Mystery box in closet

11 years ago

I found these boxes built into a couple of the closets of our new home and am not sure what the purpose of these are. It's made of metal and has "durasteel" written on it. It reminds me of a medicine cabinet but with metal bars stretching across. The opening is about 13" wide x 47 tall." Any ideas?

Featured Answer

kym mak
Original Author

11 years ago

ya'll are right! it is for shoes!

http://retrorenovation.com/2011/07/17/7-odd-and-inventive-home-features-from-1954-including-a-fascinating-island-type-drainboard-sink/

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Comments (16)

poshky
11 years ago
I have no clue, but I'm curious too! Good luck!
acm
11 years ago
lots and lots of ski storage! (honestly, no idea.)
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auntqueenie
11 years ago
My guess: to hang handbags ( with hooks) or if the space from pole to the back wall allows, shoes.
Heather
11 years ago
I was thinking shoes as well...
kym mak
Original Author
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Thank you for the responses. I tried putting a shoe in the space and it definitely isn't deep enough to hold it. I was thinking maybe it was used for holding ties but why would someone have that many ties and why would it be in 2 of the bedrooms?! DH thinks they might be used for hanging clothes that you want to wear the next day.
More clues:
- the house was built in the 1940s.
- our neighbor says they have the same boxes in their closets too.
- closet is a standard, non walk-in closet
- the mystery box is placed in the dead spot of the closet on the same side as the door
Thoughts?
havingfun
11 years ago
a) i think if you are hanging shoes, you hang them by the heel. If it was just your house i would consider necklaces or scarfs, but i don't think either would be in multiple rooms, multiple houses. so i vote shoes, unless it is for hats, far more popular then. I do not know how they would have treated, surely they did not have millions of hat boxes?

gotta do my bit!

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LM Interior Design, LLC
11 years ago
How exciting that you solved the mystery! That's so cool! I have a 1950s house too :-)
havingfun
11 years ago
loved that ad, actually i think that sink is really cool except the one handle, i still like 2 and did you see that they already had sprayers? when i was a kid in the 60s, nobody had one.
havingfun
11 years ago
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HU-237188249
7 years ago
I have nno idea what they are for but we have them too .
tartanmeup
7 years ago
Some up thread posted a link to a retrorenovation page explaining what they are.
felizlady
7 years ago
For hanging ties?
Susie .
7 years ago
Shoes
tatts
7 years ago
You may also have a small slot in the back of your medicine cabinets for disposing of used razor blades. Check for that.
emk_sf
5 years ago
They are shoe racks, hung by the heels at the top. We have unpainted DuraSteel shoe racks in the bedroom closets of our 1930s home and I use them for scarves and works better than anything else I have purchased!