Monday, December 29, 2014
If you’re like most homeowners, your garage has become a messy catchall for everything from outdoor gear to shoes to bulk food items. One of the reasons the garage so easily becomes a disaster zone is that it’s a large space — so organizing it can be overwhelming. Maybe you’ve wanted to structure your storage but didn’t know where to start. Maybe you tried and got discouraged. The project has felt too big. Can you relate? As time goes on, the garage keeps getting more and more cluttered, and eventually you just try to stay out of it.
Here’s the thing, though: when properly organized, the garage can be a wonderfully usable storage space— and organization is more possible than you realize. Because here’s a secret that organization pros understand: if you break the garage down into smaller areas, tackling it becomes much more manageable. So rather than trying to organize the entire garage one object at a time, break the space up into specific areas. Here are seven to consider:
Entry/Exit between Home and Garage: Since the door between your home and garage is where you’ll usually be stepping out of your car and into the house, turn this little area into a natural entryway, complete with garage wall hooks and home shoe racks.  Via justagirlblog.com Regularly Used Indoor Items: The next section that should be near the door to your house is a space for items you need to grab regularly. If you use part of your garage as an extra food pantry or place for bulk paper products like paper towels and toilet paper, move that part of the garage near your house door. This way, when you step from the indoors out to the garage to grab something, what you need will be easily accessible and convenient. To make the most of this section, you may also want to add wire shelves and/or tall cabinets that make organizing items easier.  Via abowlfulloflemons.net Regularly Used Outdoor Items: Now think about the items that you’re always needing to grab to take outside. Rakes in the fall, shovels in the winter, sporting gear, bikes and tennis rackets may all fit into this category. These items should be placed near the large garage door to the outside. This way, when the door is open and you’re coming back to the garage to grab a tool or piece of equipment, it’s right near the opening, ready for you. Bulky Gear: Everybody has some bulky equipment stuffed into the garage. To make your garage more organized, group all these large pieces together. From camping gear to huge boxes of Christmas decorations, these less frequently used, big items are best kept high and out of sight using overhead garage storage racks. Your summer canoe can be stored away during winter, just like your sleds can go up here in summer. Long and skinny items like rakes and garden hoes can get mounted to walls using a garage grid organizer, or tucked away into tall cabinets. Taking the biggest, bulkiest products out of sight clears your garage to be more usable and efficient.  Via diynetwork.com Kids’ Gear: If you have children, they probably have toys and outdoor gear that they’ll want to access even when you’re not around. Keep these items somewhere low and accessible, but still tucked away, so that they can easily get to them. On the same topic, make sure any and all toxic materials, from cleaners to sealants to paint, are kept high, out of children’s reach. Seasonal Gear: If you have any seasonal items, like Christmas ornaments or artificial wreaths, that wouldn’t suit the bulky section, create another section for them in your garage. Because you won’t need these items for months at a time, tuck them away up and out of sight for the best-space usage.  Via lisarussofineart.com Work Area: Last but not least, when you’ve organized all your equipment into the above six areas, you should hopefully have space left for a work area. Consider creating a desk or table and garage storage cabinets, garage storage boxes or garage storage shelves for keeping tools and equipment. Then when you need to start a repair project, you’ll have space to do it in.  Via bhg.com
When it comes to your garage’s organization, breaking the project into zones is crucial. If you follow the map above and find you still have stuff leftover, either purge or regroup. You may need additional zones like a recycling area or a laundry zone, if your washer and dryer are kept there. Or you may need to downsize and get rid of things you never use. The thing to remember is that by determining how you want to use your garage space and which items are most useful where — you are able to make your garage more functional and organized. Use the seven areas above as a guide to get started!
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