The Garage Transformation You Have To See To Believe!

September 25, 2014

In lieu of a designer spotlight post, today I’m keeping it all in the family (just me!) and spotlighting a very recent LSBA project that I’m so giddy proud over, I can’t not share.

My client’s garage was, well, not great. While the rest of her family’s home is beautifully decorated and ordered, the garage space was a problem child from the get-go.

To start, the previous owners had “kindly” left behind three large items: a work table and 2 desk/storage situations, none of which remotely resembled the kind of storage space my client actually needs, and all of which occupied the majority of the floor space.

Without a plan in place, the default response had been to pile storage tubs on top of the leftover furniture, on top of each other, pyramid style.

Add to that the fact that it’s a garage (think: unfinished floors, weird paint), five or so bikes, a giant freezer, and a vintage garage door. And consider the fact that the instant people resign themselves to the state of a space it pretty much instantly deteriorates x3.

So, starting point then; this was it:

the garage transformation you have to see to believe!

the garage transformation you have to see to believe! the garage transformation you have to see to believe! the garage transformation you have to see to believe! the garage transformation you have to see to believe! the garage transformation you have to see to believe!

Yup, not great.

The first course of action was, naturally, to go through every thing in that garage at a rate of 1 x 1. (I seem intent on somehow coming out with this post being a giant word problem, what can you do.)

Many car-fulls worth of things were donated. The old owners were invited (ahem) to come and collect their remainders. What was left was hauled away by my favorite junk-haul guys (who won me over the first time I worked with them when they swept up after themselves in a gross garage space–different one–points and free Cokes were doled out).

After that- thank heavens- the space was painted. That alone made it feel like new. And then came the new storage systems and all the organizing.

I’ll bet you want to know what it’s looking like now. Aren’t you?

the garage transformation you have to see to believe!

Like a different space is what.

you won't believe what this garage used to look like!

Let’s talk details, though.

In order to keep the floor area clear for possible child-play on rainy days (which, hello, Seattle), I had them all hung on vertical bike hooks. The extra accessory hooks are the perfect way to keep helmets right next door.

(By the way if it looks like the pictures are moving or everything is slightly off-kilter that’s because they are; houses settle, see. Things shift. It can get weird.)

you won't believe what this garage used to look like!

The lower track has three mesh toy bags for holding all the balls, Frisbees, yadah yadah, which had previously been relegated to an old garbage bin I believe. These are so great and have become one of my favorite garage tools, since they also have a velcro front-opening for little hand retrieval.

Across the street we have ski and snow central: hooks for hanging the boards and skis and poles, plus lots of shelving for ski boots, helmets, storage tubs of winter gear, etc.

 

the garage transformation you have to see to believe!

the garage transformation you have to see to believe!

the garage transformation you have to see to believe!

I had these totally awkward back closets outfitted in shelves as well, and this one became the home for all things tool/handyman, mostly because my client wants to have the luxury of closing the doors and not having to look at them.

the garage transformation you have to see to believe!

Above the freezer is a space for backstock household items; my client was so excited when she learned this that she immediately went and fetched a pack of toilet paper.

We figured we might as well keep the existing utility shelves around, and so those became camping and outdoor activity-land.

the garage transformation you have to see to believe!

That’s basically the gist. Some finishing touches to be done, but overall two big happies-1 from my client and 1 from me (+ you would equal 3).

And for fun now, some side-by-side before and after action so you can really understand.

the garage transformation you have to see to believe! the garage transformation you have to see to believe! the garage transformation you have to see to believe! the garage transformation you have to see to believe!

the garage transformation you have to see to believe!

Hoping this inspires you to tackle your own not so great area, be it garage or pantry or panty drawer.

YOU KAHN DO EEEEET.

Peace & love.

Annie out.

Sources:

6 Comments

  1. Twee on September 25, 2014 at 7:11 am

    Dear Annie. I wish you lived in New Jersey. The end.

  2. Melissa on September 28, 2014 at 6:20 am

    Love it! We are just starting to organise our garage too. Hubby has 4 (yes 4!) push bikes which take up so much room. I recently stumbled across these bike holders online and we are definately getting some.

    They are similar to what you have used but they swing left and right as well – meaning you can fold/close them up like a book so they take up less floor space. I am in Australia so have no idea if they are available in the US but I figured you would still love to see a brilliant organising idea.

    http://www.steadyrack.com/videos/

    • Annie on September 30, 2014 at 3:32 pm

      Ooo interesting! Will definitely give these a thorough scoping out. Thanks for the tip!

  3. JL on September 29, 2014 at 7:50 am

    Annie, was the garage floor painted and if so, what was used? (And of course the rest looks superb as per usual)

    • Annie on September 30, 2014 at 3:27 pm

      The floor was painted, although unfortunately I can report absolutely nothing to you on the what-was-used front. Professional job; my apologies. I have seen lots of garage floor painting DIY tutorials floating around the interwebs, however. And thank you!

  4. […] I discovered this while working on what turned out to be the first of many garage projects this summer. Proving itself effective at storing outdoor toys, I subsequently used it in every garage proceeding that first one (including in this one). […]

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6 Comments

  1. Twee on September 25, 2014 at 7:11 am

    Dear Annie. I wish you lived in New Jersey. The end.

  2. Melissa on September 28, 2014 at 6:20 am

    Love it! We are just starting to organise our garage too. Hubby has 4 (yes 4!) push bikes which take up so much room. I recently stumbled across these bike holders online and we are definately getting some.

    They are similar to what you have used but they swing left and right as well – meaning you can fold/close them up like a book so they take up less floor space. I am in Australia so have no idea if they are available in the US but I figured you would still love to see a brilliant organising idea.

    http://www.steadyrack.com/videos/

    • Annie on September 30, 2014 at 3:32 pm

      Ooo interesting! Will definitely give these a thorough scoping out. Thanks for the tip!

  3. JL on September 29, 2014 at 7:50 am

    Annie, was the garage floor painted and if so, what was used? (And of course the rest looks superb as per usual)

    • Annie on September 30, 2014 at 3:27 pm

      The floor was painted, although unfortunately I can report absolutely nothing to you on the what-was-used front. Professional job; my apologies. I have seen lots of garage floor painting DIY tutorials floating around the interwebs, however. And thank you!

  4. […] I discovered this while working on what turned out to be the first of many garage projects this summer. Proving itself effective at storing outdoor toys, I subsequently used it in every garage proceeding that first one (including in this one). […]

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