The difference good Garage Organisation can make

Ok so its pretty obvious if you’ve been visiting this site for a while that I’m obsessed with organisation. My latest project is the garage which was a real mess. It’s amazing the difference good garage organisation can make to your home.

The first step to get any organisation process started is to empty out the space. It doesn’t matter whether you’re doing a kitchen cupboard, wardrobe or garage I personally don’t believe you will get as a good a result by doing small sections at a time.

In our case removing everything was a must anyway as we were going to paint the garage floor. We had a big problem with efflorescence on the garage floor. Efflorescence is the white powdery spots you can see in the below photo – it’s caused by salt deposits when there is moisture present. An engineer did have a look at the concrete to make sure we didn’t have any major issues.

THE BEFORE

I think to really appreciate the change you’ve created its important to take photos of the before. When you’re done you are going to want to fully take in the difference you’ve made.

Once we removed everything – which was a chore let me tell you!!!! The next step was to clean and prime the floor ready for painting. We used a high pressure cleaner and a product to deal with the efflorescence, to give the area good clean. The surface was then etched using this product from White Knight.

We knew that this process would include a few steps but we wanted to get it right the first time. The next step was to prime the concrete so that the paint would adhere better. Again we used a White Knight product made especially for garage floors. We only required 1 four litre tin of the primer for our standard size double garage.

Painting the garage floor

The biggest change to the space would be the painting. The floor was in really poor condition and looked messy without anything on top of it!! Our biggest hurdle was the time the painting would take. The heavy duty garage floor paint would take 16hrs to dry between coats. At this point in time we had our large fridge out in the driveway so that just wouldn’t do. We decided to do the quick dry option which meant we could get it finished in one day with the priming. This is the product we purchased from White Knight. We required two four litre cans however we did do three coats on the heavy traffic area so you may get away with just one can if you only wanted to do two coats.

Now to the organisation!!

The secret to any space remaining tidy and useable is the correct organisation. I have been making changes throughout my whole home to incorporate great systems to keep my areas clean and tidy.

The garage was next on my hit list. For me the difference between organisation working or failing is threefold. Correct containers for the purpose, putting like with like and good labelling are a must. Sometimes this can be expensive if you have a large area to organise like we did with the shed especially when heavy duty containers are required. In the garage though I wanted to utilise containers I had around the house already to save money. BUT, they had to fit the space and work for the purpose otherwise it was out.

What do you require from your space??

This is an important question and needs to be decided before you even start. My requirements for our garage were as follows:-

• I wanted a workspace for my craft and painting projects;
• I needed a space to store my extra crockery, cutlery and glassware so that its not scattered throughout the house;
• A place to store extra household items such as toilet paper, toothpaste etc;
• Somewhere for Tony to put his work equipment when he gets home;
• Storage for items like extension cords, steam mop, vacuum and a myriad of other things.

Starting the organisation process

The first step for me anytime I am reorganising a space is to empty the contents of the area and then work out how best to fit in what you need to store.

After removing everything I spent some time working out what was going to go where and what containers I would be using. Then I had to readjust all the shelving. We did have to purchase some additional shelves from IKEA to make the cupboards work properly and leave no wasted space.

The lefthand cupboard was to be for my entertaining crockery etc and the right was to store additional toilet paper etc. The additional larger cupboards on the other side were to house all of the essential but ugly items like vacuums, suitcases etc.

I was also able to use a cupboard and shelving unit I already had in the garage to create a craft workspace for myself.

THE RESULTS

To say I’m happy with the results is an understatement. Everything has a place and is clearly labelled. I now have a cupboard to store my entertaining items all in one place (with room to spare!).

I have managed to move items from our other cupboards in the house into the garage now too which has freed up space inside. Win win!!

The space created for my craft area is fantastic. The cupboard holds all my tools and craft items. I can place my Cricut machine on the shelving unit. The shelving unit is also the area for Tony to place all of his work items in as he comes in to the house.

Well the proof is in the pictures so what do you think?

You will see from the pictures how much more space you get when you make your shelves fit what you’re storing. No wasted space!

I just love how everything is very clear to see and easy to access. Each item has its own shelf and that makes so much difference to being able to keep it tidy.

MY FAVOURITE PART OF THE RENOVATION

So this is my favourite part of the whole renovation. All of my craft items in one place. I have even placed all my extra faux flowers here for easy access if I want to make an arrangement. The lamp is perfect because its operated by a foot pedal so if I’m covered in paint or glue I can still turn it on and off as I need to. It came from Kmart if you’re interested.

This old shelving unit is the perfect place for Tony’s work equipment to live and my Cricut can sit on top. I love being able to reuse items I’ve already got – if they work. If they don’t work you will end up back at square one a few months down the track.

The only thing left to do in this area is repaint the cupboards but that is a job for another day.

I hope you were able to take some inspiration from this makeover and tackle your own garage. If you’re interested in other projects I have organised my kitchen and pantry. we have also built and organised a new garden shed.