Tool Cabinet Makeover: Retrofitting an Old Cabinet for Better Tool Storage

Remember when our poor tools used to live in the kitchen? For months they were scattered across a daybed after we moved an old cabinet out of the kitchen to make room for a new peninsula. That cabinet, with its tool-filled drawers, ended up in the sunroom—our cabinet purgatory—and those drawers remained splayed out for far too long.

While preparing our house for three weeks of photoshoots for our book—during which space became extremely limited—we realized we needed to reclaim that square footage. New gear like a giant white backdrop and a pile of photography equipment began moving in, so the tall cabinet sitting in the sunroom had to be addressed.

Instead of buying new furniture for tool storage, we decided to retrofit the existing cabinet. It was free, already on hand, and with a few cuts and some elbow grease it could be made far more useful. First we tipped the cabinet on its side, used a straightedge to mark a cut where the upper section once housed an oven and extra cabinets, and then cut the piece off.

Using a jigsaw, we made the cuts across the sides right where the top drawer ended. That left us with two separate pieces: a larger drawer base and a top section that was no longer needed. The top piece came apart easily and we moved the usable parts into our recycle pile. The remaining drawer base became the foundation for our new tool storage solution.

The top piece, which we broke apart with a hammer, went into recycling since it wasn’t suitable for donation. The drawer base, however, found a semi-permanent home in the corner of the sunroom. It’s not perfect cosmetically—our kitchen cabinets used to look similar with the same “eyeball” drawers—so improvements like primer, paint, and new hardware are on the to-do list. For now, function beats looks.

With the drawer base back in place, our tool drawers can finally live where they belong: in functioning, pull-out drawers. After over three months of tools strewn across a daybed, it’s a relief to have them stored properly again. We even stacked one drawer on top temporarily to save floor space while cameras, tripods, and reflectors took up the rest of the room.

I’m not showing the insides of the drawers this time because they still need organizing, but the core problem—the awkward, space-consuming tall cabinet—has been solved. This quick DIY retrofit turned a bulky piece of furniture into a practical tool storage solution, reclaiming floor space and bringing some order back to our sunroom.

If you’re dealing with your own “cabinet purgatory,” consider whether a retrofit could work before buying new storage. Retrofitting can save money, reduce waste, and often be completed with basic tools: a straightedge, a saw, and some time. Have you ever repurposed an old cabinet or hoarded furniture for later projects? Where do you keep your tools—garage, basement, spare room, attic, or shed? Share your experiences and tips for organizing tools and small workshop spaces.

P.S. We recently announced our giveaway winner and enjoyed the impromptu poetry entries—check our giveaway post to see if you won the hundred-dollar flower prize.