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Mustard Made first caught my eye a few months ago. Despite the middle and high school flashbacks that lockers evoke, they have an undeniable cool factor in adulthood. Their colorful, playful designs – functional as media stands, wardrobes, nightstands, and more – combine practicality and aesthetics in an uber appealing way.
For my home decor, I love statement pieces. I also prefer my space to be bright and cheery, especially in my bedroom and living room. So, when I was looking for a new piece that also offered storage, this sister-founded locker company seemed to hit all the marks.
While a bit pricier than the lockers I’ve seen at secondhand shops and antique markets, Mustard Made’s lockers are intended to be used as furniture, aesthetic AF, clean, lightweight, and polished. Worth the buy? I decided to find out.
A Hit Across The Internet
Mustard Made was founded by two sisters, Jess and Becca Stern, based in Australia and London respectively. In 2018, the brand launched two lockers in six colors in Australia. By 2021, its range had grown to include five different sizes and shapes, alongside organizational accessories to personalize the insides. Then, Mustard Made finally launched in the U.S.
Each locker is available in Blush, Berry, Poppy, Mustard, Sage, Olive, Navy, Ocean, Lilac, White, or Slate; you can mix and match for a rainbow vibe or use the lockers to emphasize your existing color scheme. I have two and can definitively say that these colors are amazing in person: beautifully saturated and shockingly versatile. Muted shades like Slate and Olive look ultra chic as extra storage in the office, while more vibrant vibes like Mustard or Lilac can add some *personality*. Shapes include:
- The Shorty ($169) – The smallest and shortest locker, amazing as a nightstand next to your bed or plant stand just about anywhere (with an option to place the door opening whichever side makes the most sense for you.)
- The Skinny ($329) – Your long, traditional locker, like the one you’d go to for textbooks. Its narrow size makes it easy to squeeze into tiny spaces you’d like to optimize for storage.
- The Lowdown ($329) – This squat two-panel locker is perfect as a media stand.
- The Midi ($369) – This one’s a great in-between for storage: not as hulking as the Twinny but not as small as the others. Turn it into a linen closet, toy storage, and more.
- The Twinny ($549) – The biggest of the brand’s offerings (and my personal favorite size).
In spring 2022, I got my first Mustard Made locker: the Twinny. I chose the Ocean shade, figuring it’d blend well with the blue bedding and green walls of my bedroom while still adding some flair. I use a wardrobe instead of a closet, so the extra storage would be ideal; I’m also an avid reader and figured it would make an excellent place to store some reads that were accumulating on my bedside table. It came with four adjustable shelves, two rods, locks (and keys), and more.
I loved it so much that I ended up getting The Lowdown, the media stand offering, when the brand released its newest red-pink shade, Poppy. The limited edition colorway’s named after Jess’s new baby – how adorable?
Admittedly, Easy Assembly Was Not So Easy For Me
The Twinny arrived in multiple boxes, each extremely heavy. (It’s still metal, y’all.) I suffered my way up the stairs to my apartment and laid out the options. Mustard Made ships the lockers flat packed, so I unboxed everything and took the cardboard to the recycling bin to get it out of the way.
Assembly was…not so easy. I queued up the help video, pored over the instructions, and still managed to put a leg totally upside down. I ended up disassembling and reassembling the unit in frustrated tears at 1 A.M. that night (I was haunted) and finally figured out my gaff.
I was worried about denting my new locker throughout the process. The metal feels a bit delicate pre-assembly (and makes loud bangs!) so if I accidentally dropped something, I panicked about denting it beyond use. The tension is tangible as you force pieces together; it’s difficult to tell if you’re clicking together parts as they’re meant to be or about to destroy the locker you just spent $500 on.
It wasn’t the most difficult furniture assembly I’ve ever done, but it was one of the most stressful. (Other online reviews note its easy assembly, so maybe it’s just me.) The bright side is that my second Mustard Made piece – the Lowdown in Poppy – took me all of ten minutes.
This Locker Fits Everything (And Brightens Up My Space)
The locker itself was immediately worth it. The Twinny stores an impressive array, and the flexibility of your shelves allows you to customize as necessary. I use the row across the bottom as a shoe rack. I have a large “overflow” bin on the shelf above, where I put stuff I like to be easily accessible: tools, extra coffee pods, and the like. I hang some clothes on the rod, and use the top shelf for books. Need more shelves than four? No problem. Buy add-ons at 2 for $35.
You can also purchase a trio of baskets ($59), matching hangers ($35), and alphabet magnets ($39) for some extra razzle-dazzle.
The amount I can stuff in there – and how organized it feels overall – is honestly a bit shocking. Shutting the door allows me to put any clutter out of sight, out of mind, and I like that I could lock it for a little extra security if necessary. Despite being colorful, it also feels sleek: best of both worlds.
If possible, I love the Lowdown even more. I have an extreme love-hate relationship with my living room because I’m in an old brick building with limited windows. It gets dark and dreary during the day, but feels cozy at night, and I’ve tried every trick in the book to brighten it up. The Poppy shade had an immediate effect; the pop of the red suddenly made the room feel cheerier, making me much more inclined to hang out or do work there.
Add a few pink coffee table books and it’s suddenly pink if I want it to be. It supports the TV (no strain under its weight, scratches upon adjusting, or similar) and keeps my living room tidy. Most of all, it brightens my mood, making me an immediate loyal fan. I can’t help but be happy when I see it in the corner, and that’s a charm that still hasn’t worn off.
Overall, this retro locker brand is a win. It’s more *fun* than other furniture brands and more convenient than any lockers you’d be able to scrounge up: thoughtfully sized, aesthetically pleasing, attractively colored, and more customizable than you’d think. You can use them in your bedroom, living room, office, kids’ room (they go crazy for these), and more. They’re nostalgically charming, yet modern enough to do the work. For me, the pricing feels fair for the quality – and they’re statement pieces you’ll love to talk about. My only concern? That I’ll end up wanting to use a Mustard Made design for everything…and my apartment will just become lockers upon lockers.
5 Reasons To Love Mustard Made:
1. Five different size and shape offerings ensure there’s a spot for your Mustard Made locker anywhere.
2. You can personalize your locker with word magnets, baskets, hangers, and more.
3. Each locker comes with cable holes, wall plugs and screws, with holes in the back of the locker to fix it to the wall if you need extra stability.
4. If you actually do the assembly properly (unlike me), it should take you approximately ten minutes!
5. You can lock these with a key – ideal for keeping items away from small children as well as any extra security you might need.
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