Realistic Garage

So for the first time in my life since living with my parents, I have a garage. Like, a two car one. (Technically a car and a half). With a garage. door. opener.

On a global scale, you are considered wealthy if you own one vehicle. If you own two vehicles, even more so and if you own a HOUSE for your vehicle (aka garage) you are in the top percentage of like, everyone.

Sadly, many garages look more like a curse than a blessing, as they are filled to the brim with stuff stuff and more stuff.  I'm hoping this post can help you get your garage to be a place you use and enjoy instead of "the place where everything is hidden."

Here is my recently complete garage. It took me one weekend (not counting the painting) to put it all together. 

left side

right side

rear wall

The total cost of this project not counting paint was about $200. Not bad considering your average workbench alone costs that much. What I love about it is that it represents my vision for this blog. All the materials came from IKEA, Target, and the Hardware Store. Even the beer brewing stuff was acquired secondhand on Craigslist by my super awesome and crafty husband. (craft beer that is)

Here are some ideas to help you design your Realistic Garage:

Take an inventory before you do anything.

Sort through your stuff and consolidate. Put things in the attic that you rarely access. Then write down or draw a picture of what you need to have in order to store and fit all those things. This will help guide your purchases and keep you from spending too much.  You don't have to buy elaborate garage systems or workbenches. My workbench is simply a piece of cheap plywood on top of two sawhorses we already had. It serves double duty as a workbench and a platform when my husband brews. I chose one large shelving unit to put all of our supplies on, because I had gone through everything and knew it would be able to fit everything we had.

Figure out what you need to do in your garage, then measure and designate appropriate zones.

This is a great tip I got from a fellow garage loving organizer. It will keep you focused.

Here is what ours were:

Storage for painting/tools/hardware/automotive

Ladder/hose/garden storage

Workbench area 

Beer brewing equipment

Trash and Recycling

Small bar/seating area

Get as many things off the floor as possible.

This is safer, and frees up space on the floor to clean and sweep, which will make it less attractive to bugs, snakes, and rodents who may want to hide out in there. Check out the garage storage aisle for individual hangers and hooks designated for ladders, rakes, bikes, etc. Tall metal shelving racks allow you to stack smaller bins and tubs and easily without drilling, and can be moved should you need to rearrange.

Leave room to grow.

If this is a new or larger home and you plan to acquire more things over time, make sure you plan that in. Keep some empty tubs or shelves or leave some wall space for more shelving or hooks down the road. 

Have some fun.

Just because it's a garage doesn't mean it can't have a little personality or color. I took cues from the tools and used some pops of bright orange and blue to make it feel less drab. I got a vintage "tools" sign from Home Goods to hang by the entryway. 

Once the garage got put  in order, it made it a lot easier to do things inside the house because we had a designated place to assemble furniture, paint, and keep supplies. My husband has brewed way more beer now that he has a legit space to do it in.

So make a plan, pick a weekend,  and knock it out!