Terrace Storage Box

Cisternino, Puglia, Italy. June-2025/March-2026.

Part 1: Construction.

We got bored of dismantling the terrace furniture every autumn and carting it all down the stairs into the living room then reversing the process in the spring.

Since the furniture included a couple of daybeds, there were no storage boxes large enough to accommodate two bed bases and all the other stuff. We got creative and found a bicycle store which was just large enough to take the bases and everything else.

Duly purchased from Leroy Merlin (Italy’s equivalent of the British home improvement store B&Q) we took delivery of the flat pack. I thought assembling IKEA furniture was tough but this took the biscuit.

Stage one was assemble the base and install the uprights. The illustrations were unclear so, having slotted in all the side panels I discovered they were upside down, had to undo it all, turn them over and reassemble.

Once completed, it was, indeed, capacious enough for everything on the terrace: two daybeds, two tables, six chairs, two sun loungers and a barbecue. 

Part 2: Destruction.

In February, Cisternino had gusts of wind up to 100kph (62 mph). They ripped the lid off the storage box and deposited it down in the street. We were alerted by the very nice Gaetano who runs the linen shop and apartments along the street. Luckily no-one seems to have been around when it happened. It is only light plastic however it still could have injured someone or, at the very least, given them a nasty shock if anyone had been in the street at that time.

Our friend Pietro went round later that day to check it out and secure the contents. 

Whilst he was there he spotted that the chimney cowl belonging to the restaurant on the ground floor was looking a bit precarious.

Pietro alerted the fire brigade who came and made it safe. Being metal and heavy if that had fallen and hit anyone or anything it would have been disastrous!

The cowl has since been chopped down and reinstated with copious numbers of rivets to hold it in place. 

Part 3: Re-construction.

That left us with the problem of how to replace the lid of the box to keep the contents dry. Eventually the answer was a return trip to Leroy Merlin where we found a sturdy sheet of plastic roofing that was just the right size.

The first step was to move the box across the terrace to over the gully that separates us from our neighbours. It is now sheltered by the roof stairs next door and further from the street.

We installed the new cover with a nut and bolt at each corner, extra bungees along the long edge and a long bungee around the whole thing.

We are more confident with this arrangement. The box is in a sheltered position. The cover and bungees are flexible so hopefully will flex in the wind rather than break. Should anything snap off it should fall onto the terrace or into the gulley rather than fall to the street.

This last week has seen torrential rain most days and it seems to be doing a good job of keeping the contents dry. The real test is the next time we have hurricane force winds!