Storage is one of those home essentials that can really make a difference. So when Lilly Loray got in touch to tell us about their Marvin storage crates and encouraged us to find a new use for it, we gladly took up the challenge.
The Marvin crate is a substantial piece that has a lot of potential uses. The crates are made from solid pine, with the Lilly Loray stamp on one side, and given a walnut finish.
There are numerous ways in which it can be used in the home. Of course, it’s great as it is as a simple storage crate – there’s ample room inside for you to store spare linen, towels or bedding, for example. It would be useful to have on hand in a guest bedroom, containing all the essentials your guests need to make their stay go smoothly.
In a kitchen it could be used to store vegetables, or taken out to your garden for freshly picked home produce.
Or perhaps, you need somewhere to store all the plants you’re growing – think fresh herbs, houseplants or cuttings. The generously sized crate could become the ideal growing station or indoor window box.
As the crate is so sturdy, we explored other ways ‘outside the box’ to use it. And the result was, that we turned it into a useful side table with storage.
The top has got plenty of room for a lamp and a few home accessories, and the space inside is absolutely perfect to use for books. There’s space for a large stack of paperbacks, plus room for larger books to stand alongside – very versatile.
It works wonderfully and we are really pleased with the end result. The side table could easily be used in a sitting room where you need room to store books and have a lamp, or it could provide functional use in a hallway, as it doesn’t take up too much room. Alternatively, the same idea would work really well as a bedside table.
It’s also rather handy to have if you’ve got existing pieces of dark wood furniture and fancy a bit of extra height on them. Turn the crate on its side, pop it on the top and it can give the impression that your furniture has an extra level. You could use it in this way to form a treasure box – a lovely way to display all your favourite trinkets, collections or treasures.
Six ways to customise your crate
With a bit of creativity, we reckon there are plenty of other ways a Marvin crate could be used and customised. For example:
1. Add some caster style wheels and you’ll get a movable storage crate. Or even a moveable mini hall unit, side table or bedside table – however you want to use it.
2. If you’re a dab hand at woodwork, you could add a shelf inside, so you’ve got more room to organise books or display accessories.
3. Love DIY? Add some strong fixings on the back and you could hang your crate on the wall as a funky shelf unit.
4. Not a fan of walnut? You could paint or distress a crate to suit your home decor style.
5. If you like patterns and coordinating home accessories, then add a touch of design by lining the crate with your favourite wallpaper.
6. Turn it upside down, add a cushion, and you’ve got yourself a footstool. Or it looks like it would be sturdy enough for a small child to use as a seat.
(Disclosure: Lilly Loray kindly sent us a crate to use and review, but all views and opinions are our own).
