The garage space unoccupied by the family car is probably used to store a few things. Typically, seasonal garden and sporting equipment is store. Others may use it to pile boxes of old possessions that aren’t frequently used anymore. Depending on how protected from weather the garage is, what you can store there may be limited. There are some cost effective ways to make your garage a more organized room. With a bit of planning and budgeting, you can turn it into a storage space that is functional, comfortable, and easy to use.
Shelving to organize
With a large enough budget, you could have custom storage installed against the walls to maximize the space while giving your car enough room to park. With a considerably smaller budget, you’ll need to plan the use of space on your own. Some careful measurements, being your own storage designer shouldn’t be too difficult. There is a variety of shelving products available, with some working better than others. Shelves that obscure the stored items aren’t best for seeing where things are at a glance. Clear bins, either plastic ones or metal containers using mesh or wide-spaced wires, are good for the purpose, as well as:
- freestanding metal or plastic shelves
- racks hanging from the walls or ceiling
- a pegboard for tools, if you own small shop tools or gardening tools
- rows of wall hooks
- cabinetry, which can be purchased individually
- toolboxes
Tip: When buying bins and shelves, unless there is a reason to do otherwise, buy identical ones to make the shelving more consistent. Rows of neatly arranged bins and boxes will make the space seem less cluttered and under control. Also you can use overhead storage solutions and storage cabinets to increase storage space.
Lighting to help you see
Although it’s not going to help you increase your garage storage, better lighting will benefit you when you’re looking for things or putting them away. If you have windows in your garage, make sure that they’re clean to let more sunlight into the space during the day. Otherwise, the single incandescent bulb may not be enough during the night, especially since your shadow can get in the way. Fluorescent lights are great as the main light source, and you can always put an affordable lamp in corners where you work. Additionally, lighting that comes from the underside of cabinets above a workspace takes up less space and distributes light evenly across the table.
Cans, bins, and labels
Buying in bulk is economical. An opened bag of bird seed or dog food is hard to stack and prone to spilling. As an alternative, consider putting your opened bags into metal or plastic bins. Be sure to label your containers so that you’ll remember in the future and your family members will know where to look. In addition, if there is important information about the use of the product, affix it somewhere that is accessible. For example, directions of use on fertilizer can be cut from the bag and taped on the underside of the replacement container’s lid.
Mark Clair was born in Ontario in 1986. Born and brought up in Toronto, he was graduated from the University of Western Ontario. He has been working as an interior designer in a private company in Toronto. He has had spledid experience working in the field of home improvement. He is very much passionate about designing interiors and he is a good writer too. He could create fabulous designs for many clients and he loves helping people bring their dream from inspiration to realization! For more information, catch him on twitter at Mark Clair
