Space Saver Command Center

Mary Ann Goldberg
by Mary Ann Goldberg
1 Material
3 Hours
Easy
I was so tired of the kitchen table and counters being used as a "drop box" for mail, coupons, grocery lists, etc. What's worse was that it was me doing a lot of the dropping. I had partly cleared out a shelf in the cupboard of essential oils/scents, using an empty Kleenex box, but there was more to declutter.
A Messy Table
This photo of the table is after I'd started trying to sort out some of the accumulated stuff, so imagine that there'd be at least 1/2 more stuff laying here.
Along with the drawers we found on the side of the road, there was also this baby gate. I didn't know what I'd do with it at the time (two years ago) but I knew it was going to be something to DIY. It consisted of two panels with a locking bar (broken) all riveted together. While again trying to keep the table decluttered I remembered this baby gate. And a project was born.
I had to separate the two panels of the gate, which was no easy feat as they were riveted together and the rivets were not too easy to get to.
The next step to getting the gate ready was to paint it. After a light sanding and cleaning, I used a small bottle of Anita's acrylic Rust Red to paint the frame, leaving the metal grid intact. The grid sits in between two wood frames so the grid was blocked off with paper and the painting went fast. I sealed it with two coats of Mod Podge.
I bought a grill rack (not sure if that is what it's called) for $1 at a rummage last year. The owner wanted to get rid of the twin and gave it to me. I thought hubby would use them on the grill but he didn't really want them. So I put them to work on the command center. There are two handles per rack and the rack opens up to let you fill with food. You then close the rack and slide the ring down to secure.
The handles were too long so they were cut down with my Dremel.
I zip tied them onto the gate. Perfect! The fastening ring clears the front handle to open the rack. As a precaution I added a few links of chain to keep it from opening all the way, which would allow the contents to fall out. I apologize for the photos - it's hard to distinguish between the gate and the grill.
At this point I cut down old boxes (cereal, light bulb, shoe) and decorated them with tape or paper and zip tied them to the gate, too. I put several layers of tape on the back and a washer on the front to reinforce the hole. I had an old wire in/out tray that was pretty much gathering dust, so I added that to the gate. I played around with the layout for a bit, attached boxes with zip ties and then finished off the boxes with labels. I added cup hooks on the bottom for keys.
The gate was ready to hang.
The categories I used were: Mail, file, shred, grocery list, freezer inventory, stamps, magazines, business cards (to keep track of vendors), receipts, things to do, paper and finally pens. They will be different for you, depending on your needs.
Look at the space saved from getting all the clutter off the table (and the cupboard shelf, too). Yes!  
Don't be afraid to think outside the box. Those grill holders were the perfect solution to hold mail.
Suggested materials:
  • Gate, Zip Ties, Boxes, Grill Rack, Cup Hooks, Paint, Chain   (Already Had)
Frequently asked questions
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  1 question
  • Karen smith Karen smith on Jan 03, 2019

    What a great idea. Have you been scratched by the metal handles? I might add a bead glued on.

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