Scavenger Chic

Cubby, Cubby, Cubby and more Cubby Storage

• By Joan
• April 9, 2025
• 1 Comment

Cubby, Cubby, Cubby and more Cubby Storage

Long time readers of this blog may have noticed that I have been ogling and  lusting after cubby cabinets for years.  Cabinets that were used for tool parts, mail slots, apothecary or store displays.  If they had small drawers or slots, I loved them all.

The best ones were those that appeared hand made.  It  really doesn’t matter if there is a little paint splatter or the woodworking is just a little bit wonky (check out the difference in those cut v’s in the drawers).

Cubby  storage could be chicken  nesting  boxes though they  would probably need to be cleaned out first.

Or smaller drawers that are just large enough to hold craft supplies.  Or cloves?

This book is quite amazing but check out the cabinet in the back right.

Another longer chicken nesting box.   My own chicken nesting box is now a pet store but it started as kitchen shelves.

Old storage lockers also make great cubby storage.  This one is now a liquor cabinet.

This picture is cubby shelf heaven, with card catalogs, soda crates, a spool cabinet and more.  The largest one, perched atop a table, I would assume was a mail slot organizer.  I would even go so far as to say it was probably in an old hotel with all that fancy molding on top.  OK, maybe not, but it could have been.  

From the fancy cubby shelf to the more ordinary.  Choose your size and it’s purpose.

Less of a cubby shelf, than a shelf full of drawers.  But these are great old wooden drawers ready to hold all your stuff.

Even with a missing shelf or two , this shelf is still perfect in an old antique store holding various kitchen and glass wares.

I loved this shelf from the moment I saw it.  It was beautifully displayed with the barnwood  siding  and vintage tools but also unique with the flat shelves on top.

If you create your own antique cubby shelves from scratch consider cutting a groove into the shelves into which you can just slide the dividers.

Notice the wire backing on this shelf.

This wine storage cabinet was found in a local restaurant in Virginia.  The owner was quite proud of his pallet wood  furniture in his shop at minimal cost.

This one has plenty of space for someone’s collection.  I’m thinking antique clocks, birds, ornaments or tins.

This cabinet would look perfect in a country kitchen and is probably the most useful of all the shelves I’ve included.  The shelves are wider and deeper than most of the apothecary or hardware cabinets  leading to a wider variety of  storage items.

Considering the size of this cubby cabinet , I would think it would be most suitable for a store display.

This cabinet is currently for sale on Ebay.    If you look for it, it is listed as Antique Apothecary Wood Cabinet drawer hardware tool box cubby slot mail vintage.  In  other words, it will hold anything you want it to hold.

This was my first attempt at cubby shelves using aged pallet wood.  It has been hanging in my hallway  since 2016.  You’ll often find me changing out the knick knacks  for the  holidays or boredom, whichever comes first.

So why did I bring up all these cubby storage shelves that I’ve been drooling over for years?  

Well, I finally found it, this curb side find which  is going to be the perfect base for my own, mostly antique , storage cubby shelf.  Can you see it?  It’s coming, you’ll just have to check back here next week.

Until then, stay inspired.

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