STEPS

#1. Purge

The single most important step of any reno or organization project. This can be quite the emotional roller coaster. So many things happen here as you discover what is in the deep dark corners for your GARAGE: Nostalgia. Embarrassment. Anger. Confusion. Reunions. Warning- this could all be on display when your neighbor walks by with their dog. Be ready, but forge ahead. Be ruthless with your purging. When in doubt, throw it out. Check out my post here for more purge tips.

#2. Take Inventory

After you’ve purged, take inventory of what you have left. Sizes, shapes and heights. This is will be key when selecting your cabinets. For example, we knew we had several tall objects like golf clubs and fishing rods. Those would need more locker style space versus traditional shelves. We also have lots of large hand-me-down bins that take up a big portion of space. LOVE these bins by the way. They maximize space but fit in standard cabinets. We have camping gear, beach gear, and a GIANT faux Christmas tree. 43 bikes. And a scooter for every kid in the third grade. Be realistic. You have a lot of crap. Plan for what you really have, not what you wish you had. Then re-read step one and do better.

#3. Give Everything a Spot….Off The Ground

I have to give credit to my husband for teaching me this one. I was not a believer until I saw it and lived it. I didn’t see the big difference between letting something lean against the wall versus giving it a hook up off the ground. It’s a game changer. And it’s not just aesthetic. It frees up more functional space. I have now adopted this rule in our house as well….pantries, utility closets, clothing and toy closets. #getofftheground Maybe we can get that trending?

What We Did

We did not use a general contractor so we managed all the subs ourselves which caused delays and headaches at several points throughout the project but saved us some money in the end. Below is the list of what we did (not necessarily in this exact order) but hopefully will give you a general scope of the work that was completed for your own planning.

Electrical - We added outlets in strategic places. This took some thoughtful planning. We added a work space for Cory so we needed outlets above and below the desk area. We also knew we had equipment with batteries that we wanted to charge in their new designated spaces such as electric bikes and perhaps dreams of a future golf cart. We also wanted a cabinet with an interior outlet. Because we needed to know the general cabinet layout first, the planning of those came prior to the electrical. Oh and use a professional. No one needs a hero in this department.

Lighting- this was one of Cory’s biggest must haves. GOOD lighting. This was key to making it a place people can spend time. We replaced a single central light with with two big lights, spaced out. What a difference. We went with generic ceiling lights that do the job, are affordable and visually disappear. We purchased in store and I couldn’t find the exact ones, but I found a similar style here.

Dry Wall and Paint - Our garage was only half way dry walled. So, for us, this was a necessary step. We contemplated just painting things. But we quickly realized this was foundational step and definitely gave it a finished look.

Re-epoxy the floors. Boy did we debate this. It’s expensive! We had old stained cement floors. But do garage floors really have to be pretty? It’s a garage- its supposed to be a working space. Right? I’m so glad we did this. It made all the difference and I can’t imagine how disappointed we would have been spending all that time and money on new cabinets with our old floors. The epoxy options come standard and there were not many to choose from. *Tip- we had them pour 50% less “specks” in ours to give it a cleaner, less busy look.

Relocated Garage Door Console. This was another big improvement. I didn’t even know this was an option. We have a small garage and every bit of real estate matters. We have a ceiling storage place so moving the old console from the ceiling (which big and clunky) allowed for better access, space for more lights and a much cleaner look. The new console is now nicely tucked on a side wall that would have been dead space anyway. This smart console comes with an app that allows us to close and open our door remotely and even allows for a custom Amazon delivery access code. So snazzy. Big win.

Cabinets- This is where your inventory assessment comes into play. We used a local company, TRC Garage. They were fantastic. They were not the cheapest but far from the most expensive. TRC worked with us to customize every single aspect of our cabinets based on our “inventory” and space. We ended up choosing a charcoal finish that I was worried would make our already small garage, feel too dark. But it does not. I had originally planned for white and decided against it for two reasons. One- white would show all the dirt, dust and scuffs. And two- white might end up looking sterile with this style of cabinet. I’m very happy with the choice. I think the charcoal gives an otherwise standard cabinet a more elevated look.

Added a Slat Wall. This is the sexiest part of the project. It’s also the most impactful in terms of FUNCTION. And I’m happy to report, that because it is a DIY, it wasn’t crazy expensive. Close to $1200 for an entire wall plus the “backsplash” to his work space. Benefits: It’s gets everything off the ground. It takes up way less space than cabinets. It’s the easiest way to give everything a home yet still keep it visible and accessible. You can also move/swap everything around endlessly based on your changing needs. For example, we created a skateboard rack in a key real estate position, but may not want that there a year from now. This really scratches the fear-of-commitment itch. The DIY part was pretty straightforward. I mean, I didn’t do it. Duh. But Cory seemed to knock it out pretty quick… and he is no Bob Villa . This was the product we used. I’ve linked all the slat wall accessories below.