…because when I took those pretty garage photos, all of our stuff was already in there. We simply found creative ways to give everything a dedicated space, which not only makes the garage look nice, but more importantly, it makes it easy to keep it organized.
MAKE A LIST
The ultimate key to my plans came down to the organizing mantra I come back to time and again – use every available space! That includes the walls, floor, and ceiling, and a few more spots you might be overlooking. Let’s break it down space by space…
& CLEAR THE FLOOR
Over the years, I’ve found that bins are great for items that we use occasionally, but they become a pain to put up and down for more frequently used items. Choosing matching white plastic totes for the shelves helps keep the garage looking fresh and clean.
- UPPER SHELF BINS: Holiday and seasonal decor that’s only accessed a couple of times a year
- LOWER SHELF BINS: Tarps; Moving blankets; Beverage dispensers for entertaining; Shop lights; Shop vac accessories
- DRAWERS: Reusable shopping bags; BBQ tools; Picnic backpack & blanket; Gardening gloves & tools; Extra trash bags; Car wash tools & towels; Ropes & cords; Shop rags; Extra light bulbs; Small balls and sporting equipment
We were able to take advantage of the space on top of the fridge and freezer for additional storage, including for our cooler and beverage tubs. We also used this space for all of the liquids that need to be kept out of reach of little hands, like weed and bug sprays, antifreeze, windshield wiper fluid, and cleaners.
I used large open front storage bins {similar to these} to contain all of the bottles, and to ensure that any leaks would be contained.
Moving these three large bins out of the garage and out of site, while still keeping them out of sight has been a major game changer for us.
In addition to using hooks to hang tools, I added a couple of pegboard part bins for my measuring tape and allen wrenches.
Instruction Manuals. I’ve always kept all of our instructional manuals together in the house, but I realized that it would be much easier to keep the manuals in the garage for our tools, air compressor, and the like. I hung a white file holder on the pegboard to keep all of our garage-related manuals in the same place.
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Doesn’t that metallic floor just get you every time?! |
I had been concerned about my ability to lift my bike down form the ceiling, and thanks to the pulley system, I don’t have to! Instead, I simply have to unwind the excess rope, pull to release the locking mechanism, and lower my bike.
The wall hooks that we wind the excess rope around also provide a perfect spot to hang our bike helmets.
- WHERE TO START: Make a list. Divide and conquer.
- DITCH THE SHELF UNITS & CLEAR THE FLOOR. Opt for adjustable wall shelves and drawers with space below for larger items. This provides the flexibility to adjust as your storage needs change.
- OUT OF REACH OF LITTLE HANDS. Create a space up high for potentially dangerous / toxic items.
- YARD TOOLS. Make the most of vertical space using wall hooks and heavy duty magnets.
- TRASH & RECYCLING. Create an outdoor enclosure to keep these out of the garage.
- WORKBENCH & TOOLS. Allow space for large tools without taking up your work surface; use pegboard for your most frequently used tools; dedicate a space for instruction manuals; use small divided bins to organize nails and screws; a rolling workbench provides a flexible work space.
- UTILIZE WALL & CEILING SPACE. Use a variety of hooks to hang yard tools, sawhorses, ladders, and bikes. Pulley systems makes it easy to hang bikes from the ceiling without the weight of lifting them down.
- OUTDOOR CUSHION & COVER STORAGE. Create a dedicate space to store outdoor cushions/pillows during the winter, and to store furniture covers during the summer.
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![]() Paint Chip Fridge – Coming Soon
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Anon. says
Where do you store your kids outdoor toys if you have them, and construction materials? My kids bikes and scrap wood pile are the death of my garage every summer!
Angela, Blue i Style says
We have a smaller "deck box" that we keep outside next to the kids playground area for their outdoor toys. It's weather proof, so we leave it out there year round. And we don't keep many extra construction materials. The type of DIY projects we do, we typically just buy what we need for each project and use it up. I don't have much of a scrap wood pile, although I do keep a few larger pieces of scrap wood tucked behind the rolling workbench.
Isadora Guidoni says
Wow, your garage looks so neat! I really love the storage bins solution, so easy, cheap and simple! Absolutely love it! Thank you for sharing these ideas with us!
Ursula Carmona says
I just love this garage makeover! It makes me inspired and a little ashamed every time I walk into mine. Lol!
Virginia Stonehouse says
Do you have any ideas like this for storage in attic rafter area, we are building our own house, and the loft is our bedroom. I would like closet type storage in the rafters, rather than wasted space, my husband is reluctant so, some nice pics might help to convince him! Thank you for all your wonderful ideas!
blueistyle says
Virginia, I don't have an attic, so I haven't organized a space with rafters before, but I found some ideas that might help:https://i.pinimg.com/originals/95/75/4c/95754ca1dbdbe160d8c7323fc228d9d5.jpg and https://i.pinimg.com/originals/95/75/4c/95754ca1dbdbe160d8c7323fc228d9d5.jpg https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/an-attic-closet-for-the-clothi-157018 and
Annie says
Lovely garage! Amazing results! I am wondering how you painted the unfinished garage white? What type of paint and process did you do? I have been searching on garage forums but there’s not a lot about this. Would love any ideas and help! Thank you!
blueistyle says
I’m sorry that I’m seeing your question so late. I hired a professional painter (actually I traded services with him – he painted my garage and I helped his organize his). He used a paint sprayer to make really quick work of painting the unfinished framing – I believe he just used a latex paint and primer in one.