already planning a summer trip to visit them when my Dad called me up and asked if I wanted to design and build the space. Uh, ABSOLUTELY! My love for DIY and building came from growing up working on projects with him. I have such fond memories of working on little projects around the house and slowly building up to bigger ones, spending time together all the while. I 100% believe this is what made me into the person I am today. Someone who may not completely know how I am going to build what I am envisioning just yet, but I can guarantee you I’m going to figure it out. Scroll down for the build, a blurry, old photo of my dad and me working on our projects together (he used to call me Little Ms. Fix-It 😂), and the list of linked supplies!

Before 👀
I like to use clamps to hold awkward pieces when I don't have a third hand. They make screwing the pieces into place much easier!
left side
right side
use organization trays and labels to help things STAY organized and easy to find
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Linked Supplies

The majority of this project was constructed from:
- 2x4’s
- 5/8” sheets of plywood
- Wood screws - we used 2 1/2 inch, exterior, wood screws since this is an outdoor closet in the Bahamas and will be more exposed to the elements.
- L brackets - the size you get should be dependent on the size shelf. I like to use brackets just shorter than the depth of the shelf to ensure they can withstand the weight. in this case, most of
the shelves were just over 9” deep so I went with 8” brackets. for the deeper shelves, I added additional Brackets near the front to help with weight distribution.
- Bar clamps - I use these ALL THE TIME. For this project, they helped me hold awkward pieces in place so I could more easily secure them with a screw when I didn’t have another set of hands
to help me

Organizational Supplies:
- 31 piece, 5-size Organizer Trays - these are literally the best. They all stack together, line up, and are super affordable. They are short enough to use in drawers or on shelves for
screws, bolts, etc. like what we used them for on this build. They make organizing super easy and they look great.
- Wall-mounted baskets - we used these to hold medium-sized items like boxes of nails or screws, drill bit packs, and screw drivers. These are offered in a variety of lengths and depths so
make sure you measure the items you plan to put in them before choosing which to buy!
- Label Maker - this baby is super cheap and I love the style of the labels. we used these on the wall-mounted baskets and the trays so what we organized STAYS organized.
- Refills are cheap too!