Bright Idea: Store Tools in a Library Card Catalog Case

Finding the right tools for the job always required a lot of digging -- until I came up with a smart and stylish storage solution.

At home, my tool organizing system was systematically failing. As a New York apartment dweller, a garage is a dream far off from reality, of course. My collection of tools and supplies far exceeds the needs of your average urbanite; as an editor and writer of home-related topics, I always need a stocked toolkit of supplies on hand for photo shoots. Short on the closet space needed for clothes and suitcases, my bulky toolkit bag (where all the little things would get lost in the bag's nooks and crannies) and plastic toolbox had to be stored outside my pint-size closets.

I wanted to hide my arsenal of hardware supplies somewhere so I wouldn't be looking at hammers and tape guns from the dining table, So I contained everything in a trunk. The trunk worked like a storage ottoman, hiding my overflowing toolkit and toolbag, but the susplies never stayed organized. Finding what I needed for a project required a lot of digging, and the mess of my tools often led to procrastination to start a project. I vowed to come up with a better system when we moved into our current apartment.

And then I found some magic in the form of an antique library card catalog case.

Behold my piece of magic. At the Brimfield Market last year, I stumbled upon this beauty. These two stacking sets of vintage drawers were formerly part of a library card catalog case! I fell in love with these drawers, and I scored the entire unit for $100. I love their vintage style, which fits right in with our living space. But unlike the throw-it-all-together trunk, this piece works as a fantastic organizer, with lots of separate drawers. The larger drawers on top are big enough to fit paint rollers and many rolls of tape (which are often too bulky for organizers.) With my system of drawers, I'm able to clearly separate supplies by type. (The top photo is my drawer of painting supplies.) Here's a peek inside some other drawers:

Finally, a spot for my screws and nails! It's so much easier to gather the hardware I need: no more nails lost in the depths of my canvas toolbag.

Art went up on the walls of our apartment much faster this go around. I'm pretty sure it's because I could easily find my hanging hardware. It's the little things.

Household supplies, like lightbulbs, have a spot where I don't have to worry about them getting broken.

I love having all my drill bits easy-to-find in one place.

My screwdrivers and pliers are all together now.

My vintage library card catalog case is set up in my home office, so I use the top as a table surface for my printer. It makes all the difference, when I'm working on a project or repair, to be able to clearly see what I have on hand. I couldn't be happier with my new system. Unlike my past toolkits, this system has never needed to be reorganized. If you like, you could easily label the drawers of a card catalog case like this one. You could even use a P-touch label maker for a neat way to custom label the drawers.

If you want to find a similar vintage library card catalog case, I'd check out your local junk shops, thrift shops, flea markets, and antique shows. Here's a good listing of flea markets and antique shows around the country. If you're local here in New York, you'll find a number of vintage furniture vendors at the Brooklyn Flea, which runs every weekend through November. Another good hunting ground would be eBay. I'd search under "library card catalog". Vintage drawers from an old hardware store would work in a similar way. I've also spotted a few similar sets of drawers on Etsy, including some vintage metal drawers, in Etsy's vintage shops. The beauty of a one-of-a-kind solid piece like this set of drawers is that the possibilities are endless. If I ever wind up with a garage and proper space for my tools, I could makeover this library card catalog case as the ultimate organizer for all my desk supplies or craft supplies. This one's a keeper.