Surprisingly Stylish: The Oddly Functional Piece of Furniture Appearing Everywhere

Loft-living and the popularity of ‘industrial’ décor have brought some of the most unlikely furniture and fixtures right into the fashion spotlight. One example of which being the lockers – the staples of school corridors and swimming pool changing rooms the world over.

But according to the folks over at Premier Lockers, the drab and dreary image of traditional lockers is due an important overhaul.

“We’re always surprised how many of our customers see lockers as one-size, one-colour and usually one-size-fits-all units.” Premier Lockers told us.

“Things have changed a lot over the years and the lockers doing the rounds these days are quite remarkable. They’re still a functional as they ever were, but there’s growing focus on style and sophistication. Customised colours and finishes are popping up all over the place, along with the most eye-catching designs we’ve ever seen.”

So aside from the usual locations you’d expect to see lockers, where else can they be put to use? How can the average home or office be stepped-up with the introduction of these simple yet stylish storage solutions?

At Work

When you think about it, there are thousands of potential applications for lockers around the workplace. If something needs to be stored out of the way, lockers have you covered. If something needs to be stored both out of sight and as safely as possible, a secured locker ticks all the right boxes.

But in terms of overall performance, there’s evidence to suggest that the value of workplace lockers goes beyond the purely practical. One recent study has found that the introduction of lockers can improve morale, motivation and even performance in the workplace.

For one thing, workers respond positively to having somewhere safe and secure to keep their personal possessions. Rather than littering their desks with distractions, they actually prefer to keep their private bits and pieces in a private place.

Speaking of which, the peace of mind that comes with having a secure spot for your valuables while at work speaks for itself. Most workplaces are blighted by one or two shady characters, who exist only to make life harder than it needs to be. Rather than putting your possessions in harm’s way, why not keep them out of the way?

Not only this, but lockers in the workplace help people feel a little more ‘at home’ while at the office. You’re assigned a locker, you fill it with things you like and you set up your own compact home-from-home. Particularly where employees are given the freedom to decorate the interiors of their lockers, morale takes a huge step in the right direction.

At Home

In versatility stakes, lockers in the workplace are well and truly trumped by lockers at home. Typically interpreted as purely practical features for more formal environments, lockers can be put to use in just about any living space.  They can also be surprisingly decorative additions to your interiors – not all lockers are the usual metallic grey!

In a porch or entrance hall, lockers are perfect for storing shoes, hats, gloves and general outdoor paraphernalia. You could even stretch to larger locker units, install some hangers and use them to store coats, jackets, scarves and so on. They’ll also be tough enough to withstand the kind of punishment they’ll no doubt be subjected to.

Speaking of which, metallic lockers are also ideal for use in garages, workshops, sheds and other heavy-duty areas of the home. Tools, paints, car parts, decorating supplies – a rough and rugged place to store it all out of sight.

Head into the kitchen and lockers can take the place of just about any more conventional storage solution. Take the doors off and you have yourself a shelving unit for pots, pans, kitchen gadgets and so on. Leave the doors on and you’re looking at a tall, slender and generously space-saving pantry. From cookbooks to crockpots, you’ll find a million great uses for lockers in the kitchen.

Fit shelves inside a locker and create a rustic, industrial-style wine rack. Use a bank of smaller lockers as an alternative to the usual boring bookshelves. Install sturdy lockers in your kids’ bedrooms as the perfect place to store their toys, games and so on. As for the bathroom, rust-resistant lockers are great for housing towels, cosmetics, cleaning products and just about anything else you can think of.

Around the rest of the home, it’s simply a case of using your imagination!